Djibouti vs. Ethiopia
Geography
| Djibouti | Ethiopia | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, between Eritrea and Somalia | Eastern Africa, west of Somalia |
| Geographic coordinates | 11 30 N, 43 00 E | 8 00 N, 38 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 23,200 sq km land: 23,180 sq km water: 20 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 | slightly smaller than New Jersey | slightly less than twice the size of Texas |
| Land boundaries | total: 528 km border countries (3): Eritrea 125 km, Ethiopia 342 km, Somalia 61 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 | 314 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | none (landlocked) |
| Climate | desert; torrid, dry | tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation |
| Terrain | coastal plain and plateau separated by central mountains | high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Moussa Ali 2,021 m lowest point: Lac Assal -155 m mean elevation: 430 m | highest point: Ras Dejen 4,550 m lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m mean elevation: 1,330 m |
| Natural resources | potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum | small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 73.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 73.3% (2018 est.) forest: 0.2% (2018 est.) other: 26.4% (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 | 10 sq km (2012) | 2,900 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods volcanism: experiences limited volcanic activity; Ardoukoba (298 m) last erupted in 1978; Manda-Inakir, located along the Ethiopian border, is also historically active | 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 | inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution; limited arable land; deforestation (forests threatened by agriculture and the use of wood for fuel); desertification; endangered species | 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, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, 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 | strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa and the saltiest lake in the world | 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 | 300 million cubic meters (2017 est.) | 122 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | most densely populated areas are in the east; the largest city is Djibouti, with a population over 600,000; no other city in the country has a total population over 50,000 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
