Official name: People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Area: 471,815 sq. mi. (1,221,991 sq. km.)
Latitude/Longitude: Moulo Village, Ethiopia--lat. 9.14; long. 38.26
Climate: tropical monsoon; temperate in the central highland plateau, hot along the lowland borders; some areas prone to extended droughts
Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash
Population: 58.0 million (13% urban, 87% rural)
Life expectancy: 50 (female); 47 (male)
Infant mortality: 130 per 1,000 births
Literacy rate: 62% (combined)
Ethnic divisions: Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Principal languages: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English
Principal religions: Muslim 40-45%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35-40%, animist 15-20%, other 5%
Rank of affluence among U.N. members: 180/183
Landlocked since its northern province, Eritrea, achieved its independence in 1993, Ethiopia occupies the highlands of east central Africa. Home to humankind for at least 1.5 million years, it is the only African nation never ruled by foreigners (except for a brief, chaotic incursion by Italy, 1935-41). A long period of post-war stability under the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie ended with a coup in 1974.
Since then, Ethiopia has suffered widespread famine, civil strife, and ecological devastation. A Marxist dictator, Lieut. Col. Mengistu Haile Mariam (in power from 1977-91), waged an ongoing series of civil wars while following a Soviet-inspired economic model. In the 1980s his government private seized land and forcibly resettled 500,000 farmers. Along with a series of devastating droughts, these policies led to famines that claimed 2 million lives. Soviet support disappeared in 1990 and Mengistu was overthrown the following year, as a coalition government took the reins, letting Ethiopians return to their homes and trying to install a more democratic economy. The capital, Addis Ababa, is a modern city that serves as headquarters for the Organization of African Unity and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
Nonetheless, many problems remain. The economy is based largely on subsistence farming, with coffee the major export. Use of wood as fuel and the nation's abundance of livestock have caused some of Africa's worst deforestation and erosion. In terms of income, resources, literacy, and life expectancy, Ethiopia remains one of the world's poorest nations.
