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Emacs uses the modeline to communicate facts about Emacs and the buffer you are in. This is equivalent to a status bar. Many different kinds of information can be displayed in the modeline.
The minibuffer is below the modeline. This is where errors and general information is displayed. It is nearly identical to a normal buffer; the one-line minibuffer will expand to multiple lines if necessary. It is how you communicate with Emacs.
The echo area and the minibuffer share the same spot on the screen.