Ethiopian Highlands

Ethiopian Highlands, rugged plateau region of E Africa, covering about two thirds of Ethiopia. It is divided into two massifs by the Great Rift Valley; the Amhara, or Ethiopian Plateau, is the larger of the two. The region, which slopes away from either side of the Great Rift Valley, is composed of a series of mountains and valleys; Ras Dashen (15,158 ft/4,620 m), Ethiopia's highest peak, is there.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: African Physical Geography