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Location:
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Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
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Geographic coordinates:
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8 00 N, 38 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 1,127,127 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than twice the size of Texas
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Land boundaries:
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total: 5,328 km
border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked)
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked)
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Climate:
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tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
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Terrain:
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high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m
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Natural resources:
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small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 9.9%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 89.45% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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1,900 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
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Geography - note:
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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
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