1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Boundary disputes
southern half of boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden
Climate
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Coastline
1,094 km
Comparative area
four-fifths the size of Alaska
Environment
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Land boundaries
5,198 km total
Land use
12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 41% meadows and pastures; 24% forest and woodland; 22% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Special notes
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields
Terrain
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
1,221,900 km2; land area: 1,101,000km2
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
40% Oromo, 32% Amhara and Tigrean, 9% Sidamo, 6% Shankella, 6% Somali, 4% Afar, 2% Gurage, 1% other
Infant mortality rate
145/1,000 (1983)
Labor force
90% agriculture and animal husbandry; 10% government, military, and quasi-government
Language
Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Life expectancy
38
Literacy
about 35%
Nationality
noun — Ethiopian(s); adjective— Ethiopian
Organized labor
All Ethiopian Trade Union formed by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members
Population
46,706,229 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.69%
Religion
40-45% Muslim, 35-40% Ethiopian Orthodox, 15-20% animist, 5% other
Government
Administrative divisions
14 provinces
Branches
executive power exercised by the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), dominated by its chairman and small circle of associates; predominantly civilian Cabinet holds office at sufferance of military; legislature dissolved September 1974; judiciary at higher levels based on Western pattern, at lower levels on traditional pattern, without jury system in either
Capital
Addis Ababa
Communists
government is officially Marxist-Leninist
Elections
referendum on new constitution promised for early 1987 to be followed by elections for president and National Assembly Political party and leader: Ethiopian Workers Party (WPE), Mengistu HaileMariam
Government leader
Lt. Col. MENGISTU Haile-Mariam, Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (since February 1977)
Legal system
complex structure with civil, Islamic, common, and customary law influences; constitution suspended September 1974 — military leaders have promised a referendum on a new constitution in early 1987; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
AfDB, EGA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICO, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Popular Revolution Commemoration Day, 12 September
Official name
Socialist Ethiopia
Other political or pressure groups
important dissident groups include Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) in Eritrea; Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF) in Tigray and Welo Provinces; Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) in the Ogaden region
Suffrage
none
Type
under military rule since September 1974; monarchy abolished in March 1975, republic to be formed in 1987
Economy
Agriculture
main crop — coffee; also cereals, pulses, oilseeds, meat, hides and skins
Budget
as shares of GDP— revenues, 25.1%; expenditures, 31.8%; deficit, 6.7% (1986)
Electric power
330,000 kW capacity; 722 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$520 million (f.o.b., 1985/86 est.); 75% coffee
GDP
$5.0 billion, $120 per capita (1983/84 est.)
Imports
$1,037 million (c.i.f., 1985/86)
Major industries
cement, sugar refining, cotton textiles, food processing, oil refinery
Major trade partners
exports — US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy; imports— USSR, Italy, FRG, Japan, UK, US
Natural resources
potash, salt, gold, copper, platinum