Somalia vs. Ethiopia
Geography
| Somalia | Ethiopia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia | Eastern Africa, west of Somalia |
| Geographic coordinates | 10 00 N, 49 00 E | 8 00 N, 38 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 637,657 sq km land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km | 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 |
| Area - comparative | almost five times the size of Alabama; slightly smaller than Texas | slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries | total: 2,385 km border countries (3): Djibouti 61 km, Ethiopia 1640 km, Kenya 684 km | 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 |
| Coastline | 3,025 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 200 nm; note: the US does not recognize this claim exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | principally desert; northeast monsoon (December to February), moderate temperatures in north and hot in south; southwest monsoon (May to October), torrid in the north and hot in the south, irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili) between monsoons | tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation |
| Terrain | mostly flat to undulating plateau rising to hills in north | high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Mount Shimbiris 2,460 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 410 m | highest point: Ras Dejen 4,550 m lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m mean elevation: 1,330 m |
| Natural resources | uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves | small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 70.3% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.) forest: 10.6% (2018 est.) other: 19.1% (2018 est.) | 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.) |
| Irrigated land | 2,000 sq km (2012) | 2,900 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | recurring droughts; frequent dust storms over eastern plains in summer; floods during rainy season | 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 |
| Environment - current issues | water scarcity; contaminated water contributes to human health problems; improper waste disposal; deforestation; land degradation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification | 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 |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: 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, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography - note | strategic location on Horn of Africa along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeb and route through Red Sea and Suez Canal | 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 |
| Total renewable water resources | 14.7 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 122 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | distribution varies greatly throughout the country; least densely populated areas are in the northeast and central regions, as well as areas along the Kenyan border; most populated areas are in and around the cities of Mogadishu, Marka, Boorama, Hargeysa, and Baidoa as shown on this population distribution map | 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 |
Source: CIA Factbook
