Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-09-15
prepared by the National GeographI
SncietY Washington d CT

prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington, D. c.
A Christian nation when our ances-
tors were floundering in paganism,
now as for centuries an African en-
pire-One of the three or four remain
ing empires of the wOrld-and the
only bit of land on the great conti-
nent of Africa, with the exception Of
the little republic of Liberia, which
has not been made a possession or a
protectorate of a European power
such is Abyssinia, little heard Of In
the worlds affairs, but possessing
history and promise of future
economic importance which make it
deserve a different fate.
The country owes its independence
in large part both directly and indi-
rectly to its geographical environment.
Set upon great plateau, it is a/nat-
ural fortress; and while the natives of
most other sections of tropical Africa
dwell in enervating jungles or inhOs-
pitable deserts, the people of Abys-
sinia, thanks to their altitude, fertile
soil and temperate conditions in gen
eral, have an invigorating climate and
land literally of milk and honey"
A situation near Arabia and Palestine,
too, has drawn Arabian and Jewish
blood to Abyssinia and has given the
people of the country a racial advan-
tage which the African tribes of pure
negro blood have not had.
But while geographical situation has
In many ways been an advantage to
Abyssinia, it has brought its disad-
vantages also. Without access to the
sea for centuries, the Abyssinians, held
to their inland tablelands without
contact with the outside world, failed
to make the most of their possession
of lofty religion and an early start
toward civilization, and have re-
manned a semibarbaric people. 1t is
perhaps remarkable that, isolated as
they were, they maintained their Chris
tianity in any recognizable form. OBJ
servers marvel at the fact that the
principal tenets and obseryances OF
the faith are practically pure rather
than at the growth beside them OF
certain superstitions and laxities.
Cut Off From Sea and Nile.
As the situation now stands, Abys-
sinia is entirely cut off from the sea
and the Nile by the colonies of Euro
pean powers; Italian Eritrea, French
Somaliland and British S6maliland OF
the north; Italian Somaliland on the
east; British East Africa on the south
and the AnglO-Egyptian Sudan on the
west. But this is a mere holding OF
the gates by new keepers; since the
rise of Mohammedan power in the
Near East the country has been cut
off about equally as effectively by
various Mohammedan tribes. Those
people of Arabian blood were able tC
take possession of the low desert
lands. but on their invigorating high
lands the Abyssinians were, with rare
| exceptions. masters.
Abyssinia is more than twice the
| size of the German republic and Of
| about the area of California, Oregon
| and Nevada together. The country
lies in the same latitude as Venezuels
and the southern islands of the Philip
pines, well in the tropics; but because
of ITS general high elevation it has
like Mexico, a much cooler and more
healthful climate than its proximit!
to the equator would indicate.
These highlands are from 5000 tt
5000 feet above the sea. Their roll
Ing prairies are well watered and hav,
a good growth of grass. The climate
on these uplands is superb, and if one
desires cooler surroundings there ar'
mountain chains rising from the pla
| teau in almost all sections of the cOun
| try. Some of these mountains reacl
height of $1,000 feet and are topped
by perpetual snow. Irrigation coulC
be practiced in Abyssinia to great ad
vantage, but the utilization of tht
abundant water supply in that wa!
seems never to have entered the minds
of the natives.
Canyons and Deep Valleys.
The great amount of water which
runs down from the Abyssinian noun
tains has carved gigantic gorgei
through the tablelands, some o
which, in depth at least. rival tn
Grand canyon of the Colorado. Th'
gorge Of the Blue Nile which flows fo
more than half it's length through
Abyssinia is from 5000 to 5000 fee
deep in places. The material washed
from this remote chasm has played al
important part, incidentally, in thu
history of the world. Ground into sill
and deposited through the centuries
and millenniums in the lower vale!
of the Nile, it produced there a garder
spot and made possible the growth o