Addis Ababa University

School of Social Science

Department of Geography & Environmental Studies

By: Elias Shiferaw

September ,06,2024

27 October 2024 Elias Shiferaw 1

Name of the University Addis Ababa University
Program Regular/ Extension/
Course Title Geography of Ethiopia and the Horn
Course Code GeES 101
Course Information Academic Year 2024/2025
Instructor’s Name Elias Shiferaw
Credit Hours 3
Students’ work load Quizzes/ Mid exam/ Individual Assignment/
Group Work and presentation/ Final Exam
Contact Hours 3
Target Groups All first year undergraduate students
Course Status Common Course
 Start up questions

1. What is Geography?
2. What are the themes of Geography?
3. What are the significances of studying Geography?
4. State some of the disciplines that have nexus with Geography
5. How do you describe the scope of Geography?
6. How do you differentiate Relative and Absolute location?
7. State the advantages and disadvantages of large sized countries
8. What are the 5 different shapes /Geographic form of countries
/continents?
9. What are the two major approaches applied to study Geography?
10. What is a map and what are its vitalities / functions?
 Meaning of Geography
Geography does not have a single definition that is universally
accepted. Nonetheless, most of the definitions emphasize the fact that
geography is a spatial science.
 The study of the spatial distribution of both physical and human-
made things and phenomena on the earth’s surface and the two-
way interactions and interdependences between natural and
human environments.”
 Geography is the scientific study of the Earth that describes and
analyses spatial and temporal variations of physical, biological
and human phenomena, and their interrelationships and dynamism
over the surface of the Earth.
 Cont…
 Geography is a science that investigates our cultural and natural
environments, how we affect them, and how they affect us.
 Geography is not only a study of place names, lengths of rivers,
heights of mountains. It is much more than this (William
Hughes).
 Geography is a systematic observation and study of the world in
spatial perspective
 Geography is a discipline that deals with the great diversity and
complexity of peoples and places and the existing two way
relationships between them.
 Cont…
 Relationships between humans and their environment, with
emphasis on spatial perspectives at varying scales.
 While making spatial investigations, geographers ask five
pertinent questions about the phenomena they study. These are:
1. “WHERE are things located?”
2. “WHY are they located where they are?”
3. “WHEN did the things form?”
4. “WHAT things are found where?” and
5. “HOW are they arranged?”
 Branches of Geography
Physical Geography: This branch of geography studies the distribution
of the natural features of the world, such as climate, landforms, soil,
vegetation and drainage systems.
Climatology: studies factors that create climate and examines the
variation and distribution of climate and related causes and effects.
Geomorphology: studies the distribution of landforms (such as
mountains and plains) and the forces that change them.
Soil geography: studies the distribution of soils and their
characteristics.
Biogeography: studies the distribution of plants and animals in
relation to the environments that they inhabit.
Oceanography: studies the location, causes and effects of ocean
currents, waves and tides.
 Human Geography
Human Geography: This branch of geography studies the distribution
and influence of human aspects of our world, including cultures,
population settlement, economic activities and political systems.
Cultural geography: studies the distribution and interactions of
cultures, including peoples’ beliefs and customs.
Population geography: studies the distribution, growth and structure
of population.
Economic geography: studies production, consumption and exchange
and the spatial distribution of goods and services and factors affecting
them.
Political geography: studies the distribution of political systems and
the ways people use them to exercise power and make decisions.
Urban geography: studies the development and characteristics of
towns, cities and other urban centers.
Historical geography: is the study of the geography of the past and
how places or regions change over time.
 The Scope of Geography
 Scope : refers to the extent of interest or focus in a
certain subject. In other words, it refers to the capacity
and limits that an academic discipline treats.
 Geography is said to have a greater scope than mere
locations. It treats a wide range of phenomena on the
planet earth
 the geo-sphere is considered as geography’s scope
 The Scope, Approaches and Themes of Geography
 Geography has now acquired the status of science that explains the
arrangements of various natural and cultural features on the Earth surface.
 Geography is a holistic and interdisciplinary field of study contributing to the
understanding of the changing spatial structures from the past to the future.
 The scope of Geography is the surface of the Earth, which is the very thin zone
that is the interface of the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.
 Geography as a Science : It is a system of acquiring knowledge through
scientific methods. Such as involve observation, identification, description,
experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena
 The major economic activities of humans and the impacts on the environment.
 The different relationships between human beings and their natural environment
 The conditions of the lower part of the atmosphere and the subsequent weather
and climatic condition
The 5 Geo-spheres of the Earth
 Geographic Approaches
Geographers, like other social scientists, have their own approaches
to their subject. The most frequently adopted approaches are:
A Regional approach
B Topical or systematic approach
A. Topical or systematic approach applies a specific geographical
element or phenomenon over a defined geographical unit. e.g
climate of A.A ,Population of Ethiopia. Geography of African
Agriculture etc.
B. Regional Approach
A geographic study that uses the regional approach focuses on a
region or a defined geographic unit or locality.
The geography of Africa
The geography of sub-Sahara.
The geography of the Middle East.
 HE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GEOGRAPHY
AND OTHER DISCIPLINES
 Biology: is a science that deals with all forms of life
 Meteorology: is the scientific study of the earth’s atmosphere
 Geology: is the study of the internal composition of the earth
 Astronomy: is the scientific study of the universe
 Economics: is the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and
services
 Political Science: is the study of political organizations and institutions
 History: is a systematic and organized study of the past socio-economic and political
processes of human society.
 Demography: is the study of human populations both qualitatively and quantitatively
 Physics: is the study of matter and energy and the effects they have on each other
 Sociology: is the study of the origin, development, and structure of human societies
 Mathematics: is the study of the relationships among numbers, shapes, and quantities.
 The 5 Basic Themes of Geography
Location is defined as a the position of a particular place. Location can be relative
or vicinal and Absolute or Astronomical location.
Place: Place refers to the physical and human aspects of a location. This theme of
geography is associated with toponym (the name of a place), site (the description of
the features of the place), and situation (the environmental conditions of the place).
Each place in the world has its unique characteristics expressed in terms of
landforms, hydrology, biogeography, pedology, characteristics and size of its human
population, and the distinct human cultures.
Human-Environment Interaction :Humans have always been on ceaseless
interaction with their natural environment. Human-environment interaction involves
three distinct aspects:
Dependency; The ways in which humans are dependent on nature for a living
Adaptation; How humans modify themselves, their lifestyles and their behavior to
live in a new environment
Modification: The way humans changed the world for their confortable living
Movement: Movement entails to the translocation of human beings, their goods, and
their ideas from one end of the planet to another
Region :A region is a geographic area having distinctive characteristics that
distinguishes itself from adjacent units of space.
 Location of Ethiopia

 The location of a country or a place on a map or a globe is expressed in two

different ways.

 Astronomical location, also known as absolute or mathematical location, states

location of places using the lines of latitudes and longitudes.

 Astronomically, Ethiopia is a landlocked country located between 3oN (Moyale)

and 15oN (Bademe - the northernmost tip of Tigray) latitudes and 33oE (Akobo)

to 48oE (the tip of Ogaden in the east) longitudes.

 Relative location expresses the location of countries or places with reference to

the location of other countries (vicinal), landmasses or water bodies. E.g Kenya in
the South, Eritrea in the North, Somalia in the East, Djibouti in the North East,
Sudan in the North West and South Sudan in the south west.
Absolute Location
 Location, Shape and Size of Ethiopia and the Horn

 The Horn of Africa, a region of eastern Africa, is a narrow tip that

is situated b/n the northern Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
 It is the easternmost extension of African land defined as the
region that is home to the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
and Somalia, whose cultures have been linked throughout their
long history.
 Although the countries of the region share many common features,
there is also great diversity among them
 In terms of size, Ethiopia is the largest of all the Horn of African
countries, while Djibouti is the smallest.
 The implications of the location of Ethiopia

 Climate: The location of Ethiopia relative to the Indian Ocean, the

Atlantic Ocean and the African and Asian landmass has bearing
effects on the climate of Ethiopia
 Socio- cultural The linguistic, religious and other cultural
relationships, which Ethiopia shares with its neighbors, reflect the
influence of location.
 Political: The political history of Ethiopia has been considerably
influenced by:
 Geopolitical considerations of superpowers.
 Adjacency to the Red Sea (a major global trade route).
 The Middle East geopolitical paradigms
As a result, Ethiopia has been exposed for external invasions in a
number of times
 The Size of Ethiopia

 Ethiopia with a total area of approximately 1,106,000 square

kilometers is the 8th largest country in Africa and 25th in the
World.
 It extends about 1,639 kilometers East-West, and 1,577 kilometers
North-South. About 0.7% of the country is covered by water
bodies.
 The size of Ethiopia also affects both the natural and human
environment of the country
The advantages and disadvantages of the size of Ethiopia
 The 5 basic Shape of Countries

Compact shape countries: The distance from the geographic centre

of the state to any of the borders does not vary greatly. e.g Ethiopia
Fragmented shape countries: They are divided from their other
parts by either water, land or other countries. e.g Indonesia
Elongated shape countries: They are geographically long and
relatively narrow like Chile. Madagascar
Perforated shape countries: A country that completely surrounds
another country like the Republic of South Africa.
Protrude shape countries: Countries that have one portion that is
much more elongated e.g Myanmar and Eritrea.
 Basic Skills of Map Reading
What is a Map?
 A map is a two-dimensional scaled representation of part or whole
of the Earth surface.
 Map is also defined as a simplified, diminished and plane
representation of the Earth.
 Map reading encompasses a systematic identification of natural
features and manmade features
Importance of maps
 Provide the basis for making geographical details of regions like
relief, drainage, settlement
 Maps are useful for giving location of geographical features
 Maps are used on various disciplines like land use planning,
military science, aviation, tourism, marine science, population
studies, geology, economics, archaeology etc.
 Maps are powerful tools for making spatial analysis of geographical
facts of areas
 Types of Maps

There are many types of maps according to their purposes and

scales
A. Topographical maps: Topographic maps depict one or more
natural and cultural features of an area.
B. Special purpose/statistical maps: These are maps, which show
distribution of different aspects such as temperature, rainfall,
settlement, vegetation etc
C. Political map; show boundaries, capital cities
D. Cultural maps: show human made features like buildings,
schools,
 Classification of Maps based on Scale

Maps can be divided in to 3 based on their scales:

I. Small scale < 1: 250.000

II. Medium Scale ≤ 1; 50.000- 1;250.000

III. Large scale > 1:50.000

 Marginal Information on Maps (Elements of Maps
 Marginal information: are vital information shown on a map to
enable the reading and interpretation of the geographical
information of an area represented
A. Title: It is the heading of the given map which tells what the map
is all about.
B. Key (legend): It is the list of all convectional symbols and signs
shown on the map with their interpretation.
C. Scale: It is the ratio between the distance on the map and the
actual ground distance.
D. North arrow: It is indicated with the north direction on a map;
used to know the other important directions like NEWS
E. Margin: Is the frame of the map. It is important for showing the
end of the mapped area.
F. Date of compilation: It is a date of map publication. This enables
map users to realize whether the map is updated or outdated.
 Basic Principles of Map Reading

 Map Readers must have ideas about the symbol and also the real

World (landscapes)

 Every map symbol must be visualized by the reader to read a map

 Knowledge of directions is an important principle in reading maps