South Sudan vs. Ethiopia
Geography
| South Sudan | Ethiopia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | East-Central Africa; south of Sudan, north of Uganda and Kenya, west of Ethiopia | Eastern Africa, west of Somalia |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 N, 30 00 E | 8 00 N, 38 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 644,329 sq km land: NA water: NA | 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 | more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Texas | slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries | total: 6,018 km border countries (6): Central African Republic 1055 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 714 km, Ethiopia 1299 km, Kenya 317 km, Sudan 2158 km, Uganda 475 km note: South Sudan-Sudan boundary represents 1 January 1956 alignment; final alignment pending negotiations and demarcation; final sovereignty status of Abyei Area pending negotiations between South Sudan and Sudan | 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 | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | hot with seasonal rainfall influenced by the annual shift of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone; rainfall heaviest in upland areas of the south and diminishes to the north | tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation |
| Terrain | plains in the north and center rise to southern highlands along the border with Uganda and Kenya; the White Nile, flowing north out of the uplands of Central Africa, is the major geographic feature of the country; The Sudd (a name derived from floating vegetation that hinders navigation) is a large swampy area of more than 100,000 sq km fed by the waters of the White Nile that dominates the center of the country | high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 m lowest point: White Nile 381 m | highest point: Ras Dejen 4,550 m lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m mean elevation: 1,330 m |
| Natural resources | hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver | small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 45% (2018) arable land: 4.4% (2018) permanent pasture: 40.7% (2018) forest: 11.3% (2018) other: 43.5% (2018) | 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 | 1,000 sq km (2012) | 2,900 sq km (2012) |
| Environment - current issues | water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife conservation and loss of biodiversity; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought | 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-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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 |
| Geography - note | landlocked; The Sudd is a vast swamp in the north central region of South Sudan, formed by the White Nile, its size is variable but can reach some 15% of the country's total area during the rainy season; it is one of the world's largest wetlands | 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 | 49.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 122 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | clusters found in urban areas, particularly in the western interior and around the White Nile as shown in 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
