Why is ethiopia called the horn of africa

The Horn of Africa also alludes to the shape of this area because it sticks out like that of a rhinoceros horn from the continent of Africa. Between these two features are high plateaus and rugged volcanic mountains. The Great Rift Valley rises to just over 1 mi 1. Some places in the depression are over ft m below sea level making it one of the lowest places on Earth not covered in water.

It is known as one of the most inhospitable places on Earth because the landscape is sand and volcanic rock. Much of the area is still active volcanically and tends to have intermittent earthquakes. It is also the hottest place on earth with temperatures that can reach up to degrees F 63 degrees C in the sun. From the coast of Eritrea , the Danakil Depression drops even further into the depths of the Red Sea.

The coastal lowlands along the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea are mainly desert, as is most of Eritrea and northern Sudan.

Southern Sudan is covered in savanna. Much of Ethiopia is covered in highlands that were once thickly forested. Over millennia, this area suffered from deforestation but there are still some small isolated areas of tropical forest. Much of this area could be used for agriculture but has yet to be truly developed. In order to coordinate their efforts in dealing with the common challenges they face, the countries of the Greater Horn of Africa including the East African countries of Kenya and Uganda have joined together in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development IGAD , with headquarters in Djibouti.

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