List of rivers of Eritrea

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Map of Eritrea showing the main rivers. Un-eritrea.png
Map of Eritrea showing the main rivers.

This is a list of streams and rivers in Eritrea , arranged geographically by drainage basin. Generally, rivers in Eritrea are divided into three groups: those that drain into Sudan, towards the Red Sea and towards the Afar Depression. There is an alphabetic list at the end of this article.

Contents

Flowing into the Mediterranean

Flowing into the Red Sea

Alphabetic list

See also

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Geography of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Sudan and South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south. Ethiopia has a high central plateau that varies from 1,290 to 3,000 m above sea level, with the highest mountain reaching 4,533 m (14,872 ft).

The Beja people are a Cushitic-language speaking ethnic group inhabiting Sudan, Egypt, and Eritrea. In recent history, they have lived primarily in the Eastern Desert. They number around 1,237,000 people. The majority of Beja people speak the Beja language as a mother tongue, which belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. In Eritrea and southeastern Sudan, many members of the Beni Amer grouping speak Tigre. While many secondary sources identify the Ababda as an Arabic-speaking Beja tribe due to their cultural links with the Bishaari, this is a misconception: The Ababda do not consider themselves Beja, nor are they so considered by other Beja peoples.

Atbarah River

The Atbarah River, also known as the Black Nile, is a river in northeast Africa. It rises in northwest Ethiopia, approximately 50 km north of Lake Tana and 30 km west of Gondar. It then flows about 805 km (500 mi) to the Nile in north-central Sudan, joining it at the city of Atbarah. The river's tributary, the Tekezé (Setit) River, is perhaps the true upper course of the Atbarah, as the Tekezé follows the longer course prior to the confluence of the two rivers in northeastern Sudan. The Atbarah is the last tributary of the Nile before it reaches the Mediterranean.

Tekezé River River in Ethiopia

The Tekezé or Täkkäze River, also spelled Takkaze, is a major river of Ethiopia. For part of its course it forms a section of the westernmost border of Ethiopia and Eritrea. The river is also known as the Setit in Eritrea, western Ethiopia, and eastern Sudan. According to materials published by the Ethiopian Central Statistical Agency, the Tekezé River is 608 kilometers (378 mi) long. The canyon which it has created is the deepest in Africa and one of the deepest in the world, at some points having a depth of over 2000 meters.

Mareb River River flowing out of central Eritrea

The Mareb River, or Gash River is a river flowing out of central Eritrea. Its chief importance is defining part of the boundary between Eritrea and Ethiopia, between the point where the Mai Ambassa enters the river at 14°53.6′N37°54.8′E to the confluence of the Balasa with the Mareb at 14°38′N39°1.3′E.

Anseba Region Administrative region in northern Eritrea

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Agordat Town in Gash-Barka, Eritrea

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Barka River River in Eritrea

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Anseba River Tributary river in Eritrea

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The Haddas River is a seasonal river in Eritrea. Outside of the small town of Foro in the central part of the nation, the watercourse merges with the Comaile and Aligide rivers. The combined river flows south of Massawa, emptying into the Red Sea. Silt carried down in the river has led to the burial of the ancient town of Adulis.

Eritrean Highlands Mountainous region in central Eritrea

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Obel River

The Obel River is one of the main tributaries of the Mareb (Gash) river. The latter watercourse forms part of the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, with its headwaters in the Eritrean Highlands.

Logo Anseba Subregion is a subregion in the eastern Gash-Barka Region of Eritrea. Its capital lies at Logo Anseba.

Gash-Setit is a 709 km2 (274 sq mi) designated national wildlife reserve and historical area of western Eritrea where its considered to be the northern most point of Africa for elephant habitat. It is located in much of Omhajer District and Haykota District between south west of Haykota and the market town of Tesseney in the Gash-Barka region. The name is derived from the two rivers, the Gash and the Setit (Tekezé) River. It is the historical area of the Kunama people and a very fertile region extending to the Sudan border.

Nubian wild ass

The Nubian wild ass is the nominate subspecies of African wild ass, and one of the ancestors of the domestic donkey, which was domesticated about 6,000 years ago. It is presumed to be extinct, though two populations potentially survive on the Caribbean island of Bonaire and in Gebel Elba.

Khashm el-Girba is a town in Kassala (state), north-eastern Sudan, located on the Atbarah River. The Khashm el-Girba Dam is located about 4 km (2 mi) south of the town.

Ethiopia–Sudan border International border

The Ethiopia–Sudan border is a disputed border between the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of the Sudan since the 19th century. Ethiopia and Sudan share a long boundary of 744 km in length. Though it was not acceptable by the Ethiopian Empire, the Ethio-Sudan colonial border is not clear since it mainly relies on natural landmarks such as mountains, trees, and rivers.