UNIT - THREE

TOPOGRAPHY OF ETHIOPIA AND

THE HORN

Instructor- Teklit G/tinsae

 TOPOGRAPHY DEFINED
• Topography/relief refers to:
 The way that the earth’s surface is structured
or configured;
 The ups and downs of the earth;
 The difference in altitude between places; or
 The way that the earth’s surface is arranged.
 Cont’d
• Ethiopia’s topography is highly diverse. It is
consisted of:
 Mountains
 Hills
 Plateaus
 Plains
 Valleys both river valleys and rift valleys
 depressions
Physical Map Of Ethiopia and the Horn
 Cont’d
• Taking the 1000 m a.s.l contour line
as a boundary or demarcation,
Ethiopia’s relief can broadly be
classified as highlands and lowlands.
The highlands are characterized by the following

Warm to cool/cold temperature

Moderate to high mean annual rainfall
Dense population distribution
Mixed farming
Sedentary or permanent settlement
Rain fed agriculture
Well vegetated
Free from tropical infections
The lowlands are characterized by:
High mean annual temperature
Low rainfall
Sparse population distribution
Nomadic or semi-nomadic pastoral economy
Infestation by tropical infections
Poorly vegetated
Temporary or mobile settlement
Have high irrigation potential
PHYSIOGRAPHIC DOVISIONS OF ETHIOPIA

• Ethiopia’s topography is divided into three

major physiographic regions. These are:
 The Western Highlands and Lowlands;
 The Southeastern Highlands and Lowlands;
and
 The Ethiopian Rift Valley
Physiographic Divisions of Ethiopia
• Taking the Ethiopian Rift Valley as a divide, Ethiopia's topography is
divided into three physiographic divisions. These are:
• Western Ethiopia Highlands and Lowlands
• Southeastern (Eastern) Ethiopia Highlands and Lowlands
• The Ethiopian Rift Valley
1. Western Ethiopia Highlands and Lowlands
found to the west of the Ethiopian Rift Valley;
is the largest of all the physiographic regions covering 44%
Ethiopia;
Highlands 76.3% and Lowlands 23.7%
further divided into two as Western Ethiopia Highlands and
Western Ethiopia Lowlands.
 Cont'd
A. Western Ethiopia Highlands
• include the highlands of Tigray, Gonder, Gojjam,
Wollo, Shewa, Illubabor, Wellega, Keffa, Jimma,
Gamo and Gofa.
• is further divided into four. Theses are:
 Tigrian Plateau
 Shewan Plateau
 North Central Massif
 Southwestern Highlands
 Cont'd

i. The Tigrian Plateau

 is the northern most part and accounts for 13% of the Hls;
 is bordered by the Mereb/Gash river in the north and the Tekeze
river in the souh;
 most of it lies between 1000m and 2000m asl altitudes;
 Mount Tsibet (3988 m asl),
 Mount Ambalage (3291 m asl), and
 Mount Assimba (3248 m asl) are its highest peaks;
 is the source of Tekeze river.
ii. The Shewan Plateau
 is bordered by the Rift Valley in the east &southeast, Abay in the
north and Omo in the south and west;
 accounting for 11% of the Wn Highlands & Lowlands, it is the
smallest of all the subdivisions of the Wn Highlands;
is the most extensive plateau land in Ethiopia;
 has the highest average altitude in the country with
nearly 3/4th of it lying above 2000m asl;
 it is drained outwards in all directions by the
tributaries of the Abay, Omo and Awash rivers;
 is the watershed between the Abay, Omo and Awash
rivers;
 Mts Abuye Meda (4000m) in Nn Shewa and Gurage
(3721m) in the south are its highest peaks;
 is the origin of the Awash River.
iii. North Central Massifs
 follows the Tekeze (north) and Abay (south) gorge;
 hosts lake Tana, which is bordered by the plains of
Fogera and Dembia in the north;
 58% of the area is above 2000m asl making it the
second most elevated in the country;
 19 of the 26 mountains that are over 4000m asl are
found here;
 the highest mts in this subdivision include:
 Mt Ras Dashen/Dejen - 4620m asl
 Mt Weynobar/Ancua - 4462m asl
 Mt Kidus Yared - 4453m asl
 Mt Bhawit - 4437m asl
iv. Southwestern Highlands
 include the hls of Illubabor, Wellega, Keffa,
Jima, Gamo and Gofa;
 is the wettest of all the hls in Ethiopia and the
most dissected as well;
 is the most forested, has most of Ethiopia's
untouched forests;
 forests are of tropical type with hardwood
trees.
 Western Lowlands
found between the foothills of the Western hls
and the Ethio-Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya border;
 are divided into four named after the major
river that drain them;
 Tekeze-Setit Ll
 Abay-Dendir Ll
 Baro Lowlands - wettest and most vegetated
 Ghibe/Omo Lowlands
 Southeastern Highlands and Lowlands
is found to the east of the Ethiopian Rift Valley;
 accounting for 37% of Ethiopia's total area, it is the second largest
physiographic region in the country;
 46% is Highlands and 54% is Lowlands;
 is further divided into Southeastern Highlands and Southeastern
Lowlands;
A. Southeastern Highlands
 is further divided into the Arsi-Bale-Sidama Highlands and the
Hararghe Plateau;
The Arsi-Bale-Sidama Highlands
 found to the east of the Lakes region of the Rift Valley;
 occupy the southwestern part of the physiographic region;
 Makeup 28.5% of the physiographic region and 62% of the SEn Hls;
 the Arsi Hls are made up of rolling uplands and dissected mountains;
 Mounts Kaka (4180m), Bada (4139m) and Chilalo (4036m) asl are its
highest peaks;
 the Bale Hls are separated from the Arsi Hls by the Wabishebelle
river;
 platform looking basaltic plateaus in the North-Central part and high
mountain massifs in the north dominate it;
 Mounts Tulu-Dimtu (4377m) and Batu (4307m) asl are its highest
peaks;
 these two Hls are important grains producing areas in Ethiopia;
 the Sidama Hls are separated from the Bale Hls by the Ghenale river;
 occupies the southwestern corner of the region;
 The Jemjem plateau, which is an important coffee growing
area in Ethiopia, is its prominent feature;
 The Wabishebelle and Ghenale rivers along with their
tributaries have dissected this physiographic division;
 the Sof Omar Cave, formed by the Weyb river (a tributary of
Ghenale) near the Bale mountains, is an important feature in
the region as well as one in the world.
The Hararghe Plateau
 found at the northeast;
 stretches from the Chercher Hls is the Southwest to Jigjiga in
the East;
 makes up 17.4% of the physiographic region and 38% of the
SEn Hls;
 has the smallest proportion of upper highlands (>2000m asl)
 The left-bank tributaries of Wabishebelle drain it;
 much of the trappean lava cover has been removed exposing the
mesozoic sedimentary rocks to the surface;
 Mount Gara-Muleta (3381m asl) is its highest peak.
The southeastern Lls
 accounting for 54% of the physiographic region and nearly 20% of
Ethiopia's total are, they are the most extensive lowlands in the
country;
 Wabishebelle plains (60%) and Ghenale plains (40%) are its
subdivisions;
 the plains of Ogaden, Elkere and Borena are found here;
 have harsh climate;
 dominated by nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoral economy;
 Have high irrigation potential;
 have high petroleum and natural gas potential.
The Ethiopian Rift Valley
 separates the Ethiopian landmass into two; Western and
Southeastern;
 stretches from Chew Bahir in the SW to Afar Triangle in the
NE for about 1500kms;
 covers 18% of Ethiopia's total area;
 it is funnel shaped getting widest in the NE;
 altitude varies fron 125m bsl at Denakil Depression to
about 2000m asl in the lakes region;
 the height of the escarpments ranges from 200m to
1500m;
 Climate varies from warm, hot and dry in the lowlands to
moderately moist conditions in the higher lands of the Lakes
region;
 is divided into three as:
 Afar Triangle
 widest, lowest, driest, hottest, poorly vegetated;
 rich in salt, irrigation along the Awash river, high geothermal
potential;
 pastoral economy, mobile settlement
 Main Ethiopian Rift
 narrowest, most elevated, wettest, densely populated and
vegetated;
 has many of Ethiopia's Rift Valley lakes;
 has high Tourism potential
 Chew Bahir Region
 southern most part of the Rift Valley;
 hot and dry, drained by Ghibe/Omo rivers and
its tributaries;