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Where is the country of Ethiopia located? Ethiopia is a country in eastern Africa. After the independence of neighboring Eritreain 1991 (accepted by the UN in 1993) Ethiopia was separated from the Red Sea. During the many decades that Eritrea was still a province of Ethiopia, the country had hundreds of kilometers of coastline. Ethiopia has a number of geological features that have a strong influence on the climate. Central to Ethiopia is the green Ethiopian Highlands, where due to the altitude there is mainly a mix of warm and temperate Mediterranean and China climates. The boundary of temperate and warm climates here is mainly determined by the elevation of a location. To the west and south of the Ethiopian Plateau, the warm, and in the summer months wet, tropical savanna climate prevails. East of the plateau the landscape changes into the drier Highlands of Somalia, where arid climate types rule.

Precipitation

Ethiopia has an erratic course of precipitation. First of all, there are already quite large differences in the total amount of precipitation, especially within the country. The enormous variations in landscape and altitudes ensure a country in which beautiful green areas can be found, but also large areas where drought causes hunger and disease. The highest mountain peaks of Ethiopia, on the other hand, are white again due to the snow. Some peaks in the highlands even have eternal snow, such as the 4377 meter high mountain Tullu Dimtu.

Temperatures

Due to the plateaus and mountains, temperatures in most places in Ethiopia are lower than what you would expect based on its location in relation to the equator. Areas where the mercury reaches the tropical limit of thirty degrees during the day almost all year round, you should especially look for eastern Ethiopia and along the border areas with Sudan and Kenya. Within the Ethiopian highlands, the daytime temperature in most places remains between 22 and 29 degrees Celsius, with the temperature development within a calendar year also varying per location. For example, Mek’ele has a warmest month in June, after which the average day temperature suddenly drops by four degrees in the wet month of July. The western Gore has a more gradual course of temperature,

Ethiopia Holidays

More and more people are discovering fascinating Ethiopia as a holiday destination. It’s far from an everyday destination and probably won’t be anytime soon. If you want to celebrate a holiday in Ethiopia, you should think about good travel preparation. For example, you should especially arrange a visa for Ethiopia and it is certainly advisable to obtain good information about any necessary vaccinations or medicines for a stay in this country.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Ethiopia

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Ethiopia? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. Ethiopia has a very varied climate, which is partly caused by the differences in landscapes, heights and location. A large part of Ethiopia consists of highlands, in which mountains occur that rise quite a bit above sea level. For example, the Simien Mountains are largely higher than 2500 meters above sea level. The highest mountain, the Ras Dashen, has a peak of no less than 4550 meters high. The Great Rift Valley, also known as the Great Rift Valley, bisects Ethiopia. The eastern half and the south of the country mainly consists of arid areas where desert and steppe climates occur. The west of Ethiopia is mainly tropical, with a predominant monsoon climate. The more moderate climate types occur in the mountain areas, with a tundra climate in a few high places.

Looking at the temperatures, precipitation and the weather throughout Ethiopia, winter is the best time to travel to this African country. You may use November through February as an overall best travel time for Ethiopia. There is little to little precipitation throughout the country, the temperatures in many places are around the pleasant values ​​of 25 to 30 degrees during the day and the sun is most visible in winter. There is an exception, however, and that concerns the desert areas in southeastern Ethiopia. The Ogaden region is hot in winter with daytime temperatures ranging between 34 and 40 degrees Celsius. During the summer it is the least hot here, with maximums still averaging between 31 and 35 degrees.

Danakilwoestijn

Ethiopia is home to the hottest place on Earth: the Danakil Desert. This desert is part of the Danakil Depression which extends over Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. The average annual temperature here is around 34 degrees Celsius. The landscape looks more like another planet than our own Earth. This is caused by the volcanism, which is present here to an extreme extent. There is no place in the world that is hotter. If you want to visit the Danakil desert, you can’t just do that. Due to the circumstances and the isolated location, there are plenty of dangers within such a journey. Help is not to be found. You therefore always have to travel in groups and with a back-up car. A very large supply of water is a must. The climatic conditions are always bad for the Danakil Desert. What do you want, in a place where the sun almost always shines, it hardly rains and it is always hot? There is actually no good travel time for the Danakil Desert in terms of weather. It is least hot during the winter months. That would be the most suitable travel period.