Is African continent rifting apart? Here is all you need to know

Where will Africa split into two?

The continental rift will happen along the East African Rift Valley, the main branch of the East African Rift System, or the Afro-Arabian Rift System. The East African Rift Valley, also called the Great Rift Valley, runs along the entire length of the system.

Rifting has occurred over the past 1.3 million years

What is causing the African Plate to split?

The African Plate is not splitting, but rather it is slowly moving apart from other plates along the East African Rift System. This process, known as rifting, is driven by tectonic forces deep beneath the Earth's surface.

Africa and Indian Ocean will be redefined following the split

It is important to note that this process is occurring very slowly, over millions of years, and is not expected to have any immediate impact on the geography or politics of the region. It is a natural geologic process that is part of the ongoing evolution of the Earth's crust.

When did theories regarding the split of Africa start circulating?

The idea that the African continent was once a single landmass that later broke apart into smaller fragments can be traced back to the work of the German geophysicist Alfred Wegener, who first proposed the theory of continental drift in 1912.

How will a new coastline benefit landlocked countries?

When Africa splits into two sub-continents, landlocked countries such as Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia will get a coastline. This will help build harbours that connect the six countries to the rest of the world directly.