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Albertine Rift (collection)

Albertine Rift (collection)

Published: July 15, 2009, 2:13 am
Updated: July 15, 2009, 2:13 am
Lead Author: Peter Saundry
Topics: Geography
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This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Lakhdar Boukerrou

The Albertine Rift revealed as the line of African Great Lakes. Source: NASA The Albertine Rift revealed as the line of African Great Lakes. Source: NASA
Mountain gorilla, Volcanoes National Park, <a href='/article/Rwanda' title='Rwanda'>Rwanda</a> (Photograph by John Morrison) Mountain gorilla, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda (Photograph by John Morrison)

The Albertine Rift is a 1,200 km long rift valley in central Africa that is flanked by highlands, including some of the highest peaks on the continent, and includes a series of notable lakes, including Lake Albert, Lake Edward, Lake Kivu, and Lake Tanganyika.  It is a region of high biodiversity, with many notable species found nowhere else. The Rift runs north-south with a westerly arc and provides a natural border for Democratic Republic of the Congo and its western neighbors, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. The northern end of the Albertine Rift is usually taken to include all of Lake Albert which ends at the beginning of the Albert Nile (2°21' N 31°27' E). The southern end is usually taken to include most, but not all, of Lake Tanganyika, terminating at about the latitude of the Marungu Highlands (7°30’ S).

  1. Click here for an overview of the Albertine Rift
    Countries sharing the Albertine Rift
  2. Geography: Overview - Climate - Rivers, Lakes, Mountains, and other Geographical features -Cities and towns
  3. Ecology and Biodiversity:
  4. Natural Resources: Water - Energy - Fisheries - Forests - Air -Agriculture
  5. Human Interactions with the Albertine Rift
    • People and Settlements of the Albertine Rift
    • Governance
    • Organizations and Programs
    • Environmental Services
    • Profiles of people shaping the Rift

Citation

Peter Saundry (Lead Author);Lakhdar Boukerrou (Topic Editor) "Albertine Rift (collection)". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth July 15, 2009; Last revised Date July 15, 2009; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Albertine_Rift_%28collection%29>

The Author

Peter Saundry Stewardship Committee The Encyclopedia of Earth Dr. Peter Saundry is the Executive Director of the National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE), a nonpartisan organization working to improve the scientific basis of environmental decision making. The NCSE works closely with the many communities that create and use environmental knowledge to make and shape environmental decisions, including academic, scientific, environmental, and business organizations, as well as federal, s ... (Full Bio)

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