Ethiopia

Ethiopia is organised around vast highlands cut by deep valleys and the Great Rift Valley, descending eastward toward the arid Afar and Somali lowlands. Altitude creates climates ranging from cool mountain zones to hot semi-desert. Vernacular construction varies widely, using stone, earth, timber and thatch in circular and rectangular forms; highland stonework, earthen compounds and timber-framed traditions all respond to local geology, rainfall and temperature.