<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Ethiopia constitutes one of the most significant environmental and cultural reserves on Earth. Ethiopia's natural and cultural tourist attractions are mostly associated with geological features: the active Ethiopian and Afar rifts as well as the Simien and Bale massifs are few examples. Ethiopia's cultural history, religious manifestations and civilization, like the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the stelae of Axum, are also imprinted in rock. Geomorphological and geological features, notably the isolation of the north-western highlands from the external world by the harsh Afar depression close to the sea, determined the route of Ethiopian history. Though tourism has been identified as a major sustainable development sector, systematic geoheritage evaluation and conservation strategies are lacking in the country. I this paper the Simien Mountains are presented as major geoheritages which should be prioritized for geoconservation in order to develop sustainable tourism (geotourism) in the area.</p></abstract>

Ethiopia constitutes one of the most significant environmental and cultural reserves on Earth. Ethiopia's natural and cultural tourist attractions are mostly associated with geological features: the active Ethiopian and Afar rifts as well as the Simien and Bale massifs are few examples. Ethiopia's cultural history, religious manifestations and civilization, like the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the stelae of Axum, are also imprinted in rock. Geomorphological and geological features, notably the isolation of the north-western highlands from the external world by the harsh Afar depression close to the sea, determined the route of Ethiopian history. Though tourism has been identified as a major sustainable development sector, systematic geoheritage evaluation and conservation strategies are lacking in the country. I this paper the Simien Mountains are presented as major geoheritages which should be prioritized for geoconservation in order to develop sustainable tourism (geotourism) in the area.

Geoheritage conservation in Ethiopia: the case of the Simien Mountains

Department of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Geo-Information and Landscape Gardening, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Graz, A-8010 Graz, Austria

Quaestiones Geographicae

{"article-title":"Geoheritage conservation in Ethiopia: the case of the Simien Mountains"}

Ethiopia constitutes one of the most significant environmental and cultural reserves on Earth. Ethiopia's natural and cultural tourist attractions are mostly...

Geoheritage conservation in Ethiopia: the case of the Simien Mountains

Published Online: Apr 03, 2012

Page range: 7 - 23

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10117-012-0001-0

Keywords
geoheritage, geotourism, geoconservation, sustainable development, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia

This content is open access.

Geoheritage conservation in Ethiopia: the case of the Simien Mountains

Published Online: Apr 03, 2012

Page range: 7 - 23

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10117-012-0001-0

Keywordsgeoheritage, geotourism, geoconservation, sustainable development, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia

This content is open access.

Keywords
geoheritage, geotourism, geoconservation, sustainable development, Simien Mountains, Ethiopia