Ethiopia Eritrea Somalia Djibouti

Author: Zhou Min, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: Ethiopia: Natural Geography: Located in the northeastern part of Africa, on the southwest coast of the Red Sea, it borders Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Sudan to the north and west, and Kenya to the south. The territory covers over 110,36,000 square kilometers. Ethiopia has a coastline of 1,013 kilometers, with most of the land being mountainous plateaus. The Ethiopian Plateau dominates the central and western regions, accounting for two-thirds of the country, with an average elevation of 2,500–3,500 meters, earning it the name "Roof of Africa." Population: 59.88 million (announced in September 1998), with the Oromo ethnic group accounting for 45% and the Amhara ethnic group 38%. Other ethnic groups include the Afar and Somali. Amharic is the national language, while English is widely spoken. The population practices Christianity, Islam, and other religions.
Djibouti: Area of 23,200 square kilometers. Located on the western coast of the Gulf of Aden in the northeastern part of Africa. It borders Somalia to the south, and Ethiopia to the north, west, and southwest. The terrain is complex, with most areas being low-lying volcanic plateaus, deserts, and volcanoes covering 90% of the country, interspersed with lowland plains and lakes. The southern region is mostly highland mountains, with an average elevation of 500–800 meters. The Great Rift Valley runs through the center, with Lake Assal at the northern end of the rift valley being 153 meters below sea level, the lowest point in Africa. Mount Moussa Ali in the north has an elevation of 2,020 meters, the highest point in the country. There are no permanent rivers, only seasonal streams. The climate is primarily tropical desert, with the interior regions close to tropical grassland climate, characterized by year-round heat and little rainfall. Population: 651,000 (1997), mainly consisting of two ethnic groups: the Issa and the Afar. The official languages are French and Arabic. Islam is the state religion, with 94% of the population being Muslim.