The
Great Rift Valley is part of an intra-continental ridge system that runs through
Kenya from north to south. It is part of the
Gregory Rift, the eastern branch of the
East African Rift, which starts in
Tanzania to the south and continues northward into
Ethiopia. It was formed on the "Kenyan Dome" a geographical upwelling created by the interactions of three major tectonics: the Arabian, Nubian, and Somalian plates. In the past, it was seen as part of a "
Great Rift Valley" that ran from
Madagascar to
Syria. Most of the valley falls within the former
Rift Valley Province.