Southeast Africa,[1][2] or Southeastern Africa,[3][a] is an African region that is intermediate between East Africa[b] and Southern Africa.[c][8] It comprises the countries Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi,[9] Mozambique,[10][11] Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda,[12] Zambia and Zimbabwe[13] in the mainland, with the island-nations of Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, and Seychelles also included.[10]
East and southern Africa are among the earliest regions where modern humans (Homo sapiens) and their predecessors are believed to have lived. In September 2019, scientists reported the computerized determination, based on 260 CT scans, of a virtual skull shape of the last common human ancestor to modern humans/H. sapiens, representative of the earliest modern humans, and suggested that modern humans arose between 350,000 and 260,000 years ago through a merging of populations in South and East Africa.[14][15]
Main article: Bantu expansion § Expansion |
Further information: Bantu peoples § History |
Bantu-speakers traversed from Central Africa into Southeast Africa approximately 3,000 years ago.[10]
Main article: Swahili coast § History |
Main article: Urewe § Chronology |
Main article: History of Madagascar |
Further information: Merina people § History |
Main articles: Empire of Kitara § Founding, and Bunyoro § History |
Main articles: History of Buganda and Karagwe District § History |
Main article: History of Buganda |
Further information: Kabaka of Buganda |
Main article: Kingdom of Rwanda § Pre-colonization |
Main article: Kingdom of Burundi § History |
Further information: List of Kings of Burundi |
Main article: Maravi |
Further information: Decolonisation of Africa and Neocolonialism |
In the 19th and 20th centuries, David Livingstone[16] and Frederick Courtney Selous visited Southeast Africa. The latter wrote down his experiences in the book Travel and Adventure in South-East Africa.[17]
Further information: Demographics of Africa, List of African countries by population, List of ethnic groups of Africa § Southeast Africa, and African diaspora |
See also: Indian diaspora in Southeast Africa and Southeast Africans in the United States |
People include the San people.[3] The Swahili language is spoken, both as an official language and lingua franca, by millions of people.[18]
Further information: African art § East Africa, and African art § Southern Africa |
Further information: Architecture of Africa § East Africa, and Architecture of Africa § Southern Africa |
Further information: Folk costume § Eastern Africa, and Folk costume § Southern Africa |
Further information: African cuisine § East Africa, African cuisine § Southern Africa, List of African cuisines § East African cuisine, and List of African cuisines § Southern African cuisine |
Further information: Music of Africa § West, Central, Southeast and South Africa; Sub-Saharan African music traditions § East Africa; and Sub-Saharan African music traditions § Southern Africa |
Further information: Traditional African religions § East Africa, Traditional African religions § Southern Africa, Islam in Africa, Christianity in Africa, and Religion in Africa |
Further information: Cinema of Africa § East Africa, and Cinema of Africa § Southern Africa |
Further information: History of science and technology in Africa § East Africa, and History of science and technology in Africa § Southern Africa |
Further information: Mental health in Southeast Africa |
Lake Malawi[16][19] and Limpopo River[20] are located in Southeast Africa.
Further information: 2015 Southeast Africa floods |
Fauna[17] includes the cheetah, leopard, lion,[21] Nile crocodile, hyena, Lichtenstein's hartebeest and white rhinoceros.