Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. 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 in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990's ended with a peace treaty in 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 territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.
Location
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total
1,127,127 sq km
land
1,119,683 sq km
water
7,444 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries
total
5,328 km
border countries
Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point
Ras Dejen 4,620 m
Natural resources
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
Land use
arable land
10.01%
permanent crops
0.65%
other
89.34% (2005)
Irrigated land
2,900 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment - current issues
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean
Population
76,511,887
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 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
43.4% (male 16,657,155/female 16,553,812)
15-64 years
53.8% (male 20,558,026/female 20,639,076)
65 years and over
2.7% (male 953,832/female 1,149,986) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
18 years
male
17.8 years
female
18.1 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.272% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
37.39 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
14.67 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.006 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.996 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.829 male(s)/female
total population
0.995 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
91.92 deaths/1,000 live births
male
101.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female
81.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
49.23 years
male
48.06 years
female
50.44 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.1 children born/woman (2007 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
degree of risk
very high
food or waterborne diseases
bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases
malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high risks in some locations
Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)
Languages
Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%, Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%, English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
42.7%
male
50.3%
female
35.1% (2003 est.)
Country name
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
former
Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
abbreviation
FDRE
Government type
federal republic
Capital
name
Addis Ababa
geographic coordinates
9 02 N, 38 42 E
time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995
Legal system
based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and regional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in October 2010); 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) (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
note: irregularities at some polling stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies
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; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [TEMESGEN Zewdie] (contains elements of the former CUD); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopian People's Democratic Front or SEPDF, and Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; dozens of small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders
Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]
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
Economy - overview
Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in 2004-06.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$74.88 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$13.32 billion ( est.)
GDP - real growth rate
10.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
46.7%
industry
12.9%
services
40.4% (2006 est.)
Labor force
27.27 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
80%
industry
8%
services
12% (1985)
Unemployment rate
NA%
Population below poverty line
38.7% (FY05/06 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
3%
highest 10%
33.7% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
30 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
13% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
20% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$2.679 billion
expenditures
$3.388 billion; including capital expenditures of $788 million (2006 est.)
coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds
Exports - partners
China 10.5%, Germany 8.7%, Japan 7.4%, US 6.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.8%, Djibouti 5.8%, Switzerland 5.1%, Italy 5% (2006)
Imports
$4.105 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles
Imports - partners
Saudi Arabia 18.1%, China 11.4%, India 8.1%, Italy 5.1% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.108 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$6.038 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$1.6 billion (FY05/06)
Currency (code)
birr (ETB)
Currency code
ETB
Exchange rates
birr per US dollar - 8.69 (2006), 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004), 8.5997 (2003), 8.5678 (2002)
note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank
Fiscal year
8 July - 7 July
Telephones - main lines in use
610,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
410,600 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
adequate for government use
domestic
open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2 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) (2001)
Televisions
682,000 (2002)
Internet country code
.et
Internet hosts
88 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2002)
Internet users
113,000 (2005)
Airports
84 (2006)
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 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
70
over 3,047 m
3
2,438 to 3,047 m
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
13
914 to 1,523 m
28
under 914 m
23 (2006)
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 (2005)
Roadways
total
36,469 km
paved
6,980 km
unpaved
29,489 km (2004)
Merchant marine
total
8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 79,441 GRT/97,669 DWT
by type
cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2 (2006)
Ports and terminals
Ethiopia is landlocked and uses the port of Djibouti
Military branches
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF)
Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force
note
Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
14,568,277
females age 18-49
14,482,885 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
8,072,755
females age 18-49
7,902,660 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
803,777
females age 18-49
801,789 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
3% (2006)
Disputes - international
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; civil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia
100,000-280,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2006)
Illicit drugs
transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, 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
