Ethiopia is located in the subequatorial and equatorial belts, but its climate is determined by the altitude above sea level - this is the highest of all African countries. The climate here is temperate and humid, and we can say that the nature of Ethiopia is richer compared to other states in this region.
Rivers and lakes
Ethiopia is located in the subequatorial and equatorial belts, but its climate is determined by the altitude above sea level - this is the highest of all African countries. The climate here is temperate and humid, and we can say that the nature of Ethiopia is richer compared to other states in this region.
Rivers and lakes
The rivers in Ethiopia are very full and perfectly manage the irrigation of all agricultural lands. Most of the rivers of the western part of the Ethiopian highlands belong to the catchment basin of the Nile. The largest of the rivers of the highlands, Abbay, in its lower reaches is called the Blue Nile , and on it is located the most beautiful Ethiopian waterfall - Tys-Isat , whose height reaches 45 m, and the width - 400 m.
The other major rivers of this region are:
- Takaze;
- Baro;
- Gilo.
The rivers of the southeastern part of the Ethiopian highlands have a runoff to the Indian Ocean. The largest are the Uabi-Shabelle, as well as the rivers that are the tributaries of Jubba. Also worth noting are such rivers as Awash and Omo .
Quite a lot in Ethiopia and lakes, both saline and freshwater. Most of them are in the Great Rift Zone. But the largest lake in Ethiopia, Tana, is not connected with it. This pond has an area of 3150 square meters. km at a maximum depth of 15 m, it is from this originates the Blue Nile.
Desert of Danakil
This desert is in the very north of the country. It is called the most severe and inhospitable place on our planet. Sulfur reservoirs that emit toxic and badly smelling gases (temperature of acid on their surface reach +60 ° C), active volcanoes - all this makes the desert an excellent setting for shooting films about Hell.
Nevertheless, the desert of Danakil attracts quite a large number of tourists, including thanks to fantastic landscapes, amazing in form and color.
The main attractions of this area can be called:
- The Dallol volcano is the lowest point in Ethiopia and the lowest volcano in the world. The mountain is 48 m below sea level. During the explosion that occurred in 1915, a lake of violet-yellow with a green interspersed. By the way, Enoch's book about this area is written as an infernal abyss, and it is said that the apocalypse will begin from here (in principle, in describing the end of the world it is easy to find out the description of the eruption of the volcano).
- Lake Assala. His landscape also looks the most fantastic way: it is the most saline lake in the world (even the Uyuni solonchak in Bolivia is inferior to it by the degree of salinity). Salt crystals form here the most bizarre figures of the most varied sizes.
- Lake Erta Ale (also used the version of "Ertale"). The reservoir also looks like the Underworld: it's a lake of boiling and never frozen lava. It is located in the crater of the active volcano of the same name .
Vegetation of Ethiopia
Again, thanks to the geographical location of the country, almost all vegetation zones can be found on its territory: desert, savannah, moist tropical forests, mountain savannah, evergreen mountain forests, etc .:
- South-eastern part. Almost all of this area is occupied by a call - the lower high-altitude belt of the Ethiopian Highlands (up to 1700 m above sea level). It contains xerophytic woodlands of the Ethiopian type, and along the rivers - savannas with shrubs (acacia, myrrh, balanitis, etc.) and individual umbelliferous trees.
- South and the center of the highlands. These are savannas of various subspecies with the encountered areas of light forests. Common plants here - all the same acacia, as well as giant ficus, incense tree, terminal. In some places, areas of bamboo forests have been preserved, in which plants reach a height of more than 10 m.
- Southwest of the Highlands. It is covered by tropical rain forests. Here there are an iron tree, a ficus, a cord, a sizigum, and coffee grows as an undergrowth.
- Mountain Savannah. At altitudes from 1700-2400 m there is a war-degas belt. The most characteristic plants are wild olive, an abyssinian rose. On the shores of the lakes there are giant ficuses, also there is a tree-like heather.
- Evergreen forests. Occur in the same zone. The most characteristic plants are a yellow tree, a tall juniper, a pencil cedar. As a undergrowth, there is a narcotic shrub kat, which in the Arab countries is used for chewing, and ephedra is high.
- Belts of the Degas and Chok. The first is located at an altitude of 2500 to 3800 m, it is characterized by bamboo forests and areas of high-altitude bushes (Abyssinian rose, tree-like heather, etc.). Even higher is the choke belt, where the main plant is lobelia and cushion shaped plants.
- It should also be noted that in mountainous Ethiopia there are many EQUALIPTAL groves - this plant was planted, since the end of the XIX century, to restore the cut down forest tracts.
Fauna
It is clear that with such a wealth of flora, the species diversity of the animal kingdom of Ethiopia is also very large. Here you can find almost all species of fauna living on the African continent. A lot of endemic animals live in Ethiopia:
- Ethiopian jackal (Syamenskaya fox);
- antelope-nyala;
- Ethiopian goat;
- Abyssinian colobus.
The most common animals are jackals, foxes and hyenas. You can find here rhinoceroses, hippos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, and also predators - leopards, cheetahs, servalov, etc. Ethiopia is not for nothing called a paradise for ornithologists - there are more than 920 species of birds:
- turako;
- rhino birds;
- weavers;
- ostriches;
- blue-winged geese;
- Ogari;
- variegated and other.
Conservation areas
It can not be said that the conservation of nature in Ethiopia is too good, but in the country there are 9 national parks , which are protected by unique endemic plants and no less unique animals.
The most famous and popular among tourists are parks:
- Avash , in whose territory the Fentale volcano and hot springs are located;
- the park of Mount Bale , where the Ethiopian jackal, the mountain Nyala and the hyena dog are guarded;
- Simen - there live the Abyssinian mountain goat, the monkey gelada, the Ethiopian jackal;
- Nechisar , on the territory of which there are Chamo and Abai Lakes; The park is home to bushboks, black jackals, shrub pigs.
Among other national parks of the country it is necessary to name such:
- Abidjata-Shala;
- Gambela ;
- Omo;
- Mago;
- Yangudi.