Why Is There a Desert in Somalia? Odd Geography

Why is there a desert in Somalia and Kenya, extending to the equator? For that matter, why is East Africa home to savannas and woodlands, rather than the rainforest we often find at such equatorial latitudes? And shouldn't subtropical West Asia be more humid, considering the fact that subtropical deserts are usually absent from eastern coastlines? The expansive deserts and savannas of Eastern Africa and Western Asia are explained in this video.

00:00 (Introduction)
02:00 (ITCZ Explained)
03:30 (Asian Monsoon Winds)
04:06 (Rain Shadow)
05:18 (Winter Monsoon Winds)
05:52 (Southern Hemisphere Monsoon)
06:31 (The Silver Lining)
07:02 (Upwelling)
08:08 (Somali Jet)
08:56 (Turkana Jet)
09:43 (Effect of Madagascar)

Image Sources:
Daniel Davis (creator)
NASA
NOAA
Wikipedia Creative Commons: Charles J. Sharp, Manuel Werner, Byekwaso Blasio, Krg, Rhanjit Baskar.
Flickr Creative Commons: DFID—UK Department for International Development
earth.nullschool.net
Google Earth

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NOAA