Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a landlocked country lying on the Horn of Africa. It became a landlocked country with the secession of Eritrea, its former Red Sea province, in 1993. Although Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world, its territorial extent has changed over the millennia. In antiquity, it was centered on Aksum, the imperial capital in the north of today's state, about 160 km from the Red Sea coast. The current area was consolidated in the 19th and 20th centuries, when European powers penetrated the historical territories of Ethiopia. From the deserts along the eastern border to the tropical forests in the south to the vast Afromontane in the north and southwest, Ethiopia is an ecologically diverse country. Lake Tana is located in the north of the country and is the source of the Blue Nile River. The country is also home to many endemic species, in particular the Gelada Baboon, the Walia Ibex and the Ethiopian Wolf. Large differences in elevation have created a variety of ecologically distinct areas, which have helped to promote evolution of endemism in ecological isolation. Ethiopia is one of the world's centers of avian diversity. Over 856 bird species have been recorded in Ethiopia, among which twenty are endemic to the country. Of these, sixteen species are endangered or critically endangered. There are 31 endemic mammal species in the country and several species are on the list of critically endangered and vulnerable to global extinction. The country is also known for having the second largest number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Africa.