Location Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates 8 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references Africa

Area
total: 1,127,127 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
land: 1,119,683 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%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 89% (1998 est.)

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, Nuclear Test Ban

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, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia

NOTE: The information regarding Ethiopia on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Ethiopia Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Ethiopia Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.