Ethiopia

Ethiopia 

 
Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Area

Land Boundaries

Total 5,311 km, Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia 1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km

Coastline

None - landlocked

Maritime Claims

None; landlocked

International Disputes

Southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden

Climate

Tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Terrain

High plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
lowest point: Denakil -125 m
highest point: Ras Dashen Terara 4,620 m

Natural Resources

Land Use

Irrigated Land

1,620 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Note: Landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993

PEOPLE

Population

57,171,662 (July 1996 est.)
55,979,018 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

46% (male 13,116,158; female 13,080,276) (July 1996 est.)
46% (male 12,802,187; female 12,782,345) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

51% (male 14,782,995; female 14,624,779) (July 1996 est.)
52% (male 14,511,342; female 14,352,059) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

3% (male 728,808; female 838,646) (July 1996 est.)
2% (male 715,111; female 815,974) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

2.72% (1996 est.)
3.09% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

46.05 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
46.68 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

17.53 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
15.77 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-1.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Note: Repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan, Kenya and Somalia for refuge from war and famine in earlier years, is expected to continue in 1996; entry into Ethiopia of Sudanese and Somalis fleeing the fighting in their own countries is also continuing in 1996

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

122.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
120.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total Fertility Rate

7 children born/woman (1996 est.)
7.07 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Ethnic Divisions

Religions

Languages

Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Literacy

Age 10 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Labor Force

18 million

By occupation:

GOVERNMENT

Names

Digraph

ET

Type

Transitional government

Note: On 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) toppled the authoritarian government of MENGISTU Haile-Mariam and took control in Addis Ababa; a new constitution was promulgated in December 1994 and national and regional popular elections were held in May and June 1995

Capital

Addis Ababa

Administrative Divisions

9 ethnically-based administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akababi) and 1 federal capital*: Addis Ababa*; Afar; Amhara; Benshangul/Gumaz; Gambela; Harar; Oromia; Somali; Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples; Tigray

Independence

Oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years

National Holiday

National Day, 28 May (1991) (defeat of Mengistu regime)

Constitution

New constitution promulgated in December 1994

Legal System

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

Federal Council

Upper chamber, having NA members, represents the ethnic interests of the regional governments and is elected by the regional assemblies

Council of People's Representatives

Lower chamber, having 550 members, elected by popular vote note: both bodies have five-year terms of office; regional and national popular elections were held in May and June 1995; results - EPRDF swept nearly all seats

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court, judges are elected by the national legislature

Political Parties and Leaders

Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), MELES Zenawi

Other Political or Pressure Groups

Oromo Liberation Front (OLF); All Amhara People's Organization; Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition; numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since Mengistu's resignation, including several Islamic militant groups

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Anthem

National Anthem

Flag

The flag of Ethiopia has three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands, whitch the old flag didn't use to have.
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors

ECONOMY

Overview

Ethiopia continues to face difficult economic problems as one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for about half of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates 60% of export earnings. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent periods of drought, poor cultivation practices, and deterioration of internal security conditions. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector. Over 90% of large-scale industry, but less than 10% of agriculture, is state-run. The government is considering selling off a portion of state-owned plants and is implementing reform measures that are gradually liberalizing the economy. A major medium-term problem is the improvement of roads, water supply, and other parts of an infrastructure badly neglected during years of civil strife.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $24.2 billion (1995 est.), $20.3 billion (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

2.7% (1995 est.)
3% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$400 (1995 est.)
$380 (1993 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

10% (FY93/94)

Unemployment Rate

NA

Budget

Exports

$296 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.)
$219.8 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

Imports

$972 million (c.i.f., 1994 est.)
$1.04 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Partners:

External Debt

$3.7 billion (1993 est.)

Industrial Production

Growth rate -3.3% (FY91/92); accounts for 12% of GDP

Electricity

Industries

Agriculture

Accounts for 45% of GDP; export crops of coffee and oilseeds are grown partly on state farms; estimated 50% of agricultural production is at subsistence level; principal crops and livestock - cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and other vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats

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 southern African markets; cultivates qat (chat) for local use and regional export

Economic Aid

Currency

1 birr (Br) = 100 cents

Exchange Rates

Birr (Br) per US$1 - 6.3200 (December 1995), 6.3200 (1995), 5.9500 (1994), 5.0000 (fixed rate 1992-93); fixed at 2.070 before 1992; note - official rate pegged to the US$

Fiscal Year

8 July - 7 July

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Highways

Ports

None; Ethiopia is landlocked but by agreement with Eritrea may use the ports of Assab and Massawa

Merchant Marine

Airports

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

100.000 telephones (1983 est.); open-wire and radio relay system adequate for government use

Radio

Television

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Ground Forces, Air Force, Police
note: following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopia's naval facilities remained in Eritrea's possession; current reorganization plans do not include a navy

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 12,912,144; males fit for military service 6,707,180; males reach military age (18) annually 583,724 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $140 million, 4.1% of GDP (FY93/94)

History
World Atlas