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| Introduction | Ethiopia |
| 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 SELASSIE (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 two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender sensitive territory. |
| People | Ethiopia |
| Population: | 67,851,281 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 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 44.7% (male 15,189,921; female 15,109,870) 15-64 years: 52.5% (male 17,857,758; female 17,767,411) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 855,103; female 1,071,218) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 17.4 years female: 17.4 years (2004 est.) male: 17.3 years |
| Population growth rate: | 1.89% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 39.23 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 20.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2004 est.) |
| 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: 0.8 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 102.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 91.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 112.22 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 40.88 years male: 40.03 years female: 41.75 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 5.44 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 4.4% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 1.5 million (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 120,000 (2003 est.) |
| Major infectious diseases: | typhoid fever, malaria, leishmaniasis (cutaneous), schistosomiasis, rabies overall degree of risk: high (2004) |
| Nationality: | noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian |
| Ethnic groups: | Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1% |
| Religions: | Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8% |
| Languages: | Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.7% male: 50.3% female: 35.1% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Ethiopia |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia conventional short form: Ethiopia local short form: Ityop'iya former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik abbreviation: FDRE |
| Government type: | federal republic |
| Capital: | Addis Ababa |
| Administrative divisions: | 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples) |
| Independence: | oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years |
| National holiday: | National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991) |
| Constitution: | ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995 |
| Legal system: | currently transitional mix of national and regional courts |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001) head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August 1995) 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 elections: president elected by the House of People's Representatives for a six-year term; election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be held NA October 2007); prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives - 100% |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper chamber (108 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) elections: last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005) note: irregularities and violence at some polling stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies; voting postponed in Somali regional state because of severe drought election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - OPDO 177, ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10, ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional political groupings 22, independents 8; note - 43 seats unconfirmed |
| 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 to the House of People's Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA]; Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM [ADDISU Legesse]; Bench Madji People's Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA]; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [leader NA]; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF); Gedeyo People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or GPRDF [leader NA]; Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM [leader NA]; Kafa Shaka People's Democratic Organization or KSPDO [leader NA]; Kembata, Alabaa and Tembaro or KAT [leader NA]; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO [JUNEDI Sado]; Sidamo People's Democratic Organization or SPDO [leader NA]; South Omo People's Democratic Movement or SOPDM [leader NA]; Tigrayan People's Liberation Front or TPLF [MELES Zenawi]; Walayta, Gamo, Gofa, Dawro, and Konta People's Democratic Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA]; dozens of small parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF [leader NA]; Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros] |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] (1) 550666 FAX: [251] (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 three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors |
| Communications | Ethiopia |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 435,000 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 97,800 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: 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: country code - 251; 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) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001) |
| Radios: | 15.2 million (2002) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 plus 24 repeaters (2002) |
| Televisions: | 682,000 (2002) |
| Internet country code: | .et |
| Internet hosts: | 9 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2002) |
| Internet users: | 75,000 (2003) |
| Transportation | Ethiopia |
| Railways: | total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 31,571 km paved: 3,789 km unpaved: 27,782 km (2000) |
| 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 |
| Merchant marine: | total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 81,933 GRT/101,287 DWT by type: cargo 5, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2003 est.) |
| Airports: | 82 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Ethiopia |
| Military branches: | Ethiopian National Defense Force: Ground Forces, Air Force, Mobilized Militia note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 15,748,632 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 8,234,442 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 760,868 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $345 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 5.2% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Ethiopia |
| Disputes - international: | Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 independent boundary commission's delimitation decision, but demarcation has been delayed, despite intense international intervention, by Ethiopian insistence that the decision ignored "human geography," made technical errors in the delimitation, and incorrectly awarded Badme - the focus of the 1998-2000 war - and other areas to Eritrea and Eritrea's insistence on not deviating from the commission's decision; Ethiopia maintains only an administrative line and no international border with the Oromo region of southern Somalia and maintains alliances with local clans in opposition to the Transitional National Government, which lost its mandate in August 2003, in Mogadishu; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Sudan have been delayed by civil war |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 93,032 (Sudan), 23,578 (Somalia) IDPs: 132,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2004) |
| 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 (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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