Introduction to Geography of

Ethiopia and the Horn (GeES 1011)

Horn of Africa Ethiopia

 Objective of the Course
• To familiarize students to both natural and cultural
environment of Ethiopia & the region; expose to
available and distribution of natural and human
resources of the country.
– To show “geographic diversity” of Ethiopia.
• To enable students answer to the following
questions:
– Where is Ethiopia found? What are implication &
significance of its location? How large it is?
– Which natural and human resources of Ethiopia has
and where?
 Course Outline
Chapter One: Location, Size and Shape of Ethiopia and the Horn
1.1 Geography: Definition, scope and Themes
1.2 Location, Shape and size of Ethiopia and the Horn
1.3 Internal Administrative Divisions in Ethiopia: past and present
Chapter Two: The Geology of Ethiopia and the Horn
2.1 The Continental Drift Theory
2.2 The Geologic Process: Endogenic and Exogenic Forces
2.3 The Geological Time Scale (and Age Dating Techniques)
2.4 Geological Processes and the Resulting Land forms
2.5 Distribution of Rocks and Mineral Resources of Ethiopia

Chapter Three: The Topography (relief) of Ethiopia and the Horn

3.1 General Characteristics of the Ethiopian Physiography
3.2 The Physiographic Divisions of Ethiopia
3.3 The Impact of Relief on Biophysical condition and Socio – economic
activities of Ethiopia;
 Course Outline
Chapter Four: Drainage System and Water Resource of Ethiopia and the Horn
4.1 Major Drainage Systems of Ethiopia
4.2 General Characteristics of Ethiopian Rivers
4.3 Surface and Subsurface Water Resources of Ethiopia and their Potential for
Development
4.4 Distribution of Highland Lakes and their Basic Morphometric Data.
Chapter Five: Climate of Ethiopia and the Horn
5.1 What is weather, climate, meteorology and climatology?
5.2 The Elements and Controls of Weather and Climate
5.3 The Climate of Ethiopia
5.4 Rainfall Variability and Reliability
5.5 Water Balance and Water Surplus and Deficit
5.6 Distribution of Growing Season
5.7 Desertification
5.8 Climate Change: Causes, Consequences and Responses
Chapter Six: Soils, Natural Vegetation and Wild Life Resources of Ethiopia and the
Horn
6.1 Ethiopian Soils: Type, Degradation and Conservation
6.2 Natural Vegetation of Ethiopia
6.3 Wild Animal Resources of Ethiopia
 Course Outline
Chapter Seven: Population of Ethiopia and the Horn
7.1 Definition of population and population geography
7.2 Population Data: Type, Sources and Problems
7.3 Population of Ethiopia: Size, Spatial distribution, Dynamics and Composition
7.4 Demographic Characteristics of the population of Ethiopia: Fertility,
Mortality & Migration
7.5 Composition and Characteristics of the Population of Ethiopia.
Chapter Eight: Rural and Urban Settlements in Ethiopia
8.1 Type of Settlement
8.2 History of urbanization in the world and Ethiopia
Chapter Nine: Economic Activities in Ethiopia
9.1 Mining Activity in Ethiopia
9.2 Forestry in Ethiopia
9.3 Fishery in Ethiopia
9.4 Agriculture in Ethiopia
9.5 Manufacturing Industry in Ethiopia
9.6 The Service Sector in Ethiopia
 Chapter One
Location, Size and Shape of Ethiopia & (the Horn)

 This chapter defines what geography is as a discipline and the

scope of study of the discipline.
 Its also attempts to give answers to the following questions of
geography: ‘where’ is Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa region
found?
 How large it is territorially, and what it looks like? Hence, it
defines and presents the location, territorial extent (size) and
shape of the Horn region, Ethiopia in specific.
 The unit paves the way to the understanding of biophysical,
demographic and socio-economic features of Ethiopia and the
Horn region.
 Hence the chapter intends to impart basic information related to
location, size, shape and administrative structure/division of
Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa..
1.1. Geography: Definition, scope and Themes
• Geography is an academic discipline like history,
economics, biology, Sociology, chemistry, History and
others.
• It studies about places and features, and the relationship
between people and their environment.
• Geographers explore spatial variation of biophysical
features on the Earth’s surface, and the human societies
and their activities spread across it.
• Moreover, geography seeks to understand where things
are found, why they are there, and how they develop and
change over time.
• Geography explains the laws of spatial distributions of
human population including its activities, animals and
plants.
 In Brief
• Geography is, thus, one of academic
disciplines that studies about spatial variation
in the distribution of features, and the
relationships between people and their
environment.
• It tries to describe and understand spatial
variation of biophysical features and human
societies and their activities spread across the
earth's surface.
 1.1.2 The Scope, Approaches and Themes of Geography

Themes:-
• Because of the study of geography is so broad it is typically
divided into specialties of two continuums:
 a human-physical continuum and
 a topical-regional continuum.
• The topical (thematic) Geography view particular
categories of physical or human phenomena as distributed
over the earth,
• Whereas regional geography is concerned with the
associations within regions of all or some of the elements
and their interrelationships.
• Geographic techniques are in the service of the two
continuums.
Scope of Geography
• Geography is a holistic and interdisciplinary field of
study contributing to the understanding of the
changing spatial structures of the distribution of
biophysical and human features from the past to the
future.
• Hence, the scope of Geographical study is ‘the
surface of the earth’, which is the very thin zone that
is the interface of the atmosphere, lithosphere,
hydrosphere and biosphere that provides the habitable
zone in which humans are able to live.
 Basic Themes in Geography
• Geography has five basic themes namely location, place, human-
environment interaction, movement, and region.
a) Location is defined as a particular place or position.
 Most studies of geography begin with the mention of this theme
of geography.
 Location can be defined either in relative or absolute term.
b) Place refers to the physical and human aspects of a
location.
– This theme of geography is associated with toponym (the name of a
place), site (the description of the features of the place), and situation (the
environmental conditions of the place).
– Each place in the world has its unique characteristics expressed in terms
of landforms, hydrology, biogeography, soil characteristics and size of its
human population, and human cultures.
– The concept of “place” aids geographers to compare and contrast two
places on Earth.
c) Human-Environment Interaction:-
• Humans have always been on ceaseless interaction with
their natural environment.
– No other species that has lived on our planet has a profound
effect on the environment as humans.
– Humans have adapted to the environment in ways that have
allowed them to dominate all other species on Earth.
– Thus, human-environment interaction involves three distinct
aspects: dependency, adaptation, and modification.
– Dependency refers to the ways in which humans are
dependent on nature for a living.
– Adaptation relates to how humans modify themselves, their
lifestyles and their behavior to live in a new environment with
new challenges.
– Modification allowed humans to “conquer” the world for their
comfortable living.
d) Movement involves to the translocation of
human beings, their goods, and their ideas from
one end of the planet to another.
 The physical movement of people allowed the
human race to inhabit all the continents and
islands of the world.
 Another aspect of movement is the transport of
goods from one place on the Earth to another.
 The third dimension of movement is the flow of
ideas that allows the unification of the human
civilization and promotes its growth and
prosperity.
 d) Region is a geographic area having distinctive
characteristics that distinguishes itself from adjacent
unit(s) of space.
 It could be a formal region that is characterized by
homogeneity in terms of a certain phenomenon like:
 soil, temperature, rainfall, or other cultural elements like
language, religion, and economy.
 It can also be a functional or nodal region
characterized by functional interrelationships in a
spatial system defined by the linkages binding
particular phenomena.
 1.2. Location, Size, Shape & Administrative Division of Ethiopia and the Horn
Countries
1.2.1. Location of Ethiopia and the Horn
 There are three primary factors about a place which must be known
before doing any other things include:
 location, territorial size and shape of a country.
 Knowledge of most of the things (events & features) starts with simple
recognition of ‘where it is found’.
 It is evident that wherever Ethiopia is found on world map its
biophysical settings, historical, cultural and diplomatic relations
with the outside world are interwoven with and derived from its
location.
 Location of a country, in this case that of Ethiopia, is defined in terms
of geographic coordinates (latitudes & longitudes), regions and sub-
regions, oceans and seas, and also in reference to neighboring countries.
 Location of a country presents impacts on its access to the sea and then to
the outside world, and diplomatic relations with its immediate neighboring
countries and the outside world..
 Geographic location refers to a locus, particular position,
point, or place, on the earth.
 It can be established in two but three different ways:
 i. Astronomical (absolute or mathematical) location,
ii. Relative location: a) vicinal location and
b) location in reference to land mass & big water bodies.
 I. Astronomical location: it can also be referred to as absolute
or mathematical location because location in this case is defined
using digits or numbers that gives an absolute and very specific
location.
 Astronomical or global location of a place is its absolute
location on the surface of the earth.
 It is described using geographic coordinates of parallels and
meridians measured in degrees of latitude and longitude.
Geographical Coordinates: Parallels of latitude and
meridians of Longitude
• The location of Ethiopia could
be broadly defined as it lies
between the Equator and the
Tropic of Cancer, and in the
Eastern Hemisphere. Adiabo

• However, one can specifically

describe that Ethiopia lies between
30 N and 150 N latitude, and 330 E
and 480 E longitude. Geographic
Centre (90N
Addis Ababa
40.50E
• The corresponding place name of Buro-Dughei

the southern and northern tips are Akobo

Kededuma (east of Moyale),

located about 60 kilometer east of
Moyale town, and Adiabo (apex
of Bademe triangle), and western Kededuma
ma Figure 1.1: Outline of Ethiopia with

and eastern most tips are Akobo, the four farthest (extreme points.

located at Ethio-Sudan border and

Buro Dughei, eastern most point
of the Somali Region of Ogaden
respectively
 Geographical Center
 The geographical center of Ethiopia (centre of gravity of the Ethiopian
space) is at about 90 North & 40030’East.
 It is situated in the Middle Awash Valley, northeast of Awash town (See the map);
 Whereas Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia and diplomatic center of
Africa is located at about 90 2’ North and 38045’East.
 It is situated only about 225 km west of the geographical center.
 The Geographical center of Ethiopia moved from 100 30’N & 400 30’E southwest
ward to 90 2’ N & 38045’E in favor of Addis Ababa after the secession of Eritrea.
 Hence, Addis Ababa became more central.
 Although the east-west territorial extent of Ethiopia is about a distance of
150, which theoretically equal to one hour which implies there could have
been one hour time difference between Akobo and eastern tip of Ogden,
 Despite such difference Ethiopia has one time zone.
 Hence, everywhere in Ethiopia the local time is 3 hour (+3) ahead of the
universal time (Greenwich Mean Time)
Time Zones
II. Relative location: this is location defined in relative term i.e. in
reference to neighboring countries and or other large land masses and
water bodies.
 Hence one can identify two ways of location description in this case:
a) Vicinal location and
b) location established in reference to land mass and or
water body.
a. Vicinal location: This is relative location established in reference to
the location of neighboring countries.
 It refers to the vicinity in which a nation is located;
 The kind and number of its neighbors is important politically and
economically.
 Ethiopia has six neighboring countries, which share international
boundaries with Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and
Eritrea.
 Accordingly, Ethiopia is situated east of Sudan & South Sudan,
north of Kenya, west and northwest of Somalia, west of Djibouti
 Boundaries may be grouped into three:
 a) Geometrical, b)Ethnographic or Anthropogenic or Ethnic
boundaries, and c) Morphological (physical) boundaries.
a) Geometrical boundaries are strictly mathematical and drawn
following parallels & meridians, straight lines, oblique
lines and arc of a circle.
b) Ethnographic or Anthropogenic or Ethnic boundaries are
those drawn based on human-historical point of view
and based on race, cultures, language and religion, etc.
 This could include Antecedent boundaries which are drawn before
the development of cultural landscape, i.e. before societies adjusted
themselves to the boundaries;
 Subsequent boundaries are those drawn after the development of
cultural landscape; but they consider major and minor cultural groups;
 Superimposed boundaries include those drawn after the development
of cultural landscapes and do not consider cultural groups as in the
case of many countries in Africa including Ethiopia.
 What are boundaries?
• Boundaries are finite lines without
breadth that separate the sovereignty of
one state from itss neighboring
countries.
• Moreover, a boundary:
a) limits territorial extent in which tax is
collected for a state and law enforcement i.e.
political jurisdiction practiced;
b) used to control smuggling and regulate
immigration and emigration;
c) limits area of conscription. (army & manpower
recruitment)
• Boundaries “should ideally separate
people of different cultures and expected
not to create difficulties by splitting
functional units”.
• However, there are numerous boundaries
that divide same ethnic and cultural
groups;
• Many of the boundaries of Africa
including Ethiopia appear superimposed
• The presence of many neighbors that have common
boundaries with a nation implies the likelihood that many
boundary and other disputes may arise;
 Hence this may make a country more vulnerable to rising
disputes and conflicts.
• Although the problem appears subsided these days,
Somalia used to have conflicting interest with Ethiopia over
the Ogden, Djibouti and northeastern Kenya;
• The issue of Great Somalia = Italian (South) Somaliland, British
(North) Somaliland, Djibouti, Ogden & Northeast Kenya.
• Ethiopia also has had border dispute with Sudan and Eritrea
although the case with Eritrea appears resolved based on the
2002 ruling of the International Court of Justice in the
Hague.
 However, the border of Ethio-Eritrea has not yet been demarcated
although it was delineated based on the ruling of the International
Court of the Hague.
c) Morphological boundaries are ones drawn following physical
features such as coastlines, lake shores, river courses, mountains, etc.
 The international boundaries of Ethiopia appear complex in nature:
 meaning partly they are physical, geometrical and superimposed.
 The border with Somalia is mostly geometrical formed by series of straight
lines, and they appear superimposed for they divide people of same cultural
group;
 Somalis are found both in Somalia and Ethiopia.
 The boundaries between Ethiopia and Sudan, Ethiopia and South Sudan,
Ethiopia and Kenya largely are physical separating the highlands of Ethiopia
and lowlands in the respective countries.
 The boundaries between Ethiopia and Eritrea largely appear physical
following the courses of Mereb and Tekeze rivers and other natural features
like the Dalol (Denakil) depression.
 In many cases significant portions of the Ethio-Somalia, Ethio-Kenya,
Ethio-South Sudan, Ethio-Eritrea and Ethio-Djibouti borders appear
superimposed because they divide people of same culture and language on
both sides;
 There are Somali people, Oromos, Neuer, Tgrigna speakers (including
Kunamas) and Afar people on both sides respectively.
 Ethiopia and its Neighboring Countries

• Countries which have common

boundary with Ethiopia include
Somalia, Eritrea, South Sudan,
Sudan, Kenya and Djibouti.
• The total length of borderline
that Ethiopia shares with its six
neighboring countries is about
5370 km.
Border Kilometer
• It has the longest border with
Ethio-Somalia 1610 Somalia as much as 1610 km,
Ethio-Eritrea
Ethio-Sudan
840
850
while the shortest one is with
Ethio-South Sudan 1000 Djibouti only about 310 km
Ethio-Kenya 760
Ethio-Djibouti 310
Total 5370
bodies
 Such location can indicate the relationship between an area’s
continental and maritime activities.
 Ethiopia lost its direct access to the sea i.e. the Gulf of Aden and the
Red Sea following the independence of Djibouti in the 1970s and the
cessation of Eritrea in 1993.
 As a result Ethiopia became one of the land-locked countries.
 There are about 16 land locked countries in Africa:
 Ethiopia, Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Mali, Niger,, Central African Republic,
Chad, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.
 Today the continent has the largest number of landlocked states.
 Out of the 55 states of Africa about 16 (31%) of them are land locked.
 Ethiopia is the largest of all the land locked African countries next to Higer.
 South Sudan is the most recent land-locked country.
 The ideal form of continental location is the position of being land-locked i.e.
land is more hospitable than the sea, and or if the length of land border
line is longer than the coastline.
• Landlocked state is a state that does not have coastline along oceans or open
seas to directly access international maritime trade route.
• The land locked states are surrounded on all sides by land.
• They do not have direct access to a relatively cheaper ocean or sea
transportation.
• Hence, they are denied of access to the reach resources of the ocean.
• Land locked location impacts such countries including Ethiopia by making
their access to the sea and hence to the rest of the world dependent on the
will of countries that bar and hinder them reaching to the sea.
• They do not have the type of unlimited and unconstrained access to
freedom of movement on the high seas,
• This is an inborn right of the majority of states that provides them with
unregulated control over commercial activity and lines of
communication.
• Such states have the constraints of being dependent on the good will
of their neighbors.
• The result is that such states have, as a major goal of their foreign
policy, the requirement of negotiating and up keeping & maintaining
good relations with their neighbors.
• These states negotiate mostly from a position of weakness.
• Ethiopia being located in the Horn of Africa experiences a
unique geo-political situation.
• Proximity of the Horn of Africa to the Gulf of Eden, the
Red Sea and the Middle East has ever increasing
geopolitical significance to the Horn.
• Hence the waters of the Horn i.e. the Gulf of Eden & Red
Sea have become arena of geo-political based competition.
• Eritrea, Djibouti, Somaliland, and proper Somalia have
leased their ports to foreign powers.
 Some of the world major powers and oil rich Persian Gulf state
such us Kingdom Saudi Arabia (KSA), United Arab Emirate
(UAE), Turkey, France, China, Italy, USA, Japan & Russia
have bases in the ports of Djibouti, Somalia and Eritrea.
 This has both economic, military, deplomatic and security
implications on Ethiopia.
 Alternative Ports to Ethiopia
 Ethiopia has several alternative ports which can
give access to sea that are situated either on the Red
Sea, Gulf of Tajura, Gulf of Eden and Indian Ocean.

*
 Location of the Horn of Africa and its
Geopolitical Significance
• The location of Ethiopia can be
broadly defined as it is located
in North East Africa;
– but, to be more specific it is
found in the ‘Horn of Africa’.
• In some literature the ‘Horn of
Africa’ region thought to
include all Northeast African
countries: Sudan, South Sudan,
Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti,
Somalia and Kenya;
• Whereas in other literatures it is
alleged to include only Eritrea,
Djibouti, Somalia and Ethiopia.
(see the map)
 The Horn of Africa region is  It is situated on the
the easternmost extension of western side of one of
African peninsula that is
bordered by the Red Sea,
the world’s major trade
Gulf of Tadjoura, Gulf of sea route.
Eden and the Indian Ocean in  Its importance increased
the east and south east.

because of its proximity
The Horn of Africa enjoys an
excellent strategic location to the oil-rich Persian
in the south-west of the Red Gulf region.
Sea and the Gulf of Eden.  The countries of the
 The strategic importance of
the Horn of African region
Horn have long cultural
emanates from it being the contacts throughout their
source of Abay (the Blue long history.
Nile), and gate to the Red
Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
• The area has always been a • The international importance of the
magnet for international powers Horn of Africa was boosted after
because of : the first war on Iraq and foreign
 the huge sea traffic served by intervention in Somalia.
major ports in the area, • These days, an international and
tremendous nearby riches, regional competition for control
weapon trading, crossing over the Horn of Africa is at its
points for people and peak.
merchandise and the dangers • Besides positioning for control of
of Somali piracy (ባህር ወንበዴ). the major ports in the area, the
 Terrorist groups of the Chinese competes with the West in
Middle East cast their Djibouti.
shadow here rendering it • Turkey claimed a foothold in
unsafe for international Somalia and the Saudis and
trade. Emiratis marking their presence in
 Rivalry between Saudi the Asab Port of Eritrea in the
Arabia and Iran in Yemen southern Red Sea coast as well as
turned it a state terror and in the surrounding islands and
hell for the people. inland in Somalia.
• The strategic importance of the Horn of
Africa contrasts sharply with its tragic
economic conditions.
• During the past two decades, the region
has seen horrible human tragedies because
of drought caused famines, swarms of
locusts and wars.
 Significance of location
 The location of a country, in this case, Ethiopia
and other Horn countries, influences various i)
biophysical ii) socio-economic characteristics
including iii) diplomatic relations and iv)
geopolitical situations.
 “The location of a country”, in this case
Ethiopia, says Mesfin (1972:8) quoting Semple,
“is always the supreme geographical fact in
history; it outweighs every other single
geographical force”.
• Some of influences of the location of Ethiopia on its
characteristics include the followings:-
• a) Climate: The fact that Ethiopia is located between 30
and 150N implies that every place in Ethiopia gets an
overhead sun twice in a year, which has resulted in a
tropical (kola) climate, although it is modified by its
altitude.
 Hence, Ethiopia has two distinct types of climates: tropical
(kolla and or bereha) and highland (woina dega, dega &
wurch) climates ;
• The location of Ethiopia relative to the Indian and
Atlantic Ocean, and the African and Asian landmass
has various bearings not only on the climate, but also
in its history and socio-culture of the population of
Ethiopia & the Horn.
 The Atlantic and the Indian Oceans are origins of both
the summer (big rainfall) and small rainfalls of autumn
and spring respectively.
 The Atlantic Ocean is source of moisture laden south-westerly
wind for summer (big rainfall) while the south-easterly winds
from the Indian Ocean brings the two small rainfalls of autumn
and spring (belg) seasons.
 The desert climate of the Arabian Peninsula has a strong
bearing in the formation of arid and semi-arid climates
in eastern and southeastern Ethiopia.
 Moreover, such relative location also has influenced the
distribution of its biomass, soil and water resources.
 This has contributed to its great geographical diversity
of the country.
b) Socio-cultural behavior:
 Why Ethiopia happens to be one of the earliest
recipients of Christianity, Islam and Judaism
has to do mainly with its proximity to the
Middle East;
 The Middle East is considered the origin
and points of dissemination of these religions
to other part of the world including
Ethiopia.
 The linguistic and other cultural diversities
could be the result of its location and diverse
topographic situation, which contributed to
• “Amongst the countries of Africa, Ethiopia is
unique for it has a number of peculiarities that
make it so fundamental due to its location and
relief.
 Ethiopia’s population is highly diverse, has over 80
different ethnic groups, which belong to four
different language families: Cushitic, Nilotic,
Omotic and Semitic”.
 Moreover, because of its location Ethiopia also have
enjoyed trade relationships in history and now with
countries of its immediate neighbors and countries
of the Middle East and Greco-Mediterranean world.
c)Political and Geopolitical Implications:
 The political history of Ethiopia has
been considerably influenced by its
location.
 Geopolitical consideration of the
superpowers, the country's adjacency to
the Red Sea (a major global trade route)
(before 1991) was one of the main
factors that had affected the international
relations of Ethiopia.
 The three very important facts that gave importance
and made Ethiopia a potential target of conquest for
powers, at least in the past and even today, that
attempted to dominate the region include:
(a) its healthy and hospitable climate,
(b) availability of productive land, and
(c) being sources of the Blue Nile and other
tributaries of the Nile that contribute more than 86
per cent of the water of Blue Nile, which is the
only source of surface water for Egypt;
That is why Herodotus who was a Greek Scholar
and lived before Christianity told “Egypt is the gift
of the Nile”.
 Location of Ethiopia in relation to its neighbors:-
 Djibouti’s location at the junction of the Red Sea and
Gulf of Eden has a strategic significance.
 Its location can be used to control and patrol
movements of commercial naval vessels and other
movements from and to the Red Sea and Gulf of
Eden and then to the Indian Ocean.
 Djibouti is very strategically located in connection
with Ethiopia because it is the closest and major
outlet of Ethiopia to the rest of the world over sea.
 About 95% of its import & export passes through the port
of Djibouti.
 Hence, whatever happens to Djibouti would become an
immediate and major security concern of Ethiopia.
 Despite its small size (23,000 km2), Djibouti has leveraged its
strategic geopolitical location to become a major hub for
foreign powers that seek to increase their military presence.
 As a result Djibouti has become a busy hub of foreign military
bases in the Horn of Africa.
 Growing tensions around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
including Indian Ocean have drawn competing international
powers to Djibouti and highlighted the Gulf countries’ keen
interest in the region.
 It has driven some of contending world powers such as the
U.S., France, China, Japan and India to establish military
(naval) bases there to expand their tactical presence and
influence;
 Egypt which has been long standing “strategic enemy” of
Ethiopia because of the Blue Nile river also has been showing
interest to have own presence in Djibouti.
Strategic Significance of the Horn of Africa
 The Horn countries including Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia are
advantageously located as a base of penetration into Ethiopia.
 If favorable diplomatic relations continues between Ethiopia
and Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya the land-
locked Ethiopia could benefit from the location of these
neighboring countries.
 Ethiopia is hinterland to these countries.
 Ethiopia can use Port Sudan for export-imports from and
destined to northwest part of Ethiopia; Aseb and Massawa from
and to northern part of the country; Djibouti, Berbera &
Mokadisho to eastern and southeastern Ethiopia; and port of
Lamu (about 1400 km air distance) & Mombasa of Kenya
export-imports from and destined to southern Ethiopia; and
would diversify the possibility of its access to the outside
world.
 1.4. Size and shape of Ethiopia
1.4.1. Size of Ethiopia
 The sovereign states of the world today range in size
from the smallest (the Vatican City State with an area of
44 hectares) to Russia with an area of 16,889,390 km 2
(11 % of the land surface of the world).
 The super-giant states, the ones in excess of 7 million
km2 area, include Canada (9,922,000km2,) China
(9,560,000 km2), USA (9,528,000 km2), Brazil
(8,250,000 km2) and Australia (7,951,000 km2).
 The second classes of states should have area sizes
ranging from 1 to 5 million km2.
 Ethiopia with an area of 1.106 million km2 is in the
second class.
Area of Ethiopia and Its Neighboring Countries

• Sudan is the
Country Area (km2) Region largest country
Sudan 1,844,797 NE Africa in the region
Ethiopia 1,106,000 Horn of Africa while Djibouti
Somalia 637,657 Horn of Africa is one of the
South Sudan 619,748 NE Africa smallest country
Kenya 582,000 NE Africa
among African
Eritrea 117,400 Horn of Africa
Djibouti 22,000 Horn of Africa
and other
countries of the
world.
• Country size with other elements is an important
attribute of a state.
• It is an important factor contributing towards ones
economic strength, diplomatic and political
influence of a state.
• Without sufficient no nation can ever rank as a
leading world power.
• Small countries may attain high cultural level, but
they are always handicapped by their spatial
limitation i.e. constraint in natural resources.
• Size is a very vague concept and can easily lead
to different interpretations.
• Although there is no general consensus on the
best indicator of country size, there are numerous
criteria used to define country’s size such as:
(a) total land area (size),
(b) effective land size,
(c) economic size (GDP), and
(d) population size. .
(i) Total land area (size),
 Size of a country refers to the total land area, territorial
extent of a country.
 Land, in economic term, is the resource that
encompasses the natural resources used in production;
 Land was considered to be the “original and
inexhaustible gift of nature.”
 Based on data obtained from Ministry of Water, and Energy
(2020), the total land area of Ethiopia is about 1,138,016 km2.
 Out of this, area of inland of water surface is about 6,960 km 2
(0.6%) while agricultural land as a share of the total land area is
about 33.6%.
Advantages of large size:
i) Large size provides a variety of climates: Ethiopia having large
size with very wide range of elevation (-120 meter below sea
level to 4620 meter a.m.s.l.) enjoys varieties of climate ranging
from arid/semi-arid (bereha), kolla, woina dega, dega to afro-
alpine (wurch) climate.
ii) Possibility of possessing ample arable land and other natural
resources.
iii) Large areal size gives opportunities for new settlement
(resettlement).
iv) Large size gives a greater defence-in-depth from attack
Disadvantages of large size:
 Large size of a country may complicate the problem of
defence for it requires huge army to maintain security.
 Moreover, large size complicates national unity.
 Large size characterized by rugged terrain with
underdeveloped communication and transportation
situation hampers internal organization and
 hence it can lead to disunity among the diverse ethnic and
religion groups of a nation.
 Such large size can result in loose national feelings
toward the centre and loose cohesion;
 it can accentuate centrifugal force, i.e. cessation question,
complaint of isolation, alienation and being forgotten.
 It can also lead to lack of effective administration.
 ii) Effective Size of Ethiopia
 This is that part of a country’s territorial space which
contributes to the economic size.
 Effective size refers to its usable areas, i.e. arable areas.
 Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land
under permanent & temporary crops, temporary
meadows for mowing or for pasture, land under market
or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow.
 Arable land as a share of total land area of Ethiopia
increased from 10.0 % in 1961 to 14.3 % in 2018 growing
at an average annual rate of 0.50%.
 iii) Population Size
 Population size indicating the human capital
stock is the most commonly used by
Armstrong et al., (1998) to define size of a
nation.
 Total population of Ethiopia is estimated at b/n
115-120 million with about 45% of working
force that directly contribute to the economy
(GDP).
 iv) Economic Size
 Economic Size of Ethiopia refers to the amount of Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) which is an estimate of the total
value of finished goods and services produced in a country’s
borders during a year in a country.
Table 1.4: Top Ten Countries by Nominal GDP at Current U.S. Dollar Exchange Rates (2020)

GDP GDP GDP GDP

Country Country
(billions) Per Capita (trillions) Per Capita
(2017) (2019)
Ethiopia $80.56 $757 United States $21.43 $65,298
Kenya $79.26 $1578 China $14.34 $10,262
Egypt $235 $2441 Japan $5.08 $40,247
Sudan $117 $2879 Germany $3.86 $46,445
Tunisia $39.95 $3494 India $2.87 $2,100
South Africa $349 $6120 UK $2.83 $42,330
Uganda $26.0 $631 France $2.72 $40,493.9
Rwanda $9.14 $762 Italy $2.00 $33,228.2
Brundi $3.17 $293 Brazil $1.84 $8,717
Tanzania $53.32 $975 Canada $1.74 $46,195
Africa’s Largest Economies
 1.4.2. Shape of Ethiopia
 Geometrical shape of a state presents problems in a less acute
degree than those raised by geographical extent.
 A perfect compact shape is an advantage to a state for
it combines the maximum area with a minimum length
of boundary.
 The ideal shape of a state is a perfect circle with the capital
of the state located at or near the centre, hence the centre
likely is equidistant to all the peripheral areas.
 Such shape is ideal and theoretical; no state has perfect compact
shape in the world however.
 Advantages of Compact Shape of a Country
 Advantages of compactness include:
a) it has shorter boundary length compared to the area contained ;
• this may imply lesser military expenditure to keep secured ones border
areas.
• It gives advantage to defense as well as offence in military
terms;
• defense likely is more easier than in fragmented and
irregularly shaped countries.
b) Compact shaped country likely is less vulnerable to external
threat
and attack.
c) It would be an asset from point of view of economic, cultural
and
political unity.
d) It would be easier or less difficult to administer the country
particularly the peripheral regions and lesser would show the
tendency of secession of the outlying people.
 An extremely opposite to compact shape is an
elongated shape that has a linear form approaching a
narrow rectangle like that of Chile, Italy, Norway,
Eritrea and Somalia.
 Such elongated shape of states have a minimum area
with a maximum length of boundaries.
 All the advantages which go with a compact shape
likely reversed.
 States that have an elongated shape would appear more
vulnerable to external threat and invasion for they have
long boundary which is exposed to external powers.
 It may increase separatist feelings and creates the
feeling of more cut-off, isolated, neglected among
outlying peripheral people.
 I. C. = B/ C,
• where I.C. = index of
compactness, B= total boundary
length, C= circumference of a
circle that circumscribe the
whole area drawn from the
geographical center.
• Value of IC ranges from 0 to 1;
1.0 and 0.0 imply perfect
compact and very elongated
respectively.
• Accordingly, the I.C. for
Ethiopia = 5260 km/ 5432 km =
0.968;
• This implies Ethiopia has nearly
compact shape.
• Among countries of the Horn of
Africa other than Ethiopia and
Djibouti, which likely have very
compact shape, Somalia and
Eritrea have very elongated
shape.
• Size and Shape of Ethiopia and its neighbors
2
Country Area (km ) Boundary A/B B/C A/C
(km) ratio ratio ratio

Ethiopia 1,138,016 5,260 1:216.4 1.41 296.74

Djibouti 22,000 820 1:27.8 1.56 41.83

Eritrea 117,400 2,420 1:48.5 1.99 96.83

Kenya 582,644 3,600 1:161.9 1.33 215.28

Somalia 637,657 5,100 1:125.0 1.80 225.32

Sudan 1,844,797 6,819 1:270.5 1.42 383.25

S. Sudan 619,748 4797 1:129.2 1.72 222.13

Source: Bekure W/Semayat, Unpublished Material

 The A/B ratios of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti, respectively, are 1:216, 1:48
and 1:27.
 In case of Ethiopia (1:216) implies (same applies to others) that by patrolling
one kilometer boundary, the Ethiopian army likely secure 216 km 2 area. The B/A
ratio of Djibouti and Eritrea are about 1:28 and 1:49.
 By same token the territory of Djibouti and Eritrea would be more secured than
that of Sudan or Ethiopia.
 A country’s shape has a profound impact on its economic
success, and even its political viability.
 There are five different type of shape of countries, included are:

a) Compact shape: a compact shape state is where the distance

from the center to its boundary does not significantly vary,
e.g. Ethiopia and Djibouti.
b) Elongated shape: signifies a state which is much longer in
one direction than the other three. e.g. Eritrea and Somalia
c) Fragmented shape of a state that has many noncontiguous
territories. e.g. the Philippines and Indonesia;
d) Perforated shape: a country which completely encloses
another state, e.g. South Africa vs. Lesotho or Swaziland; e) e)
Prorupted or protruded shape: is a state which is nearly
compact, but possess an extension of territory in the form of
a peninsula, or “corridor”, leading away from the main
body of the territory.
 1.3. Internal Administrative (Political) Divisions of
Ethiopia: past and present

 All countries of the world have drawn internal

administrative (political) divisions by considering:
 suitability of the divisions for effective internal
administration,
 contribution to socio-economic development,
 To ensure socio-economic integration and
 to warrant peace, social justice, and internal security.
 When changes are envisioned in any of the above
noted criteria, states tried to inject some sort of
modification on existing structures or completely
redraw internal boundaries afresh.
 Stable internal administrative divisions can contribute to implementation
and pursuance of planned socio-economic development endeavors;
 it ensures collection and analysis of socio-economic and demographic
data of population.
 However, frequent changes in the internal administrative divisions can
interrupt collection of population data from same divisions;
 The census data of 1984 was based on administrative division of the Derg-regime:
kefle hager (administrative region), awrajas (destrict) and kebeles.
 Whereas population and housing data were collected in the 1994 and 2007 censuses
based on the current administrative structures: region, zone, woreda and kebele.
 The administrative structure was completely changed;
 kifle hagers were replaced by ‘regions’, awrajas replaced by ‘zones’ and added also new
structure called woreda.
 What has been maintained in the two structures has been both rural and urban ‘kebeles.
 Hence such changes can impose difficulty and or made it impossible to read trends
and make geographic (spatial) analysis and comparison with data of the last census.
 The problem becomes more worrisome if the change is customized to the lower
structures.
 Administrative Division in the Pre-twentieth Century Ethiopia
• It may be difficult to know the
form of internal administrative
divisions of Ethiopia of the
Axumites and then until the time
of end of the ‘Zemena Mesafint’
(regional lords).
• As the main focus of the
Axumites and others that
followed them was to process
and manage trade with the
outside world and collect
resources to invest on building
army to expand territory and
influence.
• Hence, it is likely there were no
internal administrative divisions
or they were meant for military
purpose
 Administrative Division in the Pre-twentieth Century Ethiopia
• After the Axumites and until the time of end of the Zemene
Mesafint there had been no clear internal administrative structures.
• The effort of ensuring territorial unity and integration started in the
second half of the 19th century,
• During the reign of King Theodor's II.
• Probably there were three regions whose boundaries were not
clearly known.
• Included were the Abyssinian Christian kingdom in the north,
Islamic Amir and Sultanate territory centred at Harar and the
western and south eastern regions that had strong socio-economic
links with the rest but which were not formally integrated with the
rest.
• It is suspected there had been no clear and well-established internal
administrative divisions.
 Administrative Division of Ethiopia in the 20th Century.
• With an extended unifying effort of King
Thewdros II and Yohannes IV, it was during
the time of King Menilik II and Haile Selassie
I that Ethiopia attained current form and size.
• The available map that was drawn just before
the Italian occupation (1936-1940) shows an
internal administrative divisions of 34
provinces.
• The division showed large disparity in area
among the 34 provinces ranging from
Harerge, the largest, to Janjero (Yem) which
was the smallest.
• The divisions considered were river courses
in case of Harerge, Bale, Gojam, Illubabor
and Gamo Gofa, and language and culture
were also used to identify the province of
Gurage, Janjero, Wolaita, Kembata, and
Sidamo.
• Moreover, it appears recognition was also
given to (fiefs)) of the historical feudal lords
of the “Zemene Mesafint” of northern
Ethiopia such as Wag, Welqait, Semen, Saint,
Tegre, and Gojam .
 Administrative Division of Ethiopia During the Italian
Occupation (1936-1940) and After
• Following the Italian occupation of Ethiopia the Italian
colonial rulers redrawn the internal division of the
country by pooling together Eritrea and Italian
Somaliland into six political divisions namely:
 Eritrea including Tigrai,
 Amhara by merging Gonder, Gojam and Wollo,
 Harar,
 Shewa,
 Oromo-Sidama by merging all ethnic groups found in the east
and southwest Ethiopia (See Fig. 1.6a).
 This was an attempt to connect the then Italian colony of Eritrea in the
north and Italian Somaliland in the southeast.
Administrative divisions during Italian occupation (1936-
19400 (a) and after independence (1940-1960) (b)
• After independence was restored in 1940, the Haile
Selassie regime discarded the internal division adopted by
the colonial power;
• It had redrawn the country into 13 provinces;
• Eritrea was not included because it was not yet unified
with Ethiopia for it was under the rule of the British
proctor ate.
• The number of divisions was reduced from 34 of pre-
occupation to only 13, after independence , since 1940.
• While redrawing the government
used natural features, major rivers in
specific, as internal boundary
markers between the new provinces. Internal administrative division of the Haile
• Although no significant changes Selassie regime after incorporation of
Eritrea in 1960
were made to Hararge, Bale, Gojam,
Illubabor and Gamo-Gofa, the
remaining many others were merged
to form new provinces;
• For example, Wag, Lasta, Saint and
Denkel were merged to form Wollo
province;
• Welkait, Semen and Begemder were
merged to for Begemder province;
• And many of smaller provinces in
the southwest were pooled to form
Keffa province.
• Such internal divisions served the
purpose for bout three decades (1960
- 1988), both in the Haile Selassie
and Communist Derg regimes
 The new internal political divisions mapped by the
Derg regime in (1988 – 1993?)

The Derg regime redrew •

internal administrative
division of Ethiopia into
i) five autonomous regions,
namely Eritrea, Tigrai,
Aseb, Dire Dawa and
Ogaden and
ii) 23 administrative regions
in 1988.
• This has served the
purpose for only about
three years from 1988 to
1991
 Current Administrative divisions since 1994
• After the cessation of Eritrea, the
EPRDF-lead regime redrew internal
political division map of Ethiopia
largely based on ethnicity into nine (but
now 12) ‘Regions’ (Federal states) and
two semi-autonomous cities of Addis
Ababa and Dire Dawa.
• The division was based on the 1994
Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia (FDRE) constitution in line
with ethnicity and language stocking.
• The ten federal states included have
been Tigrai, Afar, Amhara, Oromiya,
Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella,
Southern Nations nationalities & People
Region (SNNPR), Harari Region,
Somali Region and the newly emerged
Sidama Region (2020) and
Southwestern Ethiopia Peoples Region
(2021).
Eleven Regions and two city administrations
(2011)
Concluding Remarks: population and territorial size
dis-proportionate among the Federal Regions of
Ethiopia.
 The current division of administrative regions of Ethiopia shows great
disparity in territorial size ranging from about:
 335 km2 for the Harari Region followed by Sidama Region with 6000 km2 to
as much as 284, 538 km2 for Oromia Region.
• The latter is about 850 times larger than the former.
• Moreover disproportion in man power (population) also ranges from a
quarter of a million for Harari region to as much as 33,692,000 for same
(Oromia) which is 142 times larger than the population of Harari Region.
 Lack of close proportionate both in territorial & population size i.e.
resources could have resulted in regions of resource rich and poor, which
could ultimately have resulted in regional imbalance in socio-economic
development and difficulty in administration.
 Both Oromia and Amhara Regions appear cumbersome to regulate and mange both
administrative duties and development activities.