ABSTRACT
Between the highlands of East Africa and the gash of the Red Sea stands a massive mountain bastion. On its south-east attendant plateaux and plains drop down to the Indian Ocean. The bulk of the area is included in the Empire of Ethiopia with the new state Somalia on its east. The area of Ethiopia is nearly 400,000 sq. miles. Ethiopians in the highlands recognise two principal types of soil: black and red. Black soils occur in areas liable to waterlogging in the wet season, for example shallow valleys and basins. Red soils are found on the better-drained slopes and are less fertile than black soils. No census has yet been held in Ethiopia, so that the official population total of over 20 million is but an estimate. A further consequence is that no vital statistics are available and therefore there is no accurate knowledge of the rate of increase of the population.
