|
Background:
|
 Unique
among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy
maintained its freedom from colonial rule, one exception being
the Italian occupation of 1936-41. In 1974 a military junta,
the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since
1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups,
uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems,
the regime was finally toppled by a coalition of rebel forces,
the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF),
in 1991. A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's
first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half
year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12
December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently
on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international
commission's finding requiring it to surrender sensitive
territory. |
|
Location:
|
Eastern Africa,
west of Somalia |
|
Map references:
|
Africa |
|
Area:
|
total:
1,127,127 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly less
than twice the size of Texas |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total:
5,328 km
border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km,
Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km |
|
Coastline:
|
0 km (landlocked) |
|
Climate:
|
tropical monsoon
with wide topographic-induced variation |
|
Terrain:
|
high plateau with
central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
small reserves of
gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower |
|
Land use:
|
arable land:
9.9%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 89.45% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
1,900 sq km (1998
est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
geologically
active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic
eruptions; frequent droughts |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
deforestation;
overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in
some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea |
|
Geography - note:
|
landlocked -
entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure
independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the
chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana
Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are
believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain
sorghum, and castor bean |
|
Population:
|
67,851,281
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can
result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and
death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in
the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
44.7% (male 15,189,921; female 15,109,870)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 17,857,758; female 17,767,411)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 855,103; female
1,071,218) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
17.4 years
female: 17.4 years (2004 est.)
male: 17.3 years |
|
Population growth rate:
|
1.89% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
39.23
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
20.36
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0 migrant(s)/1,000
population
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for
refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to
continue for several years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees,
who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own
countries, continue to return to their homes (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
102.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 91.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 112.22 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 40.88 years
male: 40.03 years
female: 41.75 years (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
6.4% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
2.1 million (2001
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
160,000 (2001
est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Oromo 40%, Amhara
and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%,
Gurage 2%, other 1% |
|
Religions:
|
Muslim
45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8% |
|
Languages:
|
Amharic, Tigrinya,
Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages,
English (major foreign language taught in schools) |
|
Literacy:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.7%
male: 50.3%
female: 35.1% (2003 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local short form: Ityop'iya
former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi
Ripeblik
abbreviation: FDRE |
|
Government type:
|
federal republic |
|
Capital:
|
Addis Ababa |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
9
ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2
self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular -
astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara),
Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela
Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia),
Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na
Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples) |
|
Independence:
|
oldest
independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the
world - at least 2,000 years |
|
National holiday:
|
National Day
(defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991) |
|
Constitution:
|
ratified December
1994; effective 22 August 1995 |
|
Legal system:
|
currently
transitional mix of national and regional courts |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of
state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since
NA August 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the
December 1994 constitution; ministers are selected by the
prime minister and approved by the House of People's
Representatives
elections: president elected by the House of People's
Representatives for a six-year term; election last held 8
October 2001 (next to be held NA October 2007); prime minister
designated by the party in power following legislative
elections
election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president;
percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives -
100% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral
Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper
chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to
serve five-year terms) and the House of People's
Representatives or lower chamber (548 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts
to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA
May 2005)
note: irregularities and violence at some polling
stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain
constituencies; voting postponed in Somali regional state
because of severe drought
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party
- OPDO 177, ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18,
GNDM 15, KSPDO 10, ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO
5, KAT 4, other regional political groupings 22, independents
8; note - 43 seats unconfirmed |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Federal Supreme
Court (the president and vice president of the Federal Supreme
Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed by
the House of People's Representatives; for other federal
judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's
Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the
Federal Judicial Administrative Council) |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Afar National
Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA]; Amhara National
Democratic Movement or ANDM [ADDISU Legesse]; Bench Madji
People's Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA];
Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF
[leader NA]; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and
TPLF); Gedeyo People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or GPRDF
[leader NA]; Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM
[leader NA]; Kafa Shaka People's Democratic Organization or
KSPDO [leader NA]; Kembata, Alabaa and Tembaro or KAT [leader
NA]; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO [JUNEDI
Sado]; Sidamo People's Democratic Organization or SPDO [leader
NA]; South Omo People's Democratic Movement or SOPDM [leader
NA]; Tigrayan People's Liberation Front or TPLF [MELES Zenawi];
Walayta, Gamo, Gofa, Dawro, and Konta People's Democratic
Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA]; dozens of small parties |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
Afar
Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF [leader NA];
Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in
Ethiopia or CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern Ethiopia People's
Democratic Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros] |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief of
mission: Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC
20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York
FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief of
mission: Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] (1) 550666
FAX: [251] (1) 551328 |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Ethiopia's
poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, which
accounts for half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total
employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent
drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to
the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $156 million in
2002, but historically low prices have seen many farmers
switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in
1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in
particular coffee production. In November 2001 Ethiopia
qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor
Countries (HIPC) initiative. Under Ethiopia's land tenure
system, the government owns all land and provides long-term
leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth
in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use
land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in
2002, leading to a 2% decline in GDP in 2003. Return to normal
weather patterns late in 2003 should help agricultural and GDP
growth recover in 2004. The government estimates that annual
growth of 7% is needed to reduce poverty. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $48.47 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
-2% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $700 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
52.3%
industry: 11.1%
services: 36.5% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
50% (2003 est.) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
12.6% (2003 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
NA (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture and
animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry
and construction 8% (1985) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
NA% (2002) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$1.4 billion
expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $788 million (FY02/03 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
food processing,
beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
6.7% (2001 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
1.713 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
1.3%
hydro: 97.6%
other: 1.2% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
1.594 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
23,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
12.46 billion cu
m (1 January 2002) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
cereals, pulses,
coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle,
sheep, goats |
|
Exports:
|
$537 million
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
coffee, qat,
gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds |
|
Exports - partners:
|
UK 16.5%,
Djibouti 11.1%, Germany 7.5%, Italy 7.3%, Japan 6.8%, Saudi
Arabia 6.6%, US 4.5% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.964 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
food and live
animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,
machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Saudi Arabia
27.9%, Switzerland 6.3%, China 5.9%, Italy 5.7%, India 4.6%,
Germany 4% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$2.9 billion
(2001 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$308 million
(FY00/01) |
|
Currency:
|
birr (ETB) |
|
Currency code:
|
ETB |
|
Exchange rates:
|
birr per US
dollar - NA (2003), 8.57 (2002), 8.46 (2001), 8.22 (2000),
7.94 (1999)
note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are
determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions
regulated by the Central Bank |
|
Fiscal year:
|
8 July - 7 July |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
353,800 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
50,400 (2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: open-wire and microwave radio relay system;
adequate for government use
domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio
communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two
domestic satellites provide the national trunk service
international: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan
and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti;
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2
Pacific Ocean) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 8, FM 0,
shortwave 1 (2001) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
1 plus 24
repeaters (2002) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.et |
|
Internet hosts:
|
41 (2002) |
|
Internet users:
|
50,000 (2002) |
|
Railways:
|
total: 681
km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and
Ethiopia (2002) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
31,571 km
paved: 3,789 km
unpaved: 27,782 km (2000) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
none; Ethiopia is
landlocked and was by agreement with Eritrea using the ports
of Assab and Massawa; since the border dispute with Eritrea
flared, Ethiopia has used the port of Djibouti for nearly all
of its imports |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 9
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 81,933 GRT/101,287 DWT
by type: cargo 5, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll
on/roll off 2 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports:
|
82 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total: 68
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 23 (2003 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Ethiopian
National Defense Force: Ground Forces, Air Force, Mobilized
Militia
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following
the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained
in Eritrean possession |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 15,748,632 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
males age
15-49: 8,234,442 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
760,868 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$345 million
(2003) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
5.2% (2003) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Eritrea and
Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 independent boundary
commission's delimitation decision, but demarcation has been
delayed, despite intense international intervention, by
Ethiopian insistence that the decision ignored "human
geography," made technical errors in the delimitation,
and incorrectly awarded Badme - the focus of the 1998-2000 war
- and other areas to Eritrea and Eritrea's insistence on not
deviating from the commission's decision; Ethiopia maintains
only an administrative line and no international border with
the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances
with local clans in opposition to the Transitional National
Government, which lost its mandate in August 2003, in
Mogadishu; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port
facilities and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; efforts to
demarcate the porous boundary with Sudan have been delayed by
civil war |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
Transit hub for
heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and
destined for Europe and North America as well as cocaine
destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat)
for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and
Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a
well-developed financial system limits the country's utility
as a money-laundering center |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
|
