1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 1,127,127 km2 land area: 1,119,683 km2 comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Climate
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation; some areas prone to extended droughts
Coastline
none - landlocked
Environment
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; frequent droughts; famine
International disputes
southern half of the 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
Irrigated land
1,620 km2 (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 5,311 km, Djibouti 337 km, Erithea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia 1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Land use
arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 41% forest and woodland: 24% other: 22%
Location
Eastern Africa, between Somalia and Sudan
Map references
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
none - landlocked
Natural resources
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash
Note
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993
Terrain
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
People and Society
Birth rate
45.37 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
14.23 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Infant mortality rate
108.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
18 million by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)
Languages
Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 52.21 years male: 50.6 years female: 53.88 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 10 and over can read and write (1983) total population: 62% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian
Net migration rate
2.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
53,278,446 (July 1993 est.) note: Ethiopian demographic data, except population and population growth rate, include Eritrea
Population growth rate
3.41% (1993 est.)
Religions
Muslim 45-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35-40%, animist 12%, other 5%
Total fertility rate
6.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
14 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akababi) Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Benishangul, Gambela, Gurage-Hadiya-Kambata, Harer, Kefa, Omo, Oromo, Sidamo, Somali, Tigray, Wolayta
Capital
Addis Ababa
Chief of State
President MELES Zenawi (since 1 June 1991)
Constituent Assembly
now planned for January 1994 (to ratify constitution to be drafted by end of 1993)
Constitution
to be redrafted by 1993
Digraph
ET
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 234-2281 or 2282
Executive branch
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers
FAX
[251] (1) 551-166
Flag
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red; 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
Head of Government
Prime Minister TAMIRAT Layne (since 6 June 1991)
Independence
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
NA
Legislative branch
unicameral Constituent Assembly
Member of
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ethiopia local long form: none local short form: Ityop'iya
National holiday
National Day, 28 May (1991) (defeat of Mengistu regime)
Other political or pressure groups
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP); numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since Mengistu's resignation, including several Islamic militant groups
Political parties and leaders
NA
President
last held 10 September 1987; next election planned after new constitution drafted; results - MENGISTU Haile-Mariam elected by the now defunct National Assembly, but resigned and left Ethiopia on 21 May 1991
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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; the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE), announced a two-year transitional period
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Marc A. BAAS embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] (1) 550-666
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 47% of GDP and is the most important sector of the economy even though frequent droughts and poor cultivation practices keep farm output low; famines not uncommon; export crops of coffee and oilseeds grown partly on state farms; estimated 50% of agricultural production at subsistence level; principal crops and livestock - cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and other vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats
Budget
revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $565 million (FY91)
Currency
1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $504 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.0 billion
Electricity
330,000 kW capacity; 650 million kWh produced, 10 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.0000 (fixed rate)
Exports
$276 million (f.o.b., FY90) commodities: coffee, leather products, gold, petroleum products partners: EC, Djibouti, Japan, Saudi Arabia, US
External debt
$3.48 billion (1991)
Fiscal year
8 July - 7 July
Illicit drugs
transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America; cultivates qat (chat) for local use and regional export
Imports
$1.0 billion (c.i.f., FY90) commodities: capital goods, consumer goods, fuel partners: EC, Eastern Europe, Japan, US
Industrial production
growth rate 2.3% (FY89 est.); accounts for 12% of GDP
Industries
food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
7.8% (1989)
National product
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.6 billion (FY92 est.)
National product per capita
$130 (FY92 est.)
National product real growth rate
6% (FY92 est.)
Overview
With the independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993, Ethiopia continues to face difficult economic problems as one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. (The accompanying analysis and figures predate the independence of Eritrea.) Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates 60% of export earnings. 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. Favorable agricultural weather largely explains the 4.5% growth in output in FY89, whereas drought and deteriorating internal security conditions prevented growth in FY90. In 1991 the lack of law and order, particularly in the south, interfered with economic development and growth. In 1992, because of some easing of civil strife and aid from the outside world, the economy substantially improved.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Airports
total: 121 usable: 82 with permanent-surface runways: 9 with runways over 3,659 m: 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 13 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 83 (1993 est.)
Highways
39,150 km total; 2,776 km paved, 7,504 km gravel, 2,054 km improved earth, 26,816 km unimproved earth (1993 est.)
Merchant marine
none; landlocked
Ports
none; landlocked
Railroads
781 km total; 781 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge linking Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to Djibouti; control of railroad is shared between Djibouti and Ethiopia
Telecommunications
open-wire and radio relay system adequate for government use; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; broadcast stations - 4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 100,000 TV sets; 9,000,000 radios; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
Military and Security
Branches
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 12,793,340; fit for military service 6,640,616; reach military age (18) annually 576,329 (1993 est.)