Ethiopia Geography
LocationEastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 38 00 E
Area
total: 1,127,127 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries
total: 5,328 km
border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m
Natural resources
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
Land use
arable land: 10.71%
permanent crops: 0.75%
other: 88.54% (2001)
Irrigated land
1,900 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment - current issues
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean
