NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Ethiopian Plateau

Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the north and northeast by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the south by Kenya, and on the west and southwest by Sudan. The country has a high central plateau that varies from 1,800 to 3,000 m (6,000 to 10,000 ft) above sea level, with some mountains reaching 4,620 m (15,158 ft). Elevation is generally highest just before the point of descent to the Great Rift Valley, which splits the plateau diagonally. A number of rivers cross the plateau -- notably the Blue Nile rising from Lake Tana. The plateau gradually slopes to the lowlands of the Sudan on the west and the Somali-inhabited plains to the southeast. File links The following pages link to this file: Geography of Ethiopia Ethiopia Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. ... Northern section of the Great Rift Valley. ... The Blue Nile is a river rising from Ethiopia. ... Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. ...

The climate is temperate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. At Addis Ababa, which ranges from 2,200 to 2,600 m (7,000 to 8,500 ft), maximum temperature is 26 °C (80 °F) and minimum 4 °C (40 °F). The weather is usually sunny and dry with the short (belg) rains occurring February-April and the big (meher) rains beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-September. average temperature and precipitations per month Addis Ababa (Amharic አዲስ አበባ, new flower) is the capital of Ethiopia. ...

Physical Features

Topography

Between the valley of the Upper Nile and Ethiopia's border with Eritrea is a region of elevated plateaus from which rise various mountain ranges. These tablelands and mountains constitute the Ethiopian Highlands. On nearly every side, the walls of the plateaus rise abruptly from the plains, constituting outer mountain chains. The highlands are thus a clearly marked orographic division. In Eritrea, the eastern wall of this plateau runs parallel to the Red Sea from Ras Kasar (18° N.) to Annesley Bay (also known as the Bay of Zula) (15° N.) It then turns due south into Ethiopia and follows closely the line of 40° E. for some 400 miles (600 km). About 9° N. there is a break in the wall, through which the Awash River flows eastward. The main range at this point trends southwest, while south of the Awash Valley, which is some 3000 ft (1000 m) below the level of the mountains, another massif rises in a direct line south. This second range sends a chain (the Harar hills) eastward toward the Gulf of Aden. The two chief eastern ranges maintain a parallel course south by west, with a broad upland valley in between — in which valley are a series of lakes — to about 3° N., the outer (eastern) spurs of the plateau still keeping along the line of 40° E. The southern escarpment of the plateau is highly irregular, but has a general direction northwest and southeast from 6° N. to 3° N. It overlooks the depression in which is Lake Turkana and — east of that lake — the southern Sidamo region (part of the larger Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region). The western wall of the plateau from 6° N. to 11° N. is well marked and precipitous. North of 11° N. the hills turn more to the east and fall more gradually to the plains at their base. On its northern face the plateau falls in terraces to the level of the eastern Sudan. The eastern escarpment is the best defined of these outer ranges. It has a mean height of 7000 to 8000 ft (2,100 to 2,400 m), and in many places rises almost perpendicularly from the plain. Narrow and deep clefts, through which descend mountain torrents that lose themselves in the sandy soil of the Eritrean coast, afford means of reaching the plateau, or the easier route through the Awash Valley may be chosen. On surmounting this rocky barrier, the traveller finds that the encircling rampart rises little above the normal level of the plateau. Shown here are a few of the volcanoes of the Afar Triangle. ... Shown here are a few of the volcanoes of the Afar Triangle. ... The Nile in Egypt Length 6 695 km Elevation of the source 1 134 m Average discharge 2 830 mÂ³/s Area watershed 3 400 000 kmÂ² Origin Africa Mouth the Mediterranean Basin countries Uganda - Sudan - Egypt The Nile (Arabic: Ø§Ù„Ù†ÙŠÙ„ an-nÄ«l), in Africa, is one of the two... For alternate uses of the term, see Plateau (disambiguation). ... The most general definition of mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands. ... The term highland is used in geography for any elevated mountainous plateau. ... In geography, a plain is an expanse of land with relatively low relief. ... Conshelf II in the Red Sea (Sudan) Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea (Arabic Ø§Ù„Ø¨ØØ± Ø§Ù„Ø£ØÙ…Ø± Baá¸¥r al-Aá¸¥mar, al-Baá¸¥ru l-â€™Aá¸¥mar; Hebrew ×™× ×¡×•×£ Yam Suf; Tigrigna á‰€á‹áˆ• á‰£áˆ•áˆª QeyH baHri) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Zula is a small town in Eritrea near the head of Annesley Bay (also known as the Bay of Zula) on the African coast of the Red Sea. ... The Awash (sometimes spelled Hawash) is a major river of Ethiopia. ... In geology, a massif is a section of the Earths crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. ... Harar, also spelled Harrar sometime harer, is a city in Ethiopia, situated in the eastern extension of the Ethiopian highlands, about five hundred km from Addis Ababa. ... The Gulf of Aden is located in the Indian Ocean between Yemen on the south coast of the Arabian Peninsula and Somalia in Africa. ... View over Lake Turkana Lake Turkana, formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya (although the far northern end of the lake crosses into Ethiopia), which covers a surface area of 6405 km² (2473 mi²), making it the worlds largest permanent desert... Sidamo was a province in the southern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Irgalem, and later at Awassa. ... Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia. ...

The physical aspect of the highlands is impressive. The northern portion, lying mainly between 10° and 15° N., consists of a huge mass of Archaean rocks with a mean height of 7000 to 7500 ft (2,200 m) above sea level, and is flooded in a deep central depression by the waters of Lake Tana. Above the plateau rise several irregular and generally ill-defined mountain ranges which attain altitudes of from 12,000 to over 15,000 ft (3,700 to 4,600 m). Many of the mountains are of unusual shape. Characteristic of the country are the enormous fissures which divide it, formed over time by the erosive action of water. They are in fact the valleys of the rivers which, rising on the uplands or mountain sides, have cut their way to the surrounding lowlands. Some of the valleys are of considerable width; in other cases the opposite walls of the gorges are but two or three hundred meters apart, and fall almost vertically thousands of feet, representing an erosion of many millions of cubic feet of hard rock. One result of the action of the water has been the formation of numerous isolated flat-topped hills or small plateaus, known as ambas, with nearly perpendicular sides. The highest peaks are found in the Simien and Gojam ranges. The Semien Mountains lie northeast of Lake Tana and culminate in the snow-covered peak of Ras Dashan, which has an altitude of 15,160 ft (4,620 m). A few miles east and north respectively of Ras Dashan are Mounts Biuat and Abba Yared, whose summits are a few feet only below that of Ras Dashan. In the Chok Mountains in Gojam, Agsias Fatra attains a height of 13,600 ft (4,150 m). The Archean is a geologic eon; it is a somewhat antiquated term for the time span between 2500 million years before the present and 3800 million years before the present. ... Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. ... Grand Canyon, Arizona A canyon, or gorge, is a valley walled by cliffs. ... Look up Erosion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Severe soil erosion in a wheat field near Washington State University, USA. Eroded paddock, Australia Detail of erosion Erosion is the displacement of solids (soil, mud, rock, and so forth) by the agents of wind, water, ice, movement in response to gravity... Gojjam, or Gojam, was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debra Markos. ... The Simien Mountains lie in northern Ethiopia, north east of Gonder. ... Ras Dashan is the highest mountain in Ethiopia reaching an elevation of 4,623 metres (15,158 ft). ...

Parallel with the eastern escarpment are the heights of Baila, 12,500 ft (3,810 m), Mount Abuna Yosef, 13,780 ft (4,200 m), and Kollo, 14,100 ft (4,300 m), the last-named being southwest of Magdala. The valley between these hills and the eastern escarpment is one of the longest and most profound chasms in Ethiopia. Between Lake Tana and the eastern hills are Mounts Guna, 13,800 ft (4,210 m), and Uara Sahia, 13,000 ft (3,960 m). (These figures are approximate.) Below 10° N., the southern portion of the highlands has more open tableland than the northern portion and fewer lofty peaks. Though there are a few heights between 10,000 and 12,000 ft (3,000 and 4,000 m), the majority do not exceed 8000 ft (2,400 m), but the general character of the southern regions is the same as in the north: a much-broken hilly plateau. Amba Mariam is a village in the Amhara region of central Ethiopia. ...

Hydrology

Most of the Ethiopian uplands have a decided slope to the north-west, so that nearly all the large rivers find their way in that direction to the Nile. Such are the Tekezé River in the north, the Abay in the center, and the Sobat in the south, and about four-fifths of the entire drainage is discharged through these three arteries. The rest is carried off by the Awash, which runs out in the saline lacustrine district along the border with Djibouti; by the Webi Shebeli and the Jubba, which flow southeast through Somalia, though the Shebeli fails to reach the Indian Ocean; and by the Omo, the main feeder of the closed basin of Lake Turkana. Download high resolution version (1417x849, 679 KB) Image number: SEMMYL77ESD Caption: Lake Tana, Ethiopia - ASAR - 31 March 2004 Credits: ESA 2004 http://search. ... Download high resolution version (1417x849, 679 KB) Image number: SEMMYL77ESD Caption: Lake Tana, Ethiopia - ASAR - 31 March 2004 Credits: ESA 2004 http://search. ... Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. ... There is also Nile, a death metal band from South Carolina, USA. The Nile in Egypt Length 6 695 km Elevation of the source 1 134 m Average discharge 2 830 m³/s Area watershed 3 400 000 km² Origin Africa Mouth the Mediterranean Basin countries Uganda - Sudan - Egypt The... The TekezÃ© River is a major river of Ethiopia, and forms a section the westernmost border of Ethiopia and Eritrea for part of its course. ... The Abay River is a river in Ethiopia. ... The Awash (sometimes spelled Hawash) is a major river of Ethiopia. ... The Shabele River (Shabeelle in Somalia) begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. ... The Jubba River is a river in Somalia. ... The Omo is an important river of southern Ethiopia. ...

The Tekezé River, which is the true upper course of the Atbarah River, has its headwaters in the central tableland; and falls from about 7000 to 2500 ft (2,100 to 750 m). in the tremendous crevasse through which it sweeps west, north, forming part of the border with Eritrea, and west again down to the western terraces, where it passes from Ethiopia to Sudan. During the rains the Tekezé (i.e. the "Terrible") rises some 18 ft (5 m) above its normal level, and at this time forms an impassable barrier between the northern and central regions. In its lower course, the river is known by the Arabic name Setit. In Sudan, the Setit is joined (14° 10' N., 36° E.) by the Atbarah, a river formed by several streams which rise in the mountains west and northwest of Lake Tana. The Gash or Mareb, which forms part of the border with Eritrea, is the most northerly of the highland rivers which flow toward the Nile valley. Its headwaters rise on the landward side of the eastern escarpment within 80 km of Annesley Bay on the Red Sea. It reaches the Sudanese plains near Kassala, beyond which place its waters are dissipated in the sandy soil. The Mareb is dry for a great part of the year, but like the Takazze is subject to sudden freshets during the rainy season. Only the left bank of the upper course of the river is in Ethiopian territory. The Atbarah River in northeast Africa rises in northwest Ethiopia, approximately 50 km north of Lake Tana and 30 km west of Gondar. ... Arabic (Ø§Ù„Ø¹Ø±Ø¨ÙŠØ©) is a Semitic language, closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Atbarah River in northeast Africa rises in northwest Ethiopia, approximately 50 km north of Lake Tana and 30 km west of Gondar. ... Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia. ... The Mareb River (or Gash River), is the most northerly of the highland rivers of Ethiopia which flow to the northwest, and forms part of the border with Eritrea. ... Kassala is the capital of the state of Kassala in northeastern Sudan. ...

The Abay — that is, the upper course of the Blue Nile — has its source near Mount Denguiza in the Gojam highlands (about 11° N. and 37° E.), and first flows for 70 miles (110 km) nearly due north to the south side of Lake Tana. Tana, which stands 2500 to 3000 ft (750 to 1000 m) below the normal level of the plateau, has somewhat the physical aspect of a flooded crater. It has an area of about 1100 miles&sup2 (2,800 km&sup2), and a depth in some parts of 250 ft (75 m). At the southeast corner the rim of the crater is, as it were, breached by a deep crevasse through which the Abay escapes, and here makes a great semicircular bend like that of the Tekezé, but in the reverse direction — east, south and north-west — down to the plains of Sennar, where it takes the name of Bahr-el-Azrak or Blue Nile. The Abay has many tributaries. Of these, the Bashilo rises near Magdala and drains eastern Amhara; the Jamma rises near Ankober and drains northern Shoa; the Muger rises near Addis Ababa and drains south-western Shoa; the Didessa, the largest of the Abai's affluents, rises in the Kaffa hills and has a generally south-to-north course; the Yabus runs near the western edge of the plateau escarpment. All these are perennial rivers. The right-hand tributaries, rising mostly on the western sides of the plateau, have steep slopes and are generally torrential in character. The Bolassa, however, is perennial, and the Rahad and Dinder are important rivers in flood-time. The Blue Nile is a river rising from Ethiopia. ... The Bashilo River is located in the African nation of Ethiopia. ... Amhara (አማራ) may refer to: Amhara, an ethnic group of Ethiopia. ... Shewa (also spelled Shoa) is a historical region of Ethiopia. ... average temperature and precipitations per month Addis Ababa (Amharic አዲስ አበባ, new flower) is the capital of Ethiopia. ... The Didessa River is an Ethiopian river which rises in the mountains of Gomo. ... Kaffa is a province in southwestern side of Ethiopia. ...

In the mountains and plateaus of Gambela and Kaffa in southwestern Ethiopia rise the Baro, Gelo, Akobo and other chief affluents of the Sobat tributary of the Nile. The Akobo, in about 7° 50' N. and 33 deg. E., joins the Pibor, which in about 8° 30' N. and 33° 20' E. unites with the Baro, the river below the confluence taking the name of Sobat. These rivers descend from the mountains in great falls, and like the other Ethiopian streams are unnavigable in their upper courses. The Baro on reaching the plain becomes, however, a navigable stream affording an open waterway to the Nile. The Baro, Pibor and Akobo form for 250 miles (400 km) the western and southwestern frontiers of Ethiopia. Gambela is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia. ...

The chief river of Ethiopia flowing east is the Awash River (or Awasi), which rises in the Shoan uplands and makes a semicircular bend first southeast and then northeast. It reaches the Afar Depression through a broad breach in the eastern escarpment of the plateau, beyond which it is joined on its left bank by its chief affluent, the Germama (Kasam), and then trends round in the direction of the Gulf of Tadjoura. Here the Awash is a copious stream nearly 200 ft (60 m) wide and 4 ft (1.2 m) deep, even in the dry season, and during the floods rising 50 or 60 ft (15 to 20 m) above low-water mark, thus inundating the plains for many miles along both its banks. Yet it fails to reach the coast, and after a winding course of about 500 miles (800 km), it passes (in its lower reaches) through a series of badds (lagoons) to Lake Abhe Bad (or Abhe Bid) on the border with Djibouti and some 60 or 70 miles (100 km) from the head of the Gulf of Tadjoura. In this lake the river is lost. This remarkable phenomenon is explained by the position of Abhe Bad in the centre of a saline lacustrine depression several hundred feet below sea-level. While most of the other lagoons are highly saline, with thick incrustations of salt round their margins, Abhe Bad remains fresh throughout the year, owing to the great body of water discharged into it by the Awash. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... The Gulf of Tadjoura is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean in the Horn of Africa, lying to the south of the straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, or the entrance to the Red Sea. ...

Another lacustrine region extends from the Shoan heights southwest to the Samburu (Lake Turkana) depression. In this chain of scenic upland lakes — some fresh, some brackish, some completely closed, others connected by short channels — the chief links in their order from north to south are: Zway, communicating southwards with Hara and Lamina, all in the Arusi Oromo territory; then Abai with an outlet to a smaller turn in the Baroda and Gamo areas, skirted on the west sides by grassy slopes and wooded ranges from 6000 to nearly 9000 ft (2,000 to 3,000 m) high; lastly, in the Ch'ew Bahir (formerly known as Lake Stephanie) , completely closed and falling to a level of about 1800 ft (550 m) above the sea. To the same system obviously belongs the neighbouring Lake Turkana, which is larger than all the rest put together. This lake receives at its northern end the waters of the Omo, which rises in the Shoan highlands and is a perennial river with many affluents. In its course of some 370 miles (600 km) it has a total fall of about 6000 ft (2,000 m) (from 7600 ft at its source to 1600 ft at lake-level), and is consequently a very rapid stream, being broken by the Kokobi and other falls, and navigable only for a short distance above its mouth. The chief rivers of Somalia, the Webi Shabele and the Jubba, have their rise on the south-eastern slopes of the Ethiopian escarpment, and part of their course is through territory belonging to Ethiopia. Brackish water is water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as sea water. ... Lake Zway is one of the freshwater Rift Valley lakes of Ethiopia. ... The Oromo are an African ethnic group found in Ethiopia and to a lesser extent Kenya. ...

There are numerous hot springs in Ethiopia (Sodere, for example). Green Dragon Spring at Norris Geyser A hot spring is a place where warm or hot groundwater issues from the ground on a regular basis for at least a predictable part of the year, and is significantly above the ambient ground temperature (which is usually around 55~57 F or... Sodere is a spa town in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. ...

Seismology

Geology

The East African tableland is continued into Ethiopia. Since the visit of W. T. Blanford in 1870 the geology has received little attention from travellers. The following formations are represented:

Archaean.--The metamorphic rocks compose the main mass of the tableland, and are exposed in every deep valley in Tigre and along the valley of the Blue Nile. Mica schists form the prevalent rocks. Hornblende schist also occur and a compact felspathic rock in the Suris defile. The foliae of the schists strike north and south.

Triassic.--In the region of Adigrat the metamorphic rocks are invariably overlain by white and brown sandstones, unfossiliferous, and attaining a maximum thickness of 1000 feet. They are overlain by the fossiliferous limestones of the Antalo group. Around Chelga and Adigrat coal-bearing beds occur, which Blanford suggests may be of the same age as the coal-bearing strata of India. The Adigrat Sandstone possibly represents some portion of the Karroo formation of South Africa.

Jurassic.--The fossiliferous limestones of Antalo are generally horizontal, but are in places much disturbed when interstratified with trap rocks. The fossils are all characteristic Oolite forms and include species of Hemicidaris, Pholadomya, Ceromya, Trigonia and Alaria.

Igneous Rocks.--Above a height of 8000 ft the country consists of bedded traps belonging to two distinct and unconformable groups. The lower (Ashangi group) consists of basalts and dolerites often amygdaloidal. Their relation to the Antalo limestones is uncertain, but Blanford considers them to be not later in age than the Oolite. The upper (Magdala group) contains much trachytic rock of considerable thickness, lying perfectly horizontally, and giving rise to a series of terraced ridges characteristic of central Ethiopia. They are interbedded with unfossiliferous sandstones and shales. Of more recent date (probably Tertiary) are some igneous rocks, rich in alkalis, occurring in certain localities in southern Ethiopia. Of still more recent date are the basalts and ashes west of Massawa and around Annesley Bay and known as the Aden Volcanic Series. With regard to the older igneous rocks, the enormous amount they have suffered from denudation is a prominent feature. They have been worn into deep and narrow ravines, sometimes to a depth of 3000 to 4000 ft.

Climate

The climate of Ethiopia and its dependent territories varies greatly. The Somalil Region and the Danakil lowlands in the Afar Region have a hot, dry climate producing semi-desert conditions; the country in the lower basin of the Sobat is hot, swampy and malarious. But over the greater part of Ethiopia as well as the Oromia highlands the climate is very healthy and temperate. The country lies wholly within the tropics, but its nearness to the equator is counterbalanced by the elevation of the land. In the deep valleys of the Tekezé and Abay, and generally in places below 4000 ft, the conditions are tropical and diseases such as malaria are prevalent. On the uplands, however, the air is cool and bracing in summer, and in winter very bleak. The mean range of temperature is between 60 deg. and 80 deg. F. On the higher mountains the climate is Alpine in character. The atmosphere on the plateaus is exceedingly clear, so that objects are easily recognizable at great distances. In addition to the variation in climate dependent on elevation, the year may be divided into three seasons. Winter, or the cold season, lasts from October to February, and is followed by a dry hot period, which about the middle of June gives place to the rainy season. The rain is heaviest in the Tekezé basin in July and August. Somali is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia. ... Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia. ... Oromo flag The land of the Oromo Nation is known as Oromia (sometimes spelled Oromiya). ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... The equator is an imaginary line drawn around a planet, halfway between the poles. ... The TekezÃ© River is a major river of Ethiopia, and forms a section the westernmost border of Ethiopia and Eritrea for part of its course. ... The Abay River is a river in Ethiopia. ... Red blood cell infected with Malaria (Italian: bad air; formerly called ague or marsh fever in English) is an infectious disease which in humans causes about 350-500 million infections and over 1 million deaths annually, mainly in the tropics and sub-Saharan Africa. ... For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see climate) for a region above the tree-line. ...

In the districts of Gojjam and Welega heavy rains continue till the middle of September, and occasionally October is a wet month. There are also spring and winter rains; indeed rain often falls in every month of the year. But the rainy season proper, caused by the southwest monsoon, lasts from June to mid-September, and commencing in the north moves southward. In the region of the headwaters of the Sobat the rains begin earlier and last longer. The rainfall varies from about 30 in. a year in Tigray and Amhara to over 40 in. in parts of Oromia. The rainy season is of great importance not only to Ethiopia but to the countries of the Nile valley, as the prosperity of the eastern Sudan and Egypt is largely dependent upon the rainfall. A season of light rain may be sufficient for the needs of Ethiopia, but there is little surplus water to find its way to the Nile; and a shortness of rain means a low Nile, as practically all the flood water of that river is derived from the Ethiopian tributaries. Gojjam, or Gojam, was a province in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debra Markos. ... Welega was a province in the western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Nakamti. ... Tigray is the northern-most of the nine ethnic regions (kililoch) of Ethiopia. ... Amhara (አማራ) may refer to: Amhara, an ethnic group of Ethiopia. ...

Flora and Fauna

As in a day's journey the traveller may pass from tropical to almost Alpine conditions of climate, so great also is the range of the flora and fauna. In the valleys and lowlands the vegetation is dense, but the general appearance of the plateaus is of a comparatively bare country with trees and bushes thinly scattered over it. The glens and ravines on the hillside are often thickly wooded, and offer a delightful contrast to the open downs. Flora is a collective term for plant life. ... Fauna is a collective term for animal life. ...

These conditions are particularly characteristic of the northern regions; in the south the vegetation on the uplands is more luxuriant. Among the many varieties of trees and plants found are the date palm, mimosa, wild olive, giant sycamores, junipers and laurels, the myrrh and other gum trees (gnarled and stunted, these flourish most on the eastern foothills), a magnificent pine (the Natal yellow pine, which resists the attacks of the white ant), the fig, orange, lime, pomegranate, peach, apricot, banana, and other fruit trees; the grape vine (rare), blackberry, and raspberry; the cotton and indigo Plants, and occasionally the sugar cane. There are in the south large forests of valuable timber trees; and the coffee plant is indigenous in the Kaffa country, whence it takes its name. Many kinds of grasses and flowers abound. Large areas are covered by the kussa, a hardy member of the rose family, which grows from 8 to 10 ft high and has abundant pendent red blossoms. The flowers and the leaves of this plant are highly prized for medicinal purposes. The fruit of the hurarina, a tree found almost exclusively in Shoa, yields a black grain highly esteemed as a spice. On the tableland a great variety of cereals and vegetables are cultivated. A fibrous plant, known as the sansevieria, grows in a wild state in the semi-desert regions of the north and south-east. For the cocktail, see Mimosa (cocktail), and for the star in Crucis, Becrux. ... Species About 20, including: Olea brachiata Olea capensis Olea caudatilimba Olea europaea Olea exasperata Olea guangxiensis Olea hainanensis Olea laxiflora Olea neriifolia Olea paniculata Olea parvilimba Olea rosea Olea salicifolia Olea tetragonoclada Olea tsoongii Olea undulata The olives (Olea) are a genus of about 20 species of small trees in... Sycamore is a name applied at various times and places to three very different types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. ... Species 50-55 species; see text. ... The name Laurel is widely used in English, once being a moderately common name typically for girls; also as Laurie. ... Myrrh is a red-brown resinous material, the dried sap of the Commiphora myrrha tree, indigenous to Somalia. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis - Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina - Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica - Common Fig Ficus citrifolia Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii Ficus lyrata Ficus macbrideii Ficus macrophylla - Moreton Bay Fig Ficus microcarpa - Chinese Banyan Ficus... This article deals with the fruit; for alternative meanings, see orange (disambiguation), or for an article about the word itself, see orange (word) Oranges and orange juice Ambersweet oranges Sectioned navel orange. ... Binomial name Citrus X aurantifolia {{{author}}} Limes cut in half Lime (Citrus X aurantifolia) is a citrus tree originating from the Malay Achipelago. ... Species L. Balf. ... Binomial name Prunus persica L. A peachy dessert The peach is a tree, Prunus persica, and the juicy fruit that it bears, which has a single large seed encased in hard wood (called the pit or stone), yellow or whitish flesh, a delicate aroma, and a velvety skin. ... For the computer company, see Apricot Computers. ... Species Hybrid origin; see text A banana is a tree-like plant (though strictly a herb) of the genus Musa in the family Musaceae, closely related to plantains. ... Species Vitis acerifolia Vitis aestivalis Vitis amurensis Vitis arizonica Vitis x bourquina Vitis californica Vitis x champinii Vitis cinerea Vitis x doaniana Vitis girdiana Vitis labrusca Vitis x labruscana Vitis monticola Vitis mustangensis Vitis x novae-angliae Vitis palmata Vitis riparia Vitis rotundifolia Vitis rupestris Vitis shuttleworthii Vitis tiliifolia Vitis... BlackBerry 7100t The BlackBerry is a handheld wireless device providing e-mail, telephone, text messaging and web browsing and other wireless data access. ... For the sound made by humans to simulate flatulence, see Blowing a raspberry. ... Cotton is a soft fiber that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. ... Species Ref: ITIS 42058 as of 2004-05-05 Sugarcane is one of six species of a tall tropical southeast Asian grass (Family Poaceae) having stout fibrous jointed stalks whose sap at one time was the primary source of sugar. ... Kaffa is a province in southwestern side of Ethiopia. ... Genera See: List of Poaceae genera The true grasses are monocot (class Liliopsida) plants of the family Poaceae (formerly Graminae). ... Wildflowers A flower is the reproductive organ of those plants classified as angiosperms (flowering plants; Division Magnoliophyta). ... Remote Operations Service Element (ROSE) is a sub-layer of protocol layer six (presentation layer) in the OSI seven layer model which provides SASE for remote operations. ... Shoa may have the following meanings Shoah, or Holocaust Shoa, Ethiopia Part of a famous quote by Brandon ripper Vedas This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Spices are strongly flavored or aromatic parts of plants used in small quantities in food as a preservative, or flavouring in cooking. ... Cereal crops are mostly grasses cultivated for their edible seeds (actually a fruit called a caryopsis). ... Vegetables on a market Vegetable is a nutritional and culinary term denoting any part of a plant that is commonly consumed by humans as food, but is not regarded as a culinary fruit, nut, herb, spice, or grain. ...

In addition to the domestic animals enumerated below (sec. 8) the fauna is very varied. Elephant and rhinoceros are numerous in certain low-lying districts, especially in the Sobat valley. The Ethiopian rhinoceros has two horns and its skin has no folds. The hippopotamus and crocodile inhabit the larger rivers flowing west, but are not found in the Hawash, in which, however, otters of large size are plentiful. Lions abound in the low countries and in Somaliland. In central Ethiopia the lion is no longer found except occasionally in the river valleys. Leopards, both spotted and black, are numerous and often of great size; hyenas are found everywhere and are hardy and fierce; the lynx, wolf, wild dog and jackal are also common. Boars and badgers are more rarely seen. The giraffe is found in the western districts, the zebra and wild ass frequent the lower plateaus and the rocky hills of the north. There are large herds of buffalo and antelope, and gazelles of many varieties and in great numbers are met with in most parts of the country. Among the varieties are the greater and lesser kudu (both rather rare); the duiker, gemsbuck, hartebeest, gerenuk (the most common--it has long thin legs and a camel-like neck); klipspringer, found on the high plateaus as well as in the lower districts; and the dik-dik, the smallest of the antelopes, its weight rarely exceeding 5 kg (10 lb), common in the low countries and the foothills. The civet is found in many parts of Ethiopia, but chiefly in the Galla regions. Squirrels and hares are numerous, as are several kinds of monkeys, notably the guereza, gelada, guenon and dog-faced baboon. They range from the tropical lowlands to heights of 10,000 ft. Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Stegodon (extinct) Deinotherium (extinct) Mammuthus (extinct) Elephantidae (the elephants) is the only extant family in the order Proboscidea. ... Species Ceratotherium simum Dicerorhinus sumatrensis Diceros bicornis Rhinoceros unicornis Coelodonta antiquitatis (extinct) A rhinoceros (commonly called a rhino for short) is any of five surviving species of odd-toed ungulate in the family Rhinocerotidae. ... Binomial name Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus, 1758 The Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) or Greek á¼µÏ€Ï€á½¹Ï€Î¿Ï„Î±Î¼Î¿Ï‚ (river horse) is a large, plant-eating African mammal, one of only two living and three (or four) recently extinct species in the family Hippopotamidae. ... Genera Crocodylus Osteolaemus Tomistoma A crocodile can be any of the 14 species of large, water-loving reptiles in the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the subfamily Crocodylinae). ... Genera Amblonyx Aonyx Enhydra Lontra Lutra Lutrogale Pteronura Otters are aquatic or marine carnivorous mammals, members of the large and diverse family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers and others. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ... Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Leopards (Panthera pardus) are one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... Genera Crocuta Hyaena Parahyaena Proteles Hyenas (or Hyænas) are moderately large terrestrial carnivores native to Africa and Asia, and members of the family Hyaenidae. ... Lynx can be: Lynx (cat), a type of wild cat. ... Binomial name Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758 The Grey Wolf (Canis lupus), also known colloquially as just the wolf, is a mammal of the Canidae family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The Dog is a canine carnivorous mammal that has been domesticated for at least 14,000 years and perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent evidence. ... Species Canis aureus Canis adustus Canis mesomelas Canis simensis A jackal is any of four small to medium-sized members of the family Canidae, found in Africa and Asia. ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... For other uses, see Badger (disambiguation). ... Female giraffe with calf, in Kenya. ... Species Equus zebra Equus quagga Equus grevyi See Equus for other species. ... Species Bubalus arnee Bubalus depressicornis Bubalus quarlesi Bubalus mindorensis Bubalus is a genus of bovines, the English name of which is buffalo. ... This article deals with the African herbivorous mammal. ... A GAZelle (Russian: ) is a series of mid-sized trucks, vans and buses made by Russian car manufacturer GAZ. The base model number is GAZ-3302, but several variants exist. ... The Kudu are two species of antelope: Young Greater Kudu Bull Lesser Kudu, Tragelaphus imberbis Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros A Kudu horn is a musical instrument made from the horn of the Kudu antelope. ... Genera Cephalophus Sylvicapra A duiker is any of about 19 small to medium-sized antelope species native to sub-Saharan Africa. ... Binomial name Oryx gazella (Linnaeus, 1758) The Gemsbok or gemsbuck Oryx gazella, is a large African Oryx antelope. ... Binomial name Alcelaphus buselaphus Pallas, 1766 The Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. ... Binomial name Litocranius walleri ({{{author}}}, {{{date}}}) Gerenuk is an antelope-like animal found in East Africa. ... Binomial name Oreotragus oreotragus (Zimmerman, 1783) The Klipspringer (literally rock jumper in Afrikaans), Oreotragus oreotragus, is a small African antelope that lives from the Cape of Good Hope all the way up East Africa and into Ethiopia. ... The dik-dik is a small antelope named for the sound it makes when alarmed that lives in the brush of southern and eastern Africa. ... This article deals with the African herbivorous mammal. ... Subfamilies Cryptoproctinae Euplerinae Hemigalinae Paradoxurinae Viverrinae The 35 species of civet, genet and linsang make up the family Viverridae. ... The Oromo are an African ethnic group (pejoratively termed Galla) found in Ethiopia and to a lesser extent Kenya. ... Genera Many, see the article Sciuridae. ... Species Many, see text Hares and jackrabbits belong to family Leporidae, and mostly in genus Lepus. ... Cynomolgus Monkey at Batu Caves, Malaysia Monkeys, Mori Sosen (1749-1821) A monkey is any member of two of the three groupings of simian primates. ... Binomial name Theropithecus gelada (Rüppell, 1835) Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) is a species of Old World monkey, found only in the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea. ... This article is about the monkey. ... Species Papio hamadryas Papio papio Papio anubis Papio cynocephalus Papio ursinus The Baboon is the largest non-hominid member of the primate order. ...

Birds are very numerous, and many of them remarkable for the beauty of their plumage. Great numbers of eagles, vultures, hawks, bustards and other birds of prey are met with; and partridges, duck, teal, guineafowl, sandgrouse, curlews, woodcock, snipe, pigeons, thrushes and swallows are very plentiful. A fine variety of ostrich is commonly found. Among the birds prized for their plumage are the marabout, crane, heron, blacks bird, parrot, jay and hummingbirds of extraordinary brilliance, Orders Many - see section below. ... Genera Several, see below. ... A Nubian Vulture Vultures are scavenging birds, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals. ... The term hawk refers to birds of prey in any of three senses: Strictly, to mean any of the species in the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis, and Megatriorchis. ... Genera Perdix Alectoris Lerwa Bambusicola Ptilopachus Rollulus Haematortyx Caloperdix Arborophila Xenoperdix Melanoperdix †See also Pheasant, Quail, Grouse Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. ... Subfamilies Dendrocygninae Oxyurinae Anatinae Merginae Drake Mallard Duck is the common name for a number of species in the Anatidae bird family. ... Tasman Empire Airways Limited (TEAL) was the forerunner of Air New Zealand. ... Genera Agelastes Numida Guttera Acryllium The guineafowl are a family of birds in the same order as the pheasants, turkeys and other game birds. ... Genera Pterocles Syrrhaptes The sandgrouse are a group of 16 near passerine bird species in the order Pteroclidiformes. ... The curlews are a group of eight wader species, characterised by a long slender downcurved bill and mainly brown plumage with little seasonal change. ... This article is about the bird. ... This article is about the Snipe Bird. ... Pigeon redirects here. ... Genera 22 genera, see text The Thrushes, family Turdidae, are a group of passerine birds that occur mainly but not exclusively in the Old World. ... Genera Many, see text. ... Binomial name Struthio camelus Linnaeus, 1758 The Ostrich (Struthio camelus, Greek sparrow camel) is the largest living bird, reaching a height of up to 2. ... Genera Grus Anthropoides Balearica Bugeranus Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. ... Genera Ardea Zebrilus Philherodias Tigrisoma Ardeola Bubulcus Egretta Agamia Butorides Tigriornis Tigrisoma Gorsachius Syrigma Zonerodius Nycticorax see also: Bittern Heron and reeds, Haronobu Suzuki (1754-1770) Herons are medium to large long-legged, long-necked wading birds of the family Ardeidae, which also includes the egrets and bitterns. ... Genera A parrot is any of the many birds belonging to the family Psittacidae. ... For the Latin alphabet letter, see J. Genera Aphelocoma Cyanocitta Cyanocorax Garrulus Gymnorhinus Perisoreus Jay is a common name for several species of medium sized, usually colorful and noisy passerine or perching birds in the family Corvidae, or crow family, closely allied to the magpies (the names jay and magpie... Genera Many, see text. ...

Among insects the most numerous and useful is the bee, honey everywhere constituting an important part of the food of the inhabitants. Of an opposite class is the locust. There are thousands of varieties of butterflies and other insects. Snakes are not numerous, but several species are poisonous. A database query syntax error has occurred. ... Families Andrenidae Anthophoridae Apidae Colletidae Ctenoplectridae Halictidae Heterogynaidae Megachilidae Melittidae Oxaeidae Sphecidae Stenotritidae bee or bees, see bee (disambiguation). ... Honey honey comb A capped frame of honeycomb Honey is a sweet and viscous fluid produced by bees and other insects from the nectar of flowers. ... Desert locust Locust is the name given to the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. ... Families Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is a flying insect of the order Lepidoptera belonging to one of the superfamilies Hesperioidea (the skippers) and Papilionoidea (all other butterflies). ... Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae Snakes are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. ... The skull and crossbones symbol traditionally used to label a poisonous substance. ...

Statistics

See also: Ethiopia Africa is the worlds second-largest continent in both area and population, after Asia. ... Ras Dashan is the highest mountain in Ethiopia reaching an elevation of 4,623 metres (15,158 ft). ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Platinum, Pt, 78 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10 , 6, d Density, Hardness 21450 kg/mÂ³, 3. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 , 4, d Density, Hardness 8920 kg/m3, 3. ... Potash Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) mixed with other potassium salts. ... Natural gas rig Natural gas (commonly refered to as gas in many countries) is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane. ... Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of and in living nature. ... UNFCCC logo. ... Ship stranded by the retreat of the Aral Sea Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi arid and dry sub-humid areas into desert, resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. ... The American bison numbered as few as 750 in 1890 due to extreme overhunting. ... note - abbreviated as Environmental Modification opened for signature - December 10, 1976 entered into force - October 5, 1978 objective - to prohibit the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques in order to further world peace and trust among nations parties - (66) Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria... Admiralty law (usually referred to as simply admiralty and also referred to as maritime law) is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. ... The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes and was opened for signature in New York on 24 September 1996, when it was signed by 71 States, including the five nuclear weapon states at the time (which did not... A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ...

External link

The University of Texas System comprises fifteen educational institutions in Texas, of which nine are general academic universities, and six are health institutions. ...

References

Categories: 1911 Britannica | Geography of Ethiopia | Geography by country The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Eleventh Edition of the EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica (1911) in many ways represents the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. ... March 26 is the 85th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (86th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

Contents

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