Physical features are important to us because of the positive and negative effects they have on people’s lives.
1. Farming:
Volcanic mountains produce fertile volcanic soils, which are important for farming. Plateaus and plains are suitable for setting up large farms where machinery can be easily used.
2. Settlement:
In hot tropical areas, highlands have a cool and wet climate that attracts settlements.
Plains attract settlements because they can easily be irrigated to grow different crops.
3. Water supply:
Mountains are sources of rivers, which supply water for domestic and industrial use.
Rivers also provide water for irrigation.
4. Rainfall:
When warm moist winds rise over mountains, they form relief rainfall. Highland areas receive this type of rainfall.
5. Security:
Highland areas offer security to the people living there. In the past, people used to settle in highland areas to feel safe.
They would see their enemies approaching and prepare to defend themselves.
6. Borders:
Mountains, rivers and lakes are used as boundaries between countries.
7. Tourist attraction:
Relief features form beautiful scenery, which attracts tourists.
Examples of such features include the snow-capped mountains, the Great Rift Valley and lakes.
Tourists bring foreign exchange into the country.
8. Transport:
Lakes and rivers are used as a means of transport.
For example, Lake Victoria is an important waterway which links Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Lake Tanganyika is also used for transport.
9. Fishing:
Many lakes and rivers have fi sh.
Fish is an important source of food that is rich in proteins.
Fishing earns income for many families living near the lakes and rivers.
10. Mining:
The earth is a source of useful and valuable minerals like gold, diamond and oil.
Lakes like L. Magadi are important sources of minerals like salt and soda ash.
11. Recreation:
People climb mountains and hills for enjoyment.
Rivers, lakes and the ocean are used for water sports, swimming, and sailing.
12. Source of electricity:
Rivers and dams are used to generate electricity.
13. Communication:
Masts to improve communication are set up in highland areas to improve communication.
14. Livestock farming:
Dry plateaus like the Nyika plateau are good for keeping livestock and nomadic pastoralism.
15. Sources of rivers:
Mountains and highlands are sources of rivers since the ice melts to water.
16. Some lakes and rivers provide water for irrigation.
For example: L. Naivasha, R. Tana and L. Bogoria.
17. Some features in the Rift Valley are sources of minerals,
for example, salt and soda ash at L. Magadi and fl uorspar at Kerio Valley.
18. Forests found at the foot of high mountains and within the Rift Valley provide raw materials for some industries,
for example, wood and timber used in paper making industries and saw mills.
19. Forests are home to wild animals which attract tourists.
20. Steam from hot volcanic rocks within the Rift Valley is used to generate geothermal power, for example, at the Ol Karia Geothermal Plant near Naivasha.
1. Relief features affect the way people settle in different places.
For example, areas that are hilly, with steep rugged sides, will not support dense settlements.
2. Mountains may obstruct free movement of people from one place to another. It is diffi cult and expensive to build roads in such areas.
3. Lowland areas and swamps tend to fl ood and this may cause loss of lives and property.
4. Hot lava can also lead to destruction of property.
5. When lowland areas fl ood, they become breeding grounds for pests like mosquitoes and snails, which cause diseases.
