Geography of Ethiopia and the Horn

TEKLIT G/TINSAE, LECTURER

 Chapter one: Introduction

1.1 The Science of Geography

1.2 The Location, Size and Shape of Ethiopia
1.3 Map Reading and Interpretation
 1.1 The Science of Geography

Brainstorming questions
 What is geography?
 What are its basic questions?
 What are the branches of geography and their
sub-fields of studies?
 What is the scope of geography? How deep and
wide is it?
 What are the major themes of geography?
 Geography Defined

Geography Defined
Etymologically, the term Geography had it origin
from two Greek words: "Geo" = "earth” and
"Graphos/Graphien" = "description/writing about”.
Thus, literally, Geography is describing or writing
about the earth. However, such definitions are vague
and ambiguous. Therefore, it fails to give a clear
image of what the discipline is all about. This
necessitates the need for a complete, clear and
scientific definition.
 Cont'd

As a science, "Geography is the study of the spatial

distribution and organization of both human and
natural/physical phenomena on the earth's surface as
well as the two-way interaction and interdependence
(relationship) that exists between the human and the
natural environment".
As such, geography is:
 A spatial science that studies geographic phenomena from the
perspective of place and space;
 Cont'd

 the study of the spatial distribution of phenomena:

i.e.how things/phenomena are distributed/dispersed over
the earth's surface or place;
 The study of physical and human phenomena:
natural phenomena, such as climate, vegetation, soil, water,
animals, minerals, etc and human made phenomena, such as
settlements, economicactivities, infrastructures, cultures,
religion, etc;
 the study of spatial interaction and
interdependence: the relationship, two-way interaction
and interdependence between the physical and human
environment.
 Basic Questions of Geography

Principally, geography tries to give answers to the following basic

questions.
a. What? c. Why there?
b. Where? d. When?
a. What things are found in a certain geographical area? = the kind of
physical and human phenomena that we have in the world at large or
over a specific place on earth.
b. Where are things (physical and human phenomena) found? = the
placese where we have those phenomena, i.e. their location.
c. Why are having those things/phenomena in the places where they are?
= the justification/reason for the presence of those things in their
places.
d. When did those geographic phenomena come into existence/occur ? =
the time/season during which those phenomena occur in their places.
 Branches of Geography

Geography has two major branches.

Physical Geo. studies the natural environment and
naturally occuring phenomena. Eg. Landform
geo/Geomorphology, climate geo/Climatology, soil
geo/Pedology, Oceanography, Hydrology, Biogeo. (has
two subfields; Zoogeograohy (animals) and
Phytogeography (plants),
Human Geo studies the human environment and
human made phenomena. Eg. Political geo, cultural geo,
population geo/Demography, Urban geo, Settlement geo,
Economic geo., Geography of Religion, Tourism geo.,
Historical geo.
 The Scope of Geography

The Scope of Geography is deep and wid. This doesn’t,

however, mean that the scope of the subject is limitless.
Geography‘s scope is limited to the five sphere of the earth. They
are:
Lithosphere: the outermost layer of the planet, i.e. the earth’s
crust. Eg. Geomorphology and Pedology;
Hydrosphere: the water surface of the planet. Eg.
Hydrogeography and Oceanic geography;
Troposphere: the lowest part of the atmosphere where all the
weather changes occur. Eg. Climate geography;
Anthroposphere: the cultural landscape of the earth. Eg.
Cultural geo., Anthropogeo., Geography of Religion, Etc
Biosphere: all part of the earth that supports life. Eg. Biogeo.
 The Themes of Geography

The study of Geography revolves around five major themes.

These are:
 Location: the"where” of geographic phenomena which can be
described eitherin absolute or relative terms;
 Place and Space: how places look like, their physical and human
characteristics and toponyms;
 Movement: movement of peoples, goods and services, the flow of
ideas, information, technology, finance and investment;
 Regions: parts of the earth’s surface that possess more or less
similar human and physical characteristics. They can be formal or
functional regions; and
 Human-Environment interaction: the everchanging everlasting
relationships between humans and their environment that can be
expressed in terms of Dependency, Adaptation and Modification.
 1.2 Location, Size and Shape of Ethiopia

The Location of Ethiopia

Location: is the "where" of a place, a thing, an object or a
phenomenon.
It can be expressed in two was as
Absolute/Mathematical/Astronomical location and
Relative location.
Absolute location tells the exact or precise location of a
phenomenon by using the parallels of latitudes and
meridians of longitudes.
Ethiopia's absolute location is: 30N-150N
latitudes and 330E-480E longitudes
 Cont'd

From the absolute location Ethiopia, we can generalize

that:
 The country is found to the north of the Equator and east of the
Greenwich meridian in the Northern and Eastern hemispheres;
 The southern tip of the country lies at 3oN (Moyale), northern tip
loes at 15oN (Badime), western tip lies at 33oE (Akobo, Gambella)
and eastern tip lies at 48oE (Tip of Ogaden).
 The north-south distance is 12o = 111kms×12o (1o=111kms) and
west-east distance is 15o = 111kms×15o
 The degree difference between the country’s north-south and west-
east extension is only 3o (333kms)
 Ethiopia is a Tropical country that is found in the Eastern Time
Zone of the world (GMT+ Zone).
 Cont’d

 Relative location describes the location of a phenomenon in relation

to landmasses, water bodies and neighboring countries (Vicinal
location).
 Ethiopia's relative location is described as follows. Ethiopia is found:
 in Africa, Eastern Africa, Horn of Africa;
 to the South of Europe and the Mediterranean Sea;
 to the SW of the Arabian Peni Peninsula
 to the NW of the Indian Ocean
 to the South of Eritrea, North of Kenya, Southeast of the Sudan
and East of South Sudan, West of Djibouti and NW of Somalia
(Vicinal location).
 Ethiopia shares its international border with the above six
countries.
 Cont'd

Impacts of Ethiopia's location

 climate – due to its latitudinal location, Ethiopia is a Tropical
country. So the country experiences high angle of the sun all the
year round, overhead sun from March – September, high mean
annual temperature, almost equal day and night hours (length of
the day);
 Time – due to its longitudinal location, Ethiopia is in the
GMT+3 Time Zone – it is, therefore, 3hrs ahead of the time at
GMT;
 Sociocultural ties - cultural contact, interaction and
assimilation with the Middle East; and
 Geopolitical advantage/Strategic significance location -
close to the Arabian Peninsula and in the Horn.
 Cont'd

Ethiopia's Area (Size)

Ethiopia is a large state with a total area of about
1,106,000 km2
It is 1st in the Horn, 8th in Africa and 25th in the
World.
 Cont'd

Impacts of Ethiopia’s large area

Advantages
 diverse climate that ranges between Bereha and Wurch/Kur;
 diverse vegetation that ranges from xerophytic vegetation to
Alpine and sub-afro alpine vegetation;
 diverse animal life of all sorts;
 large area for settlement that can still accommodate
additional population;
 ample arable land that can still absorb more labor;
 greater depth in defense that enables the country to retreat
from the borders deep into the hinterland to reorganize its
army and defend the country at times of external attacks.
 Cont'd

Disadvantages
 high cost of defense since the country needs large army and
advanced military technology to defend its sovereignty and
national unity;
 need for huge capital for infrastructural development such
as roads, railways, pipelines, power and communication
cables, social services like health and education;
 difficult to administer and maintain national unity and
territorial integrity;
 difficult to integrate distant areas with the center as well as
amongst themselves through different modes of transport
and communication.
 Cont'd

Shape of Ethiopia
 Shape is the external appearance/form of a place
 A country’s shape can be compact (close to a circle having the shortest
possibleboundarylength), elongated (linear/snake-like with one side being much
longer than the other), fragmented (divided like those states that are made up of a
number of islands i.e. Archipelagic states), perforated (a country that has a hole in it
because it totally engulfs another sovereign state) or protruded (with one side being
more compact while the other being elongated, it is also called pan-like or
trancated).
Theshape of a country can be measured by the following Indices of
Compactness.
 A/B ratio = Area of a country ÷ the boundary length of the same country.
 B/C ratio = Total boundary length of a country ÷ the Circumference of the
smallest Inscribing Circle
 A/C ratio = Area of a country ÷ the Circumference of the smallest I scribing
circle
 A/A’ ratio = Areas of a country ÷ Area of the smallest inscribing circle
 Cont'd

Ethiopia's shape is relatively compact. As a result,

all places at the border are almost of equal distance from
the country's geographic center with slight difference;
The country has shorter borderline to defend as
compared to its large area giving the country a wider
opportunity to defend large area by just defending a
kilometer of its international boundary;
helped Ethiopia's national unity, territorial integrity and
independence as almost all the borderlands are at of
relatively equal distance from the center enabling the
country to administer all its area more or less efficiently.
 1.3 Map Reading and Interpretation

Meaning of Map
 A map is a simplified, plane (two-dimensional) representation of the
whole or parts of the earth's surface that is drawn as if the earth were
seen frm vertically above and reduced to scale. As such, maps are:
 Simplified: are made in a simple and easily understandable
manner through selection and omission of information and the use
of map languages i.e. signs and sumbols;
 Plane: drawn on flat surfaces (two-dimensional surfaces);
 Canbe used to represent the whole earth i.e. World map, part of it
i.e. Map of Africa, Ethiopia, Amhara Region or Addis Ababa;
 Diminished: drawn to scale and reduced in size as representing
the whole earth or part of it with its real size on maps is impossible;
 Birds eye view: vertical view of the earth;
 Cont'd

Uses of Maps
Maps are used to:
 show location, both absolute and relative;
 measure distance, area, direction, slope, etc of places;
 show spatial distribution and organization of both
physical and human phenomena;
 show spatial interaction of both physical and human
phenomena;
 show trends, patterns, flow volumes … of
phenomena;
 Show and read & interpret landscapes.
 Cont'd

Types of Maps
Based on their Purpose
General purpose/Reference/Topographic maps
Specific purpose/Thematic/Topical maps
Based on the kind of information they convey
Physical maps: show natural phenomena
Cultural maps: show human made phenomena
Based on Scale
Small scale maps: ≤ 1:250,000
Medium scale maps: 1:50,000 - 1:250,000
Large scale maps: ≥ 1:50,000
 Cont'd

Marginal Information of Maps

part of a map that is not covered by the mapped area
is called map margin.
Map makers use this margin to write some
information about the map to help map users to
communicate with the map effectively. This
information is called marginal information of maps.
 Cont'd

Marginal information of maps include:

Title: tells what the map talks about
Scale: shows the extent to which the mapped area
has been reduced when represented on the map.
North arrow: indicates the north of the mapped
area. It is used to align the map north with the
geographic north while measuring direction.
Legend/Key: gives the meanings of the signs,
symbols and abbreviation used in the map.
 Cont'd

Badic Skills required to effectively read a map

Knowledge of direction, bearings and how to measure
them by using a compass or other traditional method;
skills of visualization: skills that enable map users
create a 3-D image of the landscape represented i.e.
ability to identify which features are mountains,
which ones are hills, plains, plateaus,
valleys,depressions, passes, shoulders, saddles, cliffs,
up-slopes/down-slopes, etc;
knowledge on reading, interpreting & changing scales
and understanding the legend/key.
Marginal Information of Maps