Chapter Three

The Topography of Ethiopia & the

Horn

1
Outline

3.1 Introduction
3.2 The Physiographic Division of Ethiopia
3.2.1 The Western Highlands and Lowlands
3.2.2 The Southeastern Highlands and Lowlands
3.2.3 The Rift Valley
3.3 The Impact of Relief on Biophysical and
Socioeconomic Conditions
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3.1 Introduction
 The topography of Ethiopia is determined by the geologic activities of
the Cenozoic Era.

 The uplifting of the Arabo-Ethiopian landmass and the outpouring,

spreading Trapean lava have given rise to an outward sloping
highland plateau & mountains.

 The major faulting resulted in the division of the plateau into two
broad units & the formation of a great structural valley.

 Faulting elsewhere & on the floor guided part of the course of

some rivers. They also formed depressions on which lakes were
subsequently created
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The Ethiopian Physiography

 Characterized by great diversity

• Flat-topped plateaus, high & rugged mountains, deep river gorges
& vast plains.
• Altitude ranges from 125 m asl (Kobar Sink) to the highest mountain
in Ethiopia, Mount Ras Dashen (4,620 m.a.s.l), 4th largest in Africa.

• Described as the Roof of East Africa.

• >50% of the landmass is above 1,000m; and 44% above 1,500m.

• The highland core is encircled by semi-arid & lowlands

• High plateau & mountains are sources of many rivers & streams that
made the country to be described as the “Water Tower of East
Africa”.
• 1,000m contour line for the highland-lowland demarcation.

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The Ethiopian Physiography

 Ethiopian highlands:
• Moderate & high amount of rainfall (>600 mm per year).
• Lower mean annual temperature (<200C).
• The climate is favorable for biotic life.
• Rain-fed agriculture is possible.
• Free from tropical diseases.
• Attractive for human habitation & densely settled.
 Highlands make up nearly 56% of the area of Ethiopia.
 Highlands are further subdivided into lower highland
(1,000-2,000 m.a.s.l), which 35% & higher highland
(>2,000 m.a.s.l) constituting nearly 22%.
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The Ethiopian Physiography

 Lowlands (44%) are characterized by:

• Fewer amounts of rainfall & higher temperature.

• High prevalence of tropical diseases.

• Lower population densities.

• Nomadic & semi-nomadic economic life.

• Vast plain lands favorable for irrigation

agriculture along the lower river basins.
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Physiographic Divisions of Ethiopia

 Following the structural divisions brought about by

the geologic processes of the Cenozoic Era:

• The Western highlands & lowlands

• The South-eastern (Eastern) highlands &

lowlands

• The Rift Valley

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1.The Western Highlands and Lowlands

• All the area west of the Rift Valley

• Makes up about 44% of the area of the country

• Westward, the land gradually descends in altitude

until it merges into the western foothills &
lowlands, along the Sudan & South Sudan border

• This region is further subdivided into four groups of

highlands (76.3%) & four groups of lowlands
(23.7%)

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Figure. Ethiopian Topography
9
The Western Highlands- Tigray Plateau

 Extends from the Tekeze  Constitutes about 13% of the

gorge in the south to area of the region.
central Eritrean highlands
in the north.  There are high mountains in
this plateau with elevations of
 Separated from the over 3000 meters, namely
Eritrean plateau by the Mt. Tsibet (3988 m.a.s.l),
Mereb River Mt. Ambalage (3291
 An elongated highland m.a.s.l), and
 Mt. Assimba (3248 m.a.s.l).
with most of the land
being 1,000 and 2,000m
asl

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 The Western Highlands- NC Massifs
 The largest in the western  58% of the region is at an
highlands altitude of >2,000m, making it
 Much of its northern &
the second highest , next to
southern limit follows the the Shewan Plateau.
Abay & Tekeze gorges.  The region consists of the
 The Abay, Tekeze and their Gonder, Wello & Gojjam
tributaries have cut into this Massifs.
region a maze of gorges, steep 
Out of the 26 mountain
sided river valleys.
 Accommodates the Lake
peaks with altitude of
>4,000m.a.s.l in Ethiopia, 19
Tana basin surrounded by
plains of Fogera & Dembia mountain peaks are found in
in the north & an upland plain this region.
in its south.
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 The Western Highlands- NC Massifs

 Mt. Ras Dashen (4,620 m.a.s.l),  Mt. Abune Yoseph (4,260

 Mt. Weynobar/Ancua (4462 m.a.s.l) in the Lasta
m.a.s.l) highlands of Wello.

 Mt.Kidis Yared (4453 m.a.s.l),  Mt. Birhan (4,154 m.a.s.l)

 Mt Bwahit (4437 m.a.s.l) in the
Simen Mountain System.
 Mt.Guna (4,231m.a.s.l) in the
Debre Tabour Mountain System.
in the Choke Mountain
System in Gojjam are also
part of Simen Mountain
System.

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 The Western Highlands- NC Massifs

 The Mountain systems in Gondar & Gojjam are separated

from the eastern group of mountains in Wello by
impenetrable & deep gorges.

 At one point though, they are connected by Yeju-Wadla

Delanta land bridge (ridge).

 This land bridge has been significant in history. It served as

a route of penetration by the Turks, Portuguese, & Italians
etc.

 The Woreta-Debre Tabor-Woldya road constructed to link

the northwestern region with Asseb through Woldya &
Dessie took advantage of this land bridge.
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 The Western Highlands- The Shewa
Plateau/central highlands
 Bounded by the Rift Valley in the  Forms a water divide for
E &SE, by the Abay gorge in its
N &W limit, and the Omo gorge 
in the S & E.
 The Shewa Plateau is the smallest
of the Western highlands (only
11%) of the area of the whole
physiographic region.
 ¾ of its area has an altitude of >
2,000 meters above sea level.
 Drained, outward in all directions
by the tributaries of Abay, Omo,
& Awash
these three river basins.
The tributaries of Abay-
Guder, Muger, Jema etc.
have cut deep gorges &
steep sided river valleys.
 The tributaries of Omo and
Awash have dissected the
other sides of the plateau
 The highest mountain is Mt.
Abuye-Meda (4,000
m.a.s.l) in Northern Shewa,
Mt. Guraghe in the south is
3,721 meters high. 14
 The Western Highlands- the SW Highlands

 Consists of the highlands of  The 2nd largest in the

Wellega, Illuababora, Jimma,
Kaffa, Gamo & Gofa.
 Separated from the adjacent
highlands by the Abay & Omo
river valleys.
 Extends from the Abay gorge in
the North to the Kenya border & Ghibe/Omo rivers.
Chew Bahir in the South
 Accounts for 22.7% of the area
of the region.
Western highlands.
 The wettest plateau in
Ethiopia.
 Drained by Dabus,
Deddessa (tributaries of
Abay), Baro, Akobo & the
 With a height of 4,200 m asl,
Guge Mountain is the
highest peak in this
physiographic subdivision.
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 The Western Lowlands

 The Ghibe/Omo lowland, which includes the lower

Ghibe/Omo Valley and the northern section of the
Turkana basin, is classified in the Western lowlands
from its geographical location.

 But structurally it also belongs to the Rift Valley.

 There are small but important towns. Their importance

could be related to agriculture, history, or are simply
border towns and frontier ports.

◦ These are Humera, Metema, Omedla, Kurmuk, Gambella,

Assosa etc.
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2. The Southeastern Highlands & Lowlands

 Second largest in terms of area

 Accounts for 37% of the area of Ethiopia.
 The highlands make up 46% of the physiographic
division while the rest is lowland.
 The eastern escarpment of the Rift Valley makes
the western & northern limit.
 The land gradually descends southeastward into
the southeastern lowlands & then to the plains of
Somalia
 Subdivided into two units of highlands and two
units of extensive lowland
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 The Southeastern Highlands- Arsi-Bale-Sidama
Highlands
 The Bale highlands are separated
 Found to the east of the Lakes
from the Arsi highlands by the
Region.
head & main stream of
 Make up 28.5% of the area of
Wabishebelle.
the region & 62% of the South–
The Afro-Alpine summit of Senetti
Eastern Highlands.
plateau is found in Bale highlands.
 The Arsi Highlands are made up
 The highest mountain peaks in this
of flat rolling uplands &
region are Mt. Tulu-Demtu (4,377
dissected mountains.
m.a.s.l) & Mt. Batu (4,307 m.a.s.l).
 The well-known mountains in
 The Arsi-Bale Highlands are
this area are Mount Kaka
important grain producing areas
(4,180 m.a.s.l), Mount Bada
with still high potential.
(4,139 m.a.s.l) & Mount
Chilalo (4,036 m.a.s.l).

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The Southeastern Highlands- Arsi-Bale-Sidama
Highlands
 The Sidama Highlands are separated from the
Bale Highlands by the Ghenale river valley.

 They occupy the southwestern corner of this

region.

 The prominent feature here is the Jemjem

plateau, an important coffee growing area.

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The Southeastern Highlands- Arsi-Bale-Sidama
Highlands
 Rivers Wabishebelle & Ghenale along with their
tributaries have dissected this physiographic
region.

 Weyb River, tributary of Ghenale, has cut an

underground passage (Sof Omar cave) through
the Mesozoic Limestone rocks.

 The cave is found near Bale Mountains. It is one

of the World's most spectacular & extensive
underground caverns creating a magnificent view
accessible only by an underground stream.
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 The Southeastern Highlands- The Hararghe
Plateau
 Is a north-easterly  Has the smallest proportion
extension of the south- of upper highland (>2,000
eastern highlands. m).
 Extends from the
 Gently descends east &
Chercher highlands in southeastward.
the south-west to Jigjiga
in the east.  The left-bank tributaries of
Wabishebelle drain it.
 Makes up 38% of the
South Eastern highlands  The highest mountain here is
& 17.4% of the whole Mt. Gara-Muleta (3,381
physiographic region m.a.s.l).

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 The Southeastern Lowlands
 Located in the southeastern  Because of the harsh climatic
part of the country & they conditions, these lowlands are
are the most extensive little used & support very
lowlands in Ethiopia. small population.
 Are sparsely inhabited by
 They make up 54% of the
pastoral & semi-pastoral
area of the physiographic
communities.
region & around 1/5 of the
th
 The economic potential for this
country.
region includes animal
 This region is divided into husbandry, irrigation,
Wabishebelle plain (60%) & agriculture & perhaps
the Ghenale Plain (40%) exploitation of petroleum &
natural gas.
 Includethe plains of
Ogaden, Elkere, & Borena.
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 3. The Rift Valley
 The Rift Valley is a tectonically  Altitude in the floor ranges from
formed structural depression.
 The formation of the Rift Valley
has separated the Ethiopian
Highlands & Lowlands into two.
 Extends from the Afar
triangle in the north to Chew
Bahir for about 1,700 km2.
 It covers 18% of the area of
Ethiopia. It is elongated and
funnel shaped, with a NE-SW
orientation.
 It opens out in the Afar Triangle, 
where it is the widest, &
narrows down to the south.
125 meters below sea level at
Dallol Depression, to as high as
2,000 meters asl in the Lakes
region.
 From the floor to the edge of the
escarpment, the heights vary from
200 to 1500 meters.
 Because of its altitudinal variation
& positional differences, the
climate also varies from warm,
hot and dry to cool &
moderately moist conditions.
Subdivided into 3 sub-regions-the
Afar Triangle, the Main Ethiopian
Rift, & the Chew Bahir Rift 23
 Afar Triangle
• Triangular-shape lowland • Characterized by faulted
• The largest & widest part of depressions volcanic hills, active
the RV volcanoes, volcanic ridges, & lava
fields.
• Makes up 54% of the RV
• Lakes (Abe, Asale, & Afrera)
area.
occupy some of these basins.
• The area is generally of low •
A prominent feature is the Denakil
altitude (300-700m).
Depression (Kobar Sink).
• Elevation drops uniformly • Separated from the Red Sea by a
from approximately 1,000m 200 m high land barrier
in the southwest to below sea •
A larger part of this is covered by
level in the N (Danakil
thick and extensive salt plain.
depression) & in the E.
• Generally hot and dry.
• Hosts one of the most hostile
• Economic importance- salt
environments on Earth
extraction, irrigation along the
(temperatures 50°C during the
Awash River & electric potential 24
summer wet season, at Dallol.
 The Main Ethiopian Rift/Central Rift
 The narrow belt of the Rift  The prominent features,
Valley that extends from Awash however, are the numerous
River in the north to L. Chamo lakes formed on tectonic sags
in the south. and fault depressions.
 Because of altitude, the lakes
 Is the narrowest and the
region of the Main Ethiopian
highest. It has an average width
Rift is generally milder &
of 50-80 kilometers and general
watery.
elevation of 1,000-2,000m asl.
 Rain-fed agriculture is
 The floor in many places is practiced.
dotted by cinder cones &
volcanic mountains.  Other resource bases include
the recreational value of the
 The big ones include Mt.
lakes, the agricultural
Fentale, Boseti-guda (near importance of some streams
Adama), Aletu (N. of L. Ziway) and lakes, & the geothermal
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& Chebi (N. of L. Hawasa)
The Chew Bahir Rift
This is the smallest & the southern-most part
of the Rift Valley.
Gneissic highlands of Konso & the
surrounding highlands separate it from the
Main Ethiopian Rift to the north.
The characteristic feature of this region is the
broad & shallow depression, which is a
marshy area covered by tall grass, into which
the Segen & Woito streams empty.
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27
 The Impacts of Relief
Agricultural practices
 Relief influences farm size
& shape in that in an area of
rugged terrain the farmlands
are small in size &
fragmented and tend to be
irregular in shape.
 Choice of farming
techniques & farm
implements are highly
influenced by relief.
 Relief influences crop
production as some crops are
well adapted to higher
altitudes (barley, wheat) &
others to low altitude
 Animal husbandry is also
influenced by relief as most
equines & sheep are reared in the
higher altitudes and camels & goat
are well adapted to lower altitudes
Settlement pattern
 Highlands have temperate climate
& are densely settled as they are
free from tropical diseases.
 Rugged terrain hinders the
development of settlement & its
expansion.
 HLs settled by sedentary life &
permanent settlements while LLs
are settled by pastoralists & 28
 The Impacts of Relief
Transportation & communication
 Dissected nature of the
landscape is a barrier for the
development of surface
transportation.
 Difficult terrain makes
infrastructure development &
maintenance costly.
 TV & radio communications
are also highly influenced by
relief.

The rugged topography rendered
rivers less navigable due to the
waterfalls, deep gorges and steep
cliffs.
Hydroelectric power potential
 The difference in altitude coupled
with high rainfall created suitable
conditions for a very high potential
for the production of hydroelectric
power in Ethiopia.
. Socio-cultural feeling
 The rugged terrain resulted in the
long-term isolation of communities
that led to the occurrence of cultural
diversity
 People who live in the highlands
have been identifying themselves as
degegnas (mountaineers) & those
who live in the lowlands as kollegnas
(lowlanders).
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 The Impacts of Relief
Impacts on climate
 The climate of Ethiopia is a
result of the tropical
position of the country &
the great altitudinal
variation of the general
topography.
 Highlands with higher
amount of rainfall & lower
rate of evapo-transpiration
tend to be moisture surplus
compared to the moisture
deficit lowlands.
Impacts on soil
 Steep mountain slopes provide
low angle of rest, unstable
surface materials & subject to
degradation processes and
relatively form shallow &
little developed soils.
Impacts on natural vegetation
 Relief through its effect on
climate & hydrology affect the
type of natural vegetation
grown in an area.
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