Page "Geography of Ethiopia" Paragraph 3

Between the valley of the Upper Nile and Ethiopia's border with Eritrea is a region of elevated plateaus from which rise the various tablelands and mountains that constitute the Ethiopian Highlands.

On nearly every side, the walls of the plateaus rise abruptly from the plains, constituting outer mountain chains.

The highlands are thus a clearly marked geographic division.

In Eritrea, the eastern wall of this plateau runs parallel to the Red Sea from Ras Kasar ( 18 ° N ) to Annesley Bay ( also known as the Bay of Zula ) ( 15 ° N ).

It then turns due south into Ethiopia and follows closely the line of 40 ° E for some.

About 9 ° N there is a break in the wall, through which the Awash River flows eastward.

The main range at this point trends southwest, while south of the Awash Valley, which is some below the level of the mountains, another massif rises in a direct line south.

This second range sends a chain ( the Ahmar mountains