| Location: |
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
8 00 N, 38 00 E
|
| Area: |
total:
1,127,127 sq km
land:
1,119,683 sq km
water:
7,444 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
|
| Land boundaries: |
total:
5,311 km
border countries:
Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia 1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km
|
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked)
|
| Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked)
|
| Climate: |
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
|
| Terrain: |
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point:
Ras Dejen 4,620 m
|
| Natural resources: |
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
40%
forests and woodland:
25%
other:
22% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
1,900 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
|
| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
|
| Geography - note: |
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993
|
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