Ethiopia. Ethiopia's minerals and natural resources Transport and communications

Ethiopia

People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, a state in the East. Africa. Pl. OK. 1221.9 thousand km 2. Hac. OK. 37 million people (1988). The capital is Addis Ababa. Adm.-terr. division - 24 adm. territory and 5 cars. territories. Official language - Amharic. Den. unit - birr. Member of the OAE (since 1963).
General characteristics of the farm. E. - agricultural. Ok. 86% of the working population is employed in c. x-ve, k-poe provides 52% of GDP and 94% of export earnings (1988). GDP in 1988 amounted to 5.3 billion birr (industry accounts for about 16% of GDP). State share sectors in industry production 90%.
In the fuel and energy structure. 94% of the balance comes from petroleum products. Length 1.2 thousand km, highways St. 18 thousand km (1987). Sea ports - Assab, Maccaya.
Nature. Tepp. E. is located in the east. parts of the East African Plateau. The largest part of the country is Ethiopian (the highest point of the country is the volcanic mountain of Pac-Dashen, 4623 m). Deep to the S.-E. The Ethiopian-Somali plateau (altitude up to 1500 m) separates it from the highlands. Ha C.-B. The country is located Afar (with Lake Assale 116 m below sea level) with small volcanoes along the edges. Climate in C.-B. tropical, in the rest of the territory. subequatorial. Cp. monthly temperatures are 13-18°C, precipitation from 150-600 (in the southeast) to 1500-1800 mm per year (in the center and southwest). Large rivers - Blue Nel, Atbara, Webi-Shebeli (Uabi-Shebelle). H. B. Kukin.
Geological structure. B geol. The structure of E. is distinguished by 3 structural floors: Precambrian, platform cover and Cenozoic rift. The Precambrian basement belongs to the Mozambique Eastern mobile belt. Africa. He is naked in the south. (Sidamo), app. (Wallega, Gojam) and north. (Eritrea, Tigray) provinces of the country, small outcrops are known in B. The massifs (Ethiopian, Sidamo), which stand out within the basement, are composed of a presumably Archean complex consisting of gneisses and migmatites of amphibolite, less often granulite facies metamorphism, and an overlying Early Proterozoic complex, including quartzites, mica and graphite, marbles. The massifs are separated by folded belts of the West. Ethiopia and Adola, which are branches of the Red Sea Late Proterozoic fold belt. B south direction, erosional cutting occurs of supracrustal complexes of folded belts, turning into seams (), soldering ancient massifs. In folded belts, ophiolite associations (gabbroids, amphibolites, metavolcanics), deep-sea sandy-clayey sediments, calc-alkaline volcanics are distinguished. complexes (they are associated with diorite-granodiorite composition). Taken together, these formations, whose age is 800 (or more?) - 600 million years, mark the Late Cambrian active margin on the east of the African continent. Multiphase volcanic-sedimentary strata (lamellae-thrust structures with a western slope) occurred 700-500 million years ago and was accompanied by the mobilization of the ancient foundation, migmatization, and the introduction of post-tectonic. potassium granites. Associated with folded belts are sulfide copper-zinc pyrite type deposits of gold and rare metal ores.
Fluvial and upper glacial strata lie at the base of the platform cover. Paleozoic - Triassic (300-400 m), which are an analogue of the Kappy South-East system. Africa. These fill erosional and tectonic. depression (the largest is the Ogaden graben in the B. of the country). Above that lie clayey-carbonate coastal and shallow-water Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sediments. B east parts of the country (Ogaden) is supplemented by coastal-lagoonal deposits at the top. Cretaceous and Paleocene carbonate strata - cp. Eocene. Ha W. (Central Basin) the thickness of the sedimentary cover is 1-1.5 km, in the East it increases, reaching a maximum of 5-6 km in the Ogaden graben (aulacogen), where industrial processes are known. gas deposits.
The Cenozoic structure includes the Ethiopian and Somali plateaus, uplifted in the Pliocene-Quaternary, and the rift zone separating them. The plateaus, composed of Oligocene-Miocene basalts, are crowned with volcanoes (Megazes, Pac-Dashen, Chilalo, Badda, etc.), the activity of which is associated with the early stage of rifting. The rift includes the Afar Depression and the Ethiopian Depression, which formed over the last 15 million years. Afarskaya, which has a triangular shape, is filled with slightly alkaline and tholeiitic basalts. Within its boundaries there is a triple junction of the Red Sea, Aden and Ethiopian rifts. in the Afara region it is thinned 2-3 times, in the dep. In extension zones (axial ridges), new basalt is growing ("scattered"). The Ethiopian rift is a graben long. 500 km and latitude. 50-80 km with stepped fault sides. It is filled to the core. tuffs and ignimbrites of alkaline rhyolites, and, to a lesser extent, lacustrine sediments. Modern expansion within the Ethiopian rift occurs in the axial zones, where fissure basalt outpourings are observed and rhyolitic ones are concentrated.
Seismicity. Tepp. Egypt is characterized by high seismicity associated with processes occurring at plate boundaries. The sources of earthquakes are located in the axial zone of the Ethiopian Rift and along the west. sides of the Afar depression. shallow-focus, crustal, often with a magnitude of St. 5 (including the catastrophic earthquake in the village of Serdo in Central Africa, 1969). V. G. Kazmin, I. A. Mikhailov.
Hydrogeology. Ha ter. The country has 5 groups of aquifers and complexes: Precambrian crystalline rocks, Mesozoic marine sediments, Pliocene-Miocene trap basalts, Pliocene-Quaternary volcanics, Quaternary fluvial and lacustrine-fluvial sediments.
Intrusive and metamorphic groundwater. Precambrian formations are confined to the zone of exogenous fracturing (thickness up to 50 m) and to fractured tectonic zones. violations. The depth of water is from 3-5 to 40 m. The flow rates of wells do not exceed 0.7-1 l/s. The waters are fresh, less often brackish, the composition is HCO 3- - Na + and SO 4 2- - HCO 3- - Na + - Ca 2+. Aquifer complexes in the thickness of Mesozoic sediments are associated with fractured sandstones and limestones of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. Well flow rates are 1.6-5 l/s, sp. flow rates 0.05-0.1 l/s. The waters are brackish (3-4 g/l), mineralization increases rapidly with depth. trap basalts are associated with zones of cracks, tectonic. crushing, as well as interlayers of tuff agglomerates, ancient lake sediments. 10 -5 - 10 -6 l/s. Depth of water from several. m up to 150 m. Water intake flow rates 1.5-5.0 l/s, sp. flow rates are 0.12-0.16 l/s. The mineralization of water usually does not exceed 1.5 g/l, the composition is HCO 3- - Ca, or Cl - - HCO 3- - Na + - Ca 2+. Pliocene-Quaternary volcanic formations have similar characteristics with slightly greater water abundance (at a well depth of 80-100 m, their flow rates are 2.5-8.0 l/s, specific flow rates are 0.4-5.0 l/s).
In Quaternary deposits they are confined to layers and lenses of sand, sandy loam and loam. The water abundance of the rocks is varied, the flow rates of water intakes are from 0.5 to 5 l/s. Fresh waters are developed in the mountains. p-nah and in the foothills. As you move away from the foothills, mineralization increases to 10-20 g/l or more.
E. possesses means. geothermal resources concentrated in the Ethiopian Rift zone. The total is estimated at 3 trillion. GJ (which corresponds to 100 billion tons of conventional fuel). High-potential (suitable for generating electricity) resources of the department. hydrothermal systems account for 0.6-5 billion GJ. Since the 80s a program for the development of water resources is being implemented with the help of owls. and other foreign specialists. P. I. Tkachenko.
Minerals. The most important E. - natural gas, gold, platinum, polymetallic. and rare elements ores, potassium and rock salts, etc. (Table 1).

Oil and gas shows have been identified in Phanerozoic sediments filling the Ogaden, Central and Red Sea basins. The greatest prospects for searching for oil and gas are associated with the Ogaden Basin, where only one has been identified. in E. gas deposit Kalub. The thickness of the Upper Paleozoic and Cenozoic terrigenous and evaporite strata in the basin is estimated at 5000-6000 m. Gas inflows are obtained from Permian and Triassic deposits.
Gold ores - main. mineral that plays the largest role in the economy of Egypt. It is known approx. 80 deposits and ore occurrences of primary and more than 250 placer gold. Primary deposits of gold ores of low-sulfide quartz-vein type are localized along faults of a submeridional direction. Gold ore zones are a dense network of gold-quartz veins and veinlets that penetrate the Upper Proterozoic metamorphic. shales and intrusive rocks. Most of the indigenous deposits are located in the provinces: Tigray and Eritrea (Khamazien, Daze, Ugaro, Cepoa), Wallega and Gojam (Tulu-Kapi, Chakorsa, Shirgelo, Ondonok, Odogodore, etc.). The large Laga-Dembi deposit was discovered in the province. Cidamo. The total gold reserves in indigenous deposits are estimated at 33 tons, incl. at the Laga-Dembi deposit in 28 tons at cp. content 11 g/t. Placer deposits are located in the same areas as the primary deposits. The total reserves of placers are 20 tons with a gold content of 0.17-1.77 g/m 3; reserves dept. deposit - from 0.3 to 3 tons of gold.
Reserves of copper, zinc and lead ores are concentrated in pyrite-polymetallic. deposits of Dybarua, Addi-Rassi and Addi-Nefas, located near the city of Asmara. Ore bodies occur among metamorphosed volcanic-sedimentary rocks of Upper Proterozoic age. The largest deposit is Dybarua with total reserves of 320 thousand tons of copper, 560 thousand tons of zinc and 40 thousand tons of lead, with contents of respectively St. 1%, 4.7% and 0.6%.
Deposits of platinum ores are associated with the weathering crust on the dunite massif of Upper Proterozoic age (Yubdo deposit in the Wollega Province). Rare metal ores are confined to pegmatite veins and intrusions of apogranites of the Upper Proterozoic age. Beryllium, tantalum and are found in the provinces of Wollega and Sidamo, beryllium - in the province. Harerge. Reserves of rare metal ores have not been calculated, but preliminary estimates. geol. allows you to view the territory. E. as a large rare metal province.
Reserves of potassium and rock salts are concentrated in the evaporite formation of Pleistocene age, filling the Danakil depression (Dalol deposit). Layers of potassium salt lie among the thickness of halite, the predicted resources of which are estimated at 3 billion tons. Bepx. 5-10 m thick, penetrated by wells to depth. from 43 to 215 m. Halite deposits with predicted resources of several. billion tons are also known on the Dahlak archipelago.
There are also deposits and numerous deposits in the country. ore occurrences of brown coal, iron, manganese and nickel ores, sulfur, barite, cement, ceramics. and glass raw materials, etc. and. I. A. Mikhailov, V. G. Kazmin.
History of the development of mineral resources. Extraction of gold ores in the territory. E. has been carried out since ancient times. Ha S.-W. country, the remains of ancient gold mines were found (galleries, pits for crushing and washing rock, stone pestles and hoes), dating back to the 1st millennium BC. In the Aksumite period (1st century), salt production developed in the N. Danakil desert and on the coast of the Red Sea. B 547 Greek. The merchant Kosma Indikopyaov describes the caravans sent by the king of Aksum to the southern countries for gold and other precious metals.
B 11th-14th centuries from Arabic messages. Geographers know about gold and silver mines in the city of Muris (apparently in the south of the country), about the presence of iron, lead and copper ores in Egypt. European travelers in the 16th-18th centuries. mentioned the mining of placer gold in the provinces of Damot (on Lake Tana), Gojam and Tigray, as well as attempts to develop deposits of silver, lead, tin and iron (near Aksum and in the city of Bzgemdir) ores. Mined stone salt lasts time was one of the ch. items of trade, which also served to pay trade duties. Salt bars (size approx. 4x4x25 cm) were used as money until the 20th century.
B 19th century There was a small development of iron deposits. ore (main sample in the Bulga province). B cep. 19th century European specialists in the province Brown coal deposits were discovered in Wollega. B end 19th century to the center regions of the country produced gold-bearing sand, and small amounts of mercury were produced (in the Somali mountains), saltpeter and table salt (on the coasts of the sea and lakes). At this time, foreigners began to penetrate into the Estonian economy. capital, in the 20-30s. foreigners acted for the extraction of gold and platinum. M. A. Yusim.
Mining. General characteristics. Horn. Industry as a whole is poorly developed, its share in GDP accounts for up to 1% (1985). Only deposits of gold ores are constantly being developed, more occasionally deposits of platinum, etc. (Table 2, map).




The Estonian government attaches great importance to the development of forges. industry, as one of the foundations for strengthening the national economy. Regulation of mining activities. in fact, fasting is carried out. Time military adm. council, adopted in 1975, and a law (1983) aimed at attracting foreigners. capital for exploration and exploitation of deposits. under the control of the state.
Extraction of gold ores. Mines of gold ores (indigenous) were actively exploited in 1909-41 in Italy. and French companies in the provinces of Eritrea and Tigray, where they operated approx. 20 mines. It was mined with a gold content of 10 to 30 g/t. B 40s the development of vein deposits declined sharply in the 60s. stopped completely. This is related ch. arr. with the discovery and start of exploitation in 1936 of alluvial deposits in the Adola region (Sidamo Province), which became the center of gold mining in Egypt. K cep. 70s rich areas of the deposits were mined. Since 1978, there has been no semi-industrial activity in this area. production Larger deposits are operated using mechanization. complexes with hydraulic monitors with a capacity of 1 thousand m 3 of sand per day (Verkhnyaya Bope deposit), small dredges (Kalecha deposit); Small deposits (for example, Sakaro) are developed by prospectors. Accumulated production for 1890-1986 amounted to 49 tons. Prospects for gold mining. The industry is associated with the development of indigenous deposits, primarily Laga-Dembi, as well as the commissioning of an enterprise (with the involvement of foreign capital) with a capacity of 3 thousand tons of ore per day for the extraction of gold ores using the heap leaching method at the Severny site.
Extraction of other minerals. Since 1926, in England, artisanal mining of platinum group metals from placers has been carried out (Yubdo deposit); accumulated production by 1986 was 2.7 tons of metal. Prospects for increasing production are associated with an increase in reserves in the area of ​​the Yubdo deposit. Polymetallic ores in Egypt were mined in 1973-74 at the Dybarua deposit in Japan. company. In 1974, 1.9 thousand tons of copper concentrate were exported to Japan. In the same year, during military operations, the mine was blown up. B period Italian. occupation (1935-41) for local needs, a small amount of brown coal was mined in the provinces of Wallega, Eritrea, Shoa; kaolin in the province Eritrea (Teramni and Addi-Keyih deposits). In 1945-53, sulfur deposits were exploited (in the Shoa Province and on the northern Salt Plateau). Since 1920, artisanal mining of potassium salt has been carried out in the region of the Salt Plateau; in this region there are no plans to build a plant for the extraction and processing of potassium salts with an annual capacity of 1.5 million tons.
B E. is mined insignificantly. quantity of non-metallic items: sand, gravel, gypsum. In the country, 3 cement plants operate using local raw materials (in Maccaya, Addis Ababa, Dire Daya) with a total capacity of 180-200 thousand tons per year, which allows satisfying internal needs. needs for this type of raw material. Prospects for the development of the mining industry are connected with the industry. development of gas deposits (Kelub), tantalum raw materials (Kentiche), as well as potassium salts (1.5 thousand tons per year, Danakil district) and natural soda (up to 20 thousand tons per year, Oz district .Shala).
Geological Survey. Personnel training. Geol. and horn. work in the country is carried out by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, which includes the departments: mining, energy and water resources.
Preparation of national personnel of mining and geology. profile is conducted in Addis Ababa, as well as in universities ch. arr. socialist countries H. B. Kukin. Literature: Jelenc D. A., Mineral occurrences of Ethiopia, Addis Abeba, 1966; Hamrla M. J., The massive sulphides and magnetite deposits of Northern Ethiopia, "Geologija", 1978, v. 21.

Mountain encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Edited by E. A. Kozlovsky. 1984-1991 .

See what "Ethiopia" is in other dictionaries:

1) People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, state in the East. Africa. The name Ethiopia is from its ancient Greek. the name Aytopia, derived from the ethnonym Aytopi burnt-faced, i.e. having a dark complexion. See also Webi Shabelle. 2) Africa... ... Geographical encyclopedia

ETHIOPIA- ETHIOPIA, Socialist Ethiopia, state in the East. Africa. Pl. 1.2 million km2. Us. 42 million hours (1984, census). The capital is Addis Ababa (1408 t. zh., 1982). E. agr. a country. During the course that began in Feb. 1974 anti-monarchical, anti-feudal, anti-imperialist... ... Demographic Encyclopedic Dictionary

State in northeast Africa. 1.1 million km². population 52 million people (1993), mainly the Amhara peoples (about 40% of the population), Oromo (over 40%), Tigrayans and others (more than 100 peoples). Urban population 12.3% (1993). Official language… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

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State in East Africa. Area 1.2 million km2. Population 52.8 million people. The capital Addis Ababa... Historical Dictionary

See Kush... Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia

It is located in the subequatorial and equatorial zones, but its climate is determined by the altitude above sea level - it is the highest of all African countries. The climate here is temperate and humid, and it can be said that the nature of Ethiopia is richer compared to other countries in the region.

There are many lakes in Ethiopia, both salt and freshwater. Most of them are located in the Great Rift Zone. But the largest lake in Ethiopia, Tana, is not connected with it. This reservoir has an area of ​​3150 square meters. km with a maximum depth of 15 m, it is from here that the Blue Nile originates.

Danakil Desert

This desert is located in the very north of the country. It is called the harshest and most inhospitable place on our planet. Sulfur reservoirs that emit toxic and foul-smelling gases under the influence of temperature (the temperature of the acid on their surface reaches +60 ° C), active volcanoes - all this makes the desert an excellent setting for filming films about Hell.

Nevertheless, it attracts a fairly large number of tourists, including thanks to its fantastic landscapes, amazing both in shape and colors.

The main attractions of this area are:

Vegetation of Ethiopia

Again, due to the geographical location of the country, almost all vegetation zones can be found on its territory: desert, savanna, tropical rainforests, mountain savanna, evergreen mountain forests, etc.:

1. South-eastern part. Almost the entire area is occupied by kolla, the lower altitudinal zone of the Ethiopian Highlands (up to 1700 m above sea level). It contains xerophytic light forests of the Ethiopian type, and along the rivers there are savannas with shrubs (acacia, myrrh, balanite, etc.) and individual umbrella trees.
2. South and central highlands. These are savannas of different subspecies with occasional areas of open forest. Common plants here are the same acacia, as well as giant ficus, incense tree, and terminalia. In some places, areas of bamboo forests have been preserved, in which plants reach a height of more than 10 m.
3. Southwest Highlands. It is covered by tropical rainforests. Ironwood, ficus, cordia, syzygum are found here, and coffee grows as undergrowth.
4. Mountain savanna. At altitudes from 1700-2400 m the war-dega belt is located. The most characteristic plants are wild olive and Abyssinian rose. Giant ficus trees grow on the shores of the lakes, and tree-like heather is also found.
5. Evergreen forests. Found in the same zone. The most characteristic plants are yellowwood, tall juniper, and pencil cedar. The narcotic shrub khat, which is used for chewing in Arab countries, and tall ephedra are found as undergrowth.
6. Degas and choke belts. The first is located at an altitude of 2500 to 3800 m, it is characterized by bamboo forests and areas of high-mountain shrubs (Abyssinian rose, tree heather, etc.). Even higher is the choke belt, where the main plant is lobelia and cushion-shaped plants.
7. It should also be noted that in mountainous Ethiopia there are many eucalyptus groves - this plant was planted starting from the end of the 19th century to restore deforested areas.

Fauna

It is clear that with such a rich flora, the species diversity of the animal world of Ethiopia is also very large. Here you can find almost all types of fauna living on the African continent. Ethiopia is home to many endemic animals:

• Ethiopian jackal (Symen fox);
• nyala antelope;
• Ethiopian goat;
• Abyssinian colobus monkeys.

The most common animals are jackals, foxes and hyenas. Here you can meet rhinoceroses, hippos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, as well as predators - leopards, cheetahs, servals, etc. It is not for nothing that Ethiopia is called a paradise for ornithologists - more than 920 species of birds are found here:

• turaco;
• hornbills;
• weavers;
• ostriches;
• blue-winged geese;
• cinders;
• variegated breasts, etc.

Nature protected areas

It cannot be said that things are going too well with nature conservation in Ethiopia, however, there are 9 in the country where unique endemic plants and no less unique animals are protected.

The most famous and popular parks among tourists are:

Economic and geographical position of Ethiopia

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is located in Northeast Africa.

Its northwestern and western borders are with Sudan, the northeast with Eritrea and Djibouti, Ethiopia borders Somalia in the east and southeast, and Kenya in the southwest.

Note 1

Despite the presence of natural resources, the neighboring countries are poor, developing countries in Africa.

Until 1993, Ethiopia had access to the Red Sea, and after Eritrea left, access to the sea was closed.

Despite this, Ethiopia is close to the oil-rich Gulf countries.

Communication with the outside world is carried out using air transport. There are regular connections with Cairo, Khartoum, Lagos, Accra, etc. There are international airports in Addis Ababa and Diredawa. Internal lines connect up to 40 settlements.

In addition to river and sea transport, the country has all types of transport. Rail transport is poorly developed and is limited to only one line directed to Djibouti.

Having lost access to the Red Sea, Ethiopia used the Eritrean ports of Assab and Massawa.

After the conflict with Eritrea, the country began to use the port of Djibouti and the ports of the self-proclaimed state of Somaliland for foreign trade. True, this state did not last long and on July 1, 1960, it united into a single state with the former trust territory of Somalia.

The country's subsoil is practically unexplored, and the extraction of mineral resources is carried out in small quantities.

In foreign economic relations, the volume of imports exceeds the volume of exports by 5 times. The main imported goods are crude oil and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, construction materials and chemical products, irrigation equipment, pharmaceutical products, and consumer goods.

Export goods include coffee, leather goods, oilseeds and legumes, live cattle, meat products, cakes, vegetables, and fruits.

The largest foreign exchange earnings come from coffee exports - 55-60% of the value of all exports.

The country's foreign trade partners are:

• Saudi Arabia,
• Italy,
• Djibouti,
• Japan.

Import partners: Italy, India, USA, China, Saudi Arabia.

Export partners: Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, China, USA, Italy, the Netherlands.

The Soviet-Ethiopian company Efso Trading has been successfully operating in Ethiopia since 1967.

Note 2

Despite the geographical favorable situation, the country cannot yet derive economic benefit from this and remains today an underdeveloped African state.

Natural conditions of Ethiopia

The surface of Ethiopia is mainly elevated and mountainous, located in the eastern part of the African Plateau and occupied by the Ethiopian Highlands, whose altitude ranges from 2000 to 3000 m.

The highest point of the country is the city of Ras Dasheng, 4623 m above sea level.

Diagonally, the plateau is crossed by the East African Rift, which stretches from northeast to southwest. In the northeastern part of the country, the Afar depression adjoins the plateau, separated from the Red Sea by the Danakil ridge.

In the southeastern part of the country is the Ethiopian-Somali Plateau.

A distinctive feature of the relief are high mountains with steep slopes, but with flat tops, which are called “ambas” here.

The entire territory of the country belongs to a zone of high seismicity.

Most of Ethiopia lies in the subequatorial climatic zone hot and seasonally humid. June-September are usually rainy months, with occasional light showers occurring in February or March.

The dry season begins in September and lasts until February.

In the northeastern part of the country there is one of the hottest places on earth; the Afar depression is located here, the climate of which can be classified as tropical. The temperature of the depression does not drop below +35 degrees.

The average temperature in the tropical zone is +27 degrees. Annual precipitation is less than 50 mm.

There are no precise long-term observations in the country, but there is evidence that in the mountains the amount of precipitation varies in the north from 1000 mm to 2000 mm in the southwest.

The Ethiopian Highlands, its lower southeastern part lies in the zone of influence of the monsoons.

In lowland areas, precipitation falls below 500 mm, with the exception of the Baro Valley in the southwest. It is in the path of humid summer winds from the Atlantic.

The country is characterized by sharp temperature changes. Average monthly temperatures in most of the highlands range from +15 to +26 degrees, with annual precipitation ranging from 510 to 1530 mm. High in the mountains there are night frosts.

Natural Resources of Ethiopia

The country's mining industry is very poorly developed, so only gold deposits that were actively exploited by Italian and French companies from 1909-1941 are constantly being developed.

The mines produced ore with a gold content of 10 to 30 g/t. Development in the 60s was stopped because alluvial deposits were discovered.

Non-metallic minerals are mined, but in small quantities - clay, sand, gravel, gypsum.

Mining and processing of iron ore and coal is carried out on a very modest scale.

There is information about significant hydrocarbon reserves in the Ogaden and Gambela, where geological exploration has been carried out since the late 80s.

Table salt is mined, but it is not enough for domestic needs.

Minor mining of copper, sulfur, platinum, marble, mica, manganese, and cinnabar is carried out.

The country's water resources are represented by rivers. The densest river network in the Ethiopian Highlands.

In the Afar Depression, river beds that dry up are rivers without water. The main rivers belong to the Nile basin.

The main river of this basin is the Blue Nile (Abbay), which flows through Ethiopia for 800 km.

Also included in the Nile basin are the rivers Baro, Tekaze, and Akobo.

The Indian Ocean basin includes Genale and Wabi-Shebelle. Rivers of internal flow - Omo, Awash.

Mountain rivers contain great energy potential, which is gradually beginning to be developed.

Of the lakes, the largest but shallowest is Tana. Its depth is 4-7 m. The Blue Nile flows from the lake. There are other lakes in the country.

With the exception of desert areas and highland areas, Ethiopia's soil is reddish in color. The color is the result of volcanic rocks eroding in hot climates with sufficient humidity. The reddish color comes from a special form of iron oxide.

In the higher parts of the highlands, mountain-steppe and mountain-meadow soils are developed.

There are mountain chernozem-like soils, humus-rich and fertile; they have been plowed for a long time.

Ethiopia is not rich in primary forests; they have been cut down or burned out. In those places where forests represented by coniferous species are still preserved, an amazing picture is observed - coniferous trees are intertwined with vines and ivy. The picture resembles a tropical forest.

The tropical zone is characterized by vegetation whose leaves fall during the dry season. Common here are fig trees, acacias, and sometimes baobabs. Lots of fruit trees.

Minerals

The most important mineral resources of Ethiopia are: natural gas, platinum, gold, polymetallic ores, rare elements, rock and potassium salts, etc.

Oil and gas shows were identified in Phanerozoic sediments belonging to the Central, Ogaden, and Red Sea basins. The best prospects for oil and natural gas production are projected to lie in the Ogaden Basin. In Ethiopia, the only gas field, Kalub, is located in the Ogaden Basin.

The thickness of oil strata (Upper Paleozoic, Cenozoic terrigenous, evaporite) in the basin is 5-6 thousand meters. Natural gas is obtained from Triassic and Permian deposits.

Ethiopia's main mineral resource is gold. More than 250 placer deposits and about 80 ore occurrences and bedrock gold deposits have been discovered. Primary gold deposits are of the low-sulfide quartz-vein type. They are located along faults of a submeridional direction. The gold-bearing zones are represented by a dense network of gold-quartz veinlets and veins passing through intrusive rocks and Upper Proterozoic metamorphic schists.

Most of the primary gold deposits are located in the following provinces:

• Eritrea and Tigray (Hamazien, Ugaro, Daze, Seroa);
• Gojam and Wallega (Tulu-Kapi, Shirgelo, Chakorsa, Odogodore, Ondonok, etc.);
• Sidamo (Laga-Dembi).

The total reserves of gold in indigenous deposits are 33 tons.

Placer gold deposits are located in the same areas as the bedrock type. Placer gold reserves amount to 20 tons. Reserves of lead, zinc and copper ores are concentrated in pyrite-polymetallic deposits. Near the city of Asmara there are deposits: Addi-Nefas, Addi-Rassi, Dybarua. Ore bodies lie between metamorphosed rocks of volcanic-sedimentary origin of the Upper Proterozoic period. The largest deposit, Dybarua, contains 560 thousand tons of zinc, 320 thousand tons of copper and 40 thousand tons of lead.

In the Wollega province, the Yubdo deposit contains deposits of platinum ores. The deposits are associated with the weathering crust of the Upper Proterozoic period.

Tantalum, beryl and niobium ores were discovered in the provinces of Sidamo and Wollega, and beryl ores were discovered in the province of Harerge. Reserves of rare metal ores have not been definitively assessed, but tentative forecasts indicate the existence of a large province.

Reserves of rock and potassium salts are located in the Dalol deposit, in an evaporite formation of Pleistocene age. Potassium salt occurs in layers among halite. Its predicted resources are estimated at 3 billion tons. The thickness of the upper layer is 5-10 m, it was penetrated by wells at depths from 40 to more than 200 m. Halite deposits are known in the Dahlak archipelago. Its estimated resources amount to several billion tons.

In Ethiopia there are ore occurrences and deposits of iron ores, manganese, barite, nickel, sulfur ores, deposits of brown coal, cement, glass and ceramic raw materials.

Water resources

There are several aquifer complexes and horizons on the territory of Ethiopia.

The zone of exogenous fracturing includes groundwater from Precambrian metamorphic and intrusive formations. Aquifer complexes of Mesozoic sediments are associated with fractured limestones and sandstones of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. In Quaternary deposits, groundwater is confined to lenses and layers of sandy loam, sand, and loam.

Significant geothermal resources are concentrated in the Ethiopian Rift region. Total forecast resources are estimated at 3 trillion. GJ.

Most of the major rivers in the western part of the Ethiopian Highlands belong to the Nile basin. The flow of rivers in the south-eastern highlands flows into the Indian Ocean. The largest river is Abbay (Blue Nile in the lower reaches). Large rivers include: Tekaze (northern regions), Gilo and Baro (south of the country), Wabi-Shebelle (Ethiopian Highlands). Gilo and Baro belong to the Sobat River basin (a tributary of the White Nile).

Along with permanent large watercourses, there are many short and small streams that fill with water only during the rainy season.

There are many different sizes of lakes in the great rift zone. Large lakes are located in the northwest of the Ethiopian Highlands. The country's largest lakes include lakes: Tana, Abaya, Auasa, Bario, Gamarri, Abbe, Rudolf.

Flora and fauna

The flora of Ethiopia is rich and diverse.

In the most humidified areas, the vegetation cover is dense and powerful. Under conditions of a combination of high temperatures and heavy rainfall, large tracts of tropical rainforests grow in the southeast of the country.

Forest areas in the northwestern regions of the Ethiopian Highlands have been virtually destroyed as a result of anthropogenic activities.

Forests have been preserved in the following areas:

• Illubabor,
• Wallega,
• Kafa,
• Bale,
• Arcee,
• Gamo-Gofa,
• Sidamo.

Note 1

However, a large number of forest areas continue to be allocated for arable land and new settlements.

Inland plains with little rainfall and a hot climate grow sparse herbaceous vegetation. Acacia savannas remain in the Ogaden and Borena regions of southeastern Ethiopia.

Depending on the nature of the vegetation, the animal world changes. Deforestation and poaching have significantly reduced the species diversity of animals. Sometimes there are leopards, lions, elephants, cheetahs, and roe deer. Typical representatives of the animal world are donkeys, donkeys, hyenas, jackals and foxes, they are found everywhere.

Rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses, giraffes, antelopes, zebras, crocodiles, monkeys, and baboons remain in small numbers in the country. In the remote northeastern and northwestern regions, you can find some rare species of animals such as the nyala antelope and the Ethiopian goat. Herds of geladas live on the plains of the highlands. Camels are raised for export.

Among the birds in Ethiopia you can find eagles, wigeons, geese, cranes, crows, etc.