Ethiopia, with an area of 1.13 million square kilometers (437,600 square miles), is located in northeastern Africa, also known as the Horn of Africa. The country has a wide range of agro-ecological zones, ranging from 120 meters (394 feet) below sea level in the Dalol (northeast) to 4,620 meters (15,158 feet) high in the Ras Dashen (northwest). The Ethiopian landscape is dominated by a massive highland of mountains and plateaus. The Great Rift Valley, running in a northwest-southeast direction, bisects the highland area.

Although Ethiopia is in the tropics, a large part of the country enjoys a temperate climate. Most places enjoy two rainy seasons: Meher (the main rainy season), lasting from June to September, and Belg (a shorter season with lighter rain), lasting from February to April, with a long dry season from April to June.

With a population of 67 million, as estimated in 2004, Ethiopia is the most populated country in sub-Saharan Africa...