East African Rift System

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Lake Kivu, located in the western branch of the East African Rift System.

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Geography & Travel

East African Rift System

geological feature, Africa-Asia

Also known as: Afro-Arabian Rift Valley

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Category: Geography & Travel

Also called:: Afro-Arabian Rift Valley

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East African Rift System, one of the most extensive rifts on Earth’s surface, extending from Jordan in southwestern Asia southward through eastern Africa to Mozambique. The system is some 4,000 miles (6,400 km) long and averages 30–40 miles (48–64 km) wide. The system consists of two branches. The main branch, the Eastern Rift Valley (often called the Great Rift Valley, or Rift Valley), extends along the entire length of the system. In the north the rift is occupied by the Jordan River, the Dead Sea, and the Gulf of Aqaba. It continues southward along the Red Sea and into the ...(100 of 289 words)

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