It shares frontiers with the Sudan to the north and west, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the southeast, Kenya to the south, and since 1993, with Eritrea to the north. The vast highland plateau of Ethiopia forms the heart of the country and is divided by the Great Rift Valley, which runs from north to south. The highlands, with sometimes erratic rainfall, have been the home of settled agriculture for many centuries. In the lower areas, tropical cereals, oil seeds, coffee and cotton are the dominant crops, while at the higher altitudes, temperate cereals, fruits and beans are produced. More than 80 percent of the population is engaged in agricultural activities which are largely dependent on timely and sufficient rains.
Irrigated crops account for only a very small portion of the total agricultural production.
Thirty-five percent of Ethiopia's total population over the age of 15 can read and write. Only 25 percent of Ethiopia's population have access to safe drinking water. Sixteen percent of the population lives in urban areas. About 80 languages are spoken in Ethiopia. The official language is Amharic, but English, Arabic and Italian are used in commerce.