Ethiopia

Communist state

Ethiopia as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAddis Ababa

Area1,221,900 km2

Populationas each edition published it

51.67 million July 1990 · 121.37m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.41% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 52.21 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

7 children per woman 1990 · 3.77 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

116 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 31.3 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $130 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 6% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 1,221,900 km2

arable land 12%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 41%forest and woodland 24%other 22%includes NEGL% irrigated

Total area

1,221,900km2

land area: 1,101,000 km2Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Coastline

1,094km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

5,141km total

Djibouti 459 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 2,221 km

Disputes

southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line;
possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis;
territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden;
separatist movement in Eritrea;
antigovernment insurgencies in Tigray and other areas

Climate

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation; 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

Environment

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
soil erosion;
desertification;
frequent droughts;
famine

Note

strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields;
major resettlement project ongoing in rural areas will significantly alter population distribution and settlement patterns over the next several decades

People

14 fields

Population

51,666,622

(July 1990), growth rate 3.5% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

45Death

15Net migration

Ethnic divisions

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

Literacy

55.2%

Nationality

noun--Ethiopian(s); adjective--Ethiopian

Religion

40-45% Muslim, 35-40% Ethiopian Orthodox, 15-20% animist, 5% other

Language

Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Labor force

18,000,000; 80% agriculture and animal husbandry, 12% government and services, 8% industry and construction (1985)

Organized labor

All Ethiopian Trade Union formed by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members

Government

Communist state

17 fields

National Assembly, 835 seats, elected 14 June 1987seats by party

WPE 835

Long-form name

People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Administrative divisions

14 administrative regions (plural--NA, singular--kifle hager);
Arsi, Bale, Eritrea, Gamo Gofa, Gojam, Gonder, Harerge, Ilubabor, Kefa, Shewa, Sidamo, Tigray, Welega, Welo;
note--the administrative structure may be changing to 25 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular--astedader akababee) and 5 autonomous regions* (rasgez akababiwach, singular--rasgez akababee);
Addis Ababa, Arsi, Aseb*, Asosa, Bale, Borena, Dire Dawa*, East Gojam, East Harerge, Eritrea*, Gambela, Gamo Gofa, Ilubabor, Kefa, Metekel, Nazaret, North Gonder, North Shewa, North Welo, Ogaden*, Omo, Sidamo, South Gonder, South Shewa, South Welo, Tigray*, Welega, West Gojam, West Harerge, West Shewa

Independence

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

Legal system

complex structure with civil, Islamic, common, and customary law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday

National Revolution Day, 12 September (1974)

Executive branch

president, vice president, Council of State prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State--President MENGISTU Haile-Mariam (Chairman from 11 September 1977 until becoming President on 10 September 1987);
Vice President FISSEHA Desta (since 10 September 1987);
Head of Government--Prime Minister (Acting) and Deputy Prime Minister HAILU Yimenu (since 7 November 1989);
Deputy Prime Minister WOLLE Chekol (since 21 November 1989);
Deputy Prime Minister ALEMU Abebe (since 10 September 1987);
Deputy Prime Minister TESFAYE Dinka (since 10 September 1987);
Deputy Prime Minister ASHAGRE Yigletu (since 21 November 1989)

Political parties and leaders

only party--Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE), Mengistu Haile-Mariam, secretary general

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 10 September 1987 (next to be held September 1992);
results--National Assembly elected President Mengistu Haile-Mariam;
National Assembly--last held 14 June 1987 (next to be held June 1992);
results--WPE is the only party;
seats--(835 total) WPE 835

Other political or pressure groups

important dissident groups include Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) in Eritrea;
Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples Democratic Movement in Tigray, Welo, and border regions;
Oromo Liberation Front in Welega and Harerge regions

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICO, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim GIRMA Amare;
Chancery at 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 234-2281 or 2282;
US--Charge d'Affaires Robert G. HOUDEK;
Embassy at Entoto Street, Addis Ababa (mailing address is P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa);
telephone 254-233-4141

Flag

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red;
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

Economy

Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$6.6billion

per capita $130, real growth rate 4.5% (FY89 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

9.6%

(FY89)

External debt

$2.6billion

(1988)

Budget

Revenues

$1.4 billionExpenditures

$1.9 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $0.7 billion (FY87)

Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates over 60% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector.

The economy is centrally planned, and over 90% of large-scale industry is state run. Favorable agricultural weather largely explains the 4.5% growth in output in FY89.

Unemployment rate

NA; shortage of skilled manpower

Exports

$418 million (f.o.b., FY88);
commodities--coffee 60%, hides;
partners--US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, PDRY, France, Italy

Imports

$1.1 billion (c.i.f., FY88), commodities--food, fuels, capital goods; partners--USSR, Italy, FRG, Japan, UK, US, France

Industrial production

growth rate - 0.2% (FY88 est.)

Electricity

330,000 kW capacity; 700 million kWh produced, 14 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

cement, textiles, food processing, oil refinery

Agriculture

accounts for 45% of GDP and is the most important sector of the economy even though frequent droughts, poor cultivation practices, and state economic policies keep farm output low;
famines not uncommon;
export crops of coffee and oilseeds grown partly on state farms;
estimated 50% of agricultural production at subsistence level;
principal crops and livestock--cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, potatoes, sugarcane, vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $471 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.6 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million;
Communist countries (1970-88), $2.0 billion

Currency

birr (plural--birr); 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

birr (Br) per US$1--2.0700 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year

8 July-7 July

Communications

7 fields

Merchant marine, 14 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 10roll-on/roll off cargo 1livestock carrier 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 214 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,837 GRT/92,067 DWT

Airports, 152 total, 111 usable

permanent-surface runways

9runways over 3,659 m

2runways 2,440-3,659 m

10runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

44,300Railroads

988

Highways: ; 3,650 km bituminous, 9,650 km gravel, 3,000 km improved earth, 28,000 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 681 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge (nonoperational)