Health in Ethiopia - Geography and Climate

Geography and Climate

Ethiopia is Africa’s oldest independent country. It is the tenth largest country in Africa, covering 1,104,300 square kilometers (with 1 million sq km land area and 104,300 sq km water) and is the major constituent of the landmass known as the Horn of Africa. It 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. Its geographical coordinates are between 8 00 N and 38 00 E. Ethiopia is a country with great geographical diversity and its topography shows a variety of contrasts ranging from high peaks of 4,550m above sea level to a low depression of 110m below sea level. More than half of the country lies above 1,500 meters. The predominant climate type is tropical monsoon, with temperate climate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. There are topographic-induced climatic variations broadly categorized into three: the “Kolla”, or hot lowlands, below approximately 1,500 meters, the “Wayna Degas” at 1,500-2,400 meters and the “Dega” or cool temperate highlands above 2,400 meters.