Ethiopia

[Country map of Ethiopia]

Map ©1996 NGS Cartographic Division. Developed in association with GeoSystems Global Corp. World Map

Geography

Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Map references: Africa

Area:
total area: 1,127,127 sq km
land area: 1,119,683 sq km
comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

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

Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash

Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 1%
meadows and pastures: 41%
forest and woodland: 24%
other: 22%

Irrigated land: 1,620 sq km (1989 est.)


People

Population: 55,979,018 (July 1995 est.)
note: Ethiopian demographic data, except population and population growth rate, include Eritrea

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (female 12,782,345; male 12,802,187)
15-64 years: 52% (female 14,352,059; male 14,511,342)
65 years and over: 2% (female 815,974; male 715,111) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.09% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 46.68 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 15.77 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees from Sudan, Kenya and Somalia, where they had taken refuge from war and famine in earlier years, is expected to continue in 1995; additional influxes of Sudanese and Somalis fleeing fighting in their countries can be expected in 1995

Infant mortality rate: 120.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 50 years
male: 48.28 years
female: 51.78 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 7.07 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian

Ethnic divisions: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%

Religions: Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 5%

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

Literacy: age 10 and over can read and write (1984)
total population: 24%
male: 33%
female: 16%

Labor force: 18 million
by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)


Government

Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: none
local short form: Ityop'iya

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 elections are scheduled for May 1995; the administrative regions will elect regional assemblies by popular vote; the National Assembly will have two chambers - one elected by popular vote and the other selected as representatives by the regional assemblies; the lower house of the National Assembly will select or confirm the president, the prime minister and the cabinet officers and judges; the prime minister will be the chief executive officer and the duties of the president will be mostly ceremonial

Capital: Addis Ababa

Administrative divisions: 14 ethnically-based administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akababi) Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Benishangul, Gambela, Gurage-Hadiya-Kambata, Hareri, Kefa, Omo, Oromo, Sidama, Somali, Tigray, Wolayta
note: the following named four administrative regions may have been abolished and their territories distributed among the remaining ten regions: Kefa, Omo, Sidama, and Wolayta

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


Economy

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. Its economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for about 45% 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 - $20.3 billion (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate: 3% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $380 (1993 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (FY93/94)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $1.2 billion
expenditures: $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $707 million (FY93/94)

Exports: $219.8 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: coffee, leather products, gold
partners: Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy

Imports: $1.04 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities: capital goods, consumer goods, fuel
partners: US, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan

External debt: $3.7 billion (1993 est.)

Industrial production: growth rate -3.3% (FY91/92); accounts for 12% of GDP

Electricity:
capacity: 460,000 kW
production: 1.3 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 23 kWh (1993)

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

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

Currency: 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents

Fiscal year: 8 July - 7 July


Transportation

Railroads:
total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge

Highways:
total: 24,127 km
paved: 3,289 km
unpaved: gravel 6,664 km; improved earth 1,652 km; unimproved earth 12,522 km (1993)

Ports: none

Merchant marine:
total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,627 GRT/88,909 DWT
ships by type: cargo 8, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1

Airports:
total: 98
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 2,438to 3,047 m: 3
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 24
with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 4
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 14
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 42


Flag by Dream Maker Software, Inc.
Information obtained from CIA, The World Factbook 1995