Ethiopia vs. Kenya
Geography
| Ethiopia | Kenya | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Eastern Africa, west of Somalia | Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 38 00 E | 1 00 N, 38 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 1,104,300 sq km land: 1,096,570 sq km water: 7,730 sq km note: area numbers are approximate since a large portion of the Ethiopia-Somalia border is undefined | total: 580,367 sq km land: 569,140 sq km water: 11,227 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than twice the size of Texas | five times the size of Ohio; slightly more than twice the size of Nevada |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,925 km border countries (6): Djibouti 342 km, Eritrea 1033 km, Kenya 867 km, Somalia 1640 km, South Sudan 1299 km, Sudan 744 km | total: 3,457 km border countries (5): Ethiopia 867 km, Somalia 684 km, South Sudan 317 km, Tanzania 775 km, Uganda 814 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 536 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
| Climate | tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation | varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior |
| Terrain | high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley | low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Ras Dejen 4,550 m lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m mean elevation: 1,330 m | highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 762 m |
| Natural resources | small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower | limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, wildlife, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 36.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 15.2% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.1% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 20% (2018 est.) forest: 12.2% (2018 est.) other: 51.5% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 48.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 9.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.9% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 37.4% (2018 est.) forest: 6.1% (2018 est.) other: 45.8% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 2,900 sq km (2012) | 1,030 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts volcanism: volcanic activity in the Great Rift Valley; Erta Ale (613 m), which has caused frequent lava flows in recent years, is the country's most active volcano; Dabbahu became active in 2005, forcing evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Alayta, Dalaffilla, Dallol, Dama Ali, Fentale, Kone, Manda Hararo, and Manda-Inakir | recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons volcanism: limited volcanic activity; the Barrier (1,032 m) last erupted in 1921; South Island is the only other historically active volcano |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; loss of biodiversity; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management; industrial pollution and pesticides contribute to air, water, and soil pollution | water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; water shortage and degraded water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; flooding; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | note 1: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; Ethiopia is, therefore, the most populous landlocked country in the world; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia note 2: three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean | the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value; Lake Victoria, the world's largest tropical lake and the second largest fresh water lake, is shared among three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda |
| Total renewable water resources | 122 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 30.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | highest density is found in the highlands of the north and middle areas of the country, particularly around the centrally located capital city of Addis Ababa; the far east and southeast are sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map | population heavily concentrated in the west along the shore of Lake Victoria; other areas of high density include the capital of Nairobi, and in the southeast along the Indian Ocean coast as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
