2000 Edition

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 SALASSIE (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 border war with Eritrea that erupted in May 1998 has strengthened the ruling coalition, but has hurt the nation's economy.

Area

land

1,119,683 sq km

total

1,127,127 sq km

water

7,444 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Ras Dashen Terara 4,620 m

lowest point

Denakil -125 m

Environment - current issues

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 38 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993

Irrigated land

1,900 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

5,311 km

Land use

arable land

12%

forests and woodland

25%

other

22% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

40%

Location

Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

Natural resources

small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

Terrain

high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Age structure

0-14 years: 47% (male 15,167,395; female 14,977,346) 15-64 years: 50% (male 16,195,637; female 15,987,089) 65 years and over: 3% (male 816,011; female 973,974) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

45.13 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

17.63 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%

Infant mortality rate

101.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

45.94 years (2000 est.)

male

44.41 years

total population

45.17 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

25.3% (1995 est.)

male

45.5%

total population

35.5%

Nationality

adjective

Ethiopian

noun

Ethiopian(s)

Net migration rate

0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

note

repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years; small numbers of Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes

Population

64,117,452

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 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

2.76% (2000 est.)

Religions

Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%

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: 0.84 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

7.07 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 ethnically-based administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akabibi) and 2 chartered cities*: Addis Ababa*; Afar; Amhara, Benishangul/Gumaz; Dire Dawa*; Gambela; Harar; Oromia; Somali; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region; Tigray

Capital

Addis Ababa

Constitution

ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995

Country name

abbreviation

FDRE

conventional long form

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

conventional short form

Ethiopia

local long form

Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik

local short form

Ityop'iya

Data code

ET

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Tibor P. NAGY

embassy

Entoto Street, Addis Ababa

mailing address

P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa

telephone

(1) 550666

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos

telephone

(202) 234-2281

Executive branch

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

chief of state

President NEGASSO Gidada (since 22 August 1995)

election results

NEGASSO Gidada elected president; percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives - NA

elections

president elected by the House of People's Representatives for a six-year term; election last held NA June 1995 (next to be held NA May 2001); prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections

head of government

Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August 1995)

FAX

(202) 328-7950

(1) 551328

Flag description

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; 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

Government type

federal republic

Independence

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

International organization participation

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

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 candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council to the House of People's Representatives for appointment

Legal system

currently transitional mix of national and regional courts

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper chamber (117 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)

election results

percent of vote - NA; seats - EPRDF 483, regional political groupings 46, independents 8; note - 11 seats unconfirmed

elections

regional and national popular elections were held in May and June 1995 (next to be held NA May 2000)

note

many opposition groups, including the Oromo Liberation Front, boycotted the election

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

All-Amhara People's Organization or AAPO ; Coalition of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy or CAFPD ; Ethiopian Democratic Union or EDU ; Ethiopian Movement for Democracy, Peace, and Unity or EMDPU ; Ethiopian National Democratic Party or ENDP ; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF ; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF ; dozens of small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders

Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition; numerous small, ethnically based groups have formed since the defeat of the former MENGISTU regime in 1991, including several Islamic militant groups

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes; hides, cattle, sheep, goats

Budget

expenditures

$1.48 billion, including capital expenditures of $415 million (FY96/97)

revenues

$1 billion

Currency

1 birr (Br) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$10 billion (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

$367 million (FY95/96)

Economy - overview

Ethiopia's economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent periods of drought and poor cultivation practices, and as many as 4.6 million people need food assistance annually. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy, and Ethiopia earned $267 million in 1999 by exporting 105,000 metric tons. According to current estimates, coffee contributes 10% of Ethiopia's GDP. More than 15 million people (25% of the population) derive their livelihood from the coffee sector. Other exports include live animals, hides, gold, and qat. In December 1999, Ethiopia signed a $1.4 billion joint venture deal to develop a huge natural gas field in the Somali Regional State. The war with Eritrea has forced the government to spend scarce resources on the military and forced the government to scale back ambitious development plans. Foreign investment has declined significantly. Government taxes imposed in late 1999 to raise money for the war will depress an already weak economy. The war has forced the government to improve roads and other parts of the previously neglected infrastructure, but only certain regions of the nation have benefited.

Electricity - consumption

1.265 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

1.36 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

7.35%

hydro

89.34%

nuclear

0%

other

3.31% (1998)

Exchange rates

birr (Br) per US$1 (end of period) - 8.2 (January 2000), 7.5030 (1998), 6.8640 (1997), 6.4260 (1996), 6.3200 (1995)

note

since May 1993, the birr market rate has been determined in an interbank market supported by weekly wholesale auction; prior to that date, the official rate was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr

Exports

$420 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

coffee, gold, leather products, oilseeds

Exports - partners

Germany 22%, Japan 12%, Italy 9%, UK 5% (1997 est.)

Fiscal year

8 July - 7 July

GDP

purchasing power parity - $33.3 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

46%

industry

12%

services

42% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $560 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1.25 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles

Imports - partners

Italy 10%, US 9%, Japan 8%, Jordan 5% (1997 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4% (1999 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 0, shortwave 2 (1999)

Radios

11.75 million (1997)

Telephone system

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

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)

Telephones - main lines in use

365,000 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

4,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations

25 (1999)

Televisions

320,000 (1997)

Airports

85 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

11 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

74 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 35 under 914 m: 19 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

4,275 km

total

28,500 km

unpaved

24,225 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 7, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off 3 (1999 est.)

total

12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,915 GRT/112,634 DWT

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

Railways

narrow gauge

681 km 1.000-m gauge

note

in April 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals; since May 1998 Ethiopia has expended considerable effort to repair and maintain the lines

total

681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)

Military branches

Ground Forces, Air Force, Police, Militia

note

Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the independence of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession and ships which belonged to the former Ethiopian Navy and based at Djibouti have been sold

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$138 million (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.5% (FY98/99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 14,184,072 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 7,392,677 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

686,801 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

most of the southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden; dispute over alignment of boundary with Eritrea led to armed conflict in 1998, which is still unresolved despite arbitration efforts

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 (chat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia

EUROPA ISLAND