Grade 6 Social Studies Natural And Built Environmemt – Position And Size Of Countries In Eastern Africa Notes
Natural and Built Environment — Position and Size of Countries in Eastern Africa
Age: 11 (Kenya) — What you will learn:
- Where the main Eastern African countries are located (north, south, east, west of Kenya).
- How big those countries are compared to each other (small, medium, large).
- Which countries have a coastline and which are landlocked.
Simple position map (not to scale). Kenya is shown in the centre for reference.
Quick Facts
- Ethiopia and Tanzania are two of the largest countries in Eastern Africa by land area.
- Djibouti, Rwanda and Burundi are among the smallest countries in Eastern Africa.
- Coastal (have a sea/ocean): Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea.
- Landlocked (no sea/ocean): Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Ethiopia (Ethiopia lost its coast in 1993 when Eritrea became independent).
- Kenya sits on the equator — parts of the country are in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Countries close to Kenya — size and position
Uganda
Position: West of Kenya
Size: Small to medium (~241,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Position: West of Kenya
Size: Small to medium (~241,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Tanzania
Position: South of Kenya
Size: Large (~945,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes (Indian Ocean)
Position: South of Kenya
Size: Large (~945,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes (Indian Ocean)
Somalia
Position: East of Kenya
Size: Large (~637,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes
Position: East of Kenya
Size: Large (~637,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes
Ethiopia
Position: North of Kenya
Size: Very large (~1,100,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Position: North of Kenya
Size: Very large (~1,100,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
South Sudan
Position: North-west of Kenya
Size: Large (~620,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Position: North-west of Kenya
Size: Large (~620,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Rwanda
Position: South-west of Kenya (from Uganda)
Size: Small (~26,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Position: South-west of Kenya (from Uganda)
Size: Small (~26,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Burundi
Position: South-west of Kenya (near Rwanda & Tanzania)
Size: Small (~27,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Position: South-west of Kenya (near Rwanda & Tanzania)
Size: Small (~27,000 km²)
Landlocked: Yes
Djibouti
Position: North-east of Kenya (near the Gulf of Aden)
Size: Very small (~23,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes
Position: North-east of Kenya (near the Gulf of Aden)
Size: Very small (~23,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes
Eritrea
Position: North of Kenya (past Ethiopia)
Size: Medium (~117,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes (Red Sea)
Position: North of Kenya (past Ethiopia)
Size: Medium (~117,000 km²)
Coastline: Yes (Red Sea)
Class Activities (easy)
- On your workbook draw a simple map showing: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia. Label north, south, east and west.
- Write whether each country is landlocked or coastal.
- Match these descriptions to countries: "very large", "small", "has long coastline", "landlocked".
- Think-pair-share: Why is it important for a country to have a coastline? (Hint: trade, fishing, transport)
Revision Questions
Q1. Which country is directly east of Kenya?
A1. Somalia.
Q2. Name two large countries in Eastern Africa.
A2. Ethiopia and Tanzania (also Somalia and South Sudan are large).
Q3. Is Uganda landlocked?
A3. Yes — Uganda has no sea coast.
Note for teachers: Use the simple SVG map as a classroom aid. Emphasise directions (N, S, E, W), concept of area (bigger vs smaller), and coastline vs landlocked.