East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:
- Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi – members of the East African Community (EAC). Burundi and Rwanda are sometimes considered part of Central Africa
- Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia – collectively known as the Horn of Africa
- Mozambique and Madagascar – often considered part of Southern Africa. Madagascar has close cultural ties to Southeast Asia and the islands of the Indian Ocean.
- Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – often included in Southern Africa, and formerly of the Central African Federation
- Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles – small island nations in the Indian Ocean
- Réunion and Mayotte – French overseas territories also in the Indian Ocean.
East Africa is often used to specifically refer to the area now comprising the countries of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and (in a wider sense) also Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Sudan.
Egypt is also in the northeastern portion of the continent, but it is usually included in Northern Africa.