Ethiopia

on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control in Addis Ababa

Ethiopia as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 68 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

53.19 million July 1991 · 51.67m in 1990

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 1991 · 7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

114 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 116 in 1990

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

11 fields

Total area

1,221,900km2

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

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; 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

Land use

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

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--that was ongoing in rural areas and would have significantly altered population distribution and settlement patterns over the next several decades--has been derailed because of ongoing civil wars

People

14 fields

Population

53,191,127

(July 1991), growth rate 3.1% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

45Death

Ethnic divisions

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

Literacy

62%

(male NA%, female NA%) age 10 and over can read and write (1983 est.)

Nationality

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

Religion

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

Language

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

Labor force

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

Organized labor

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

Government

On 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control in Addis Ababa

17 fields

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

WPE 835

Long-form name

People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Type

on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took control in Addis Ababa;
on 29 May 1991 Issayas AFEWORKE, secretary general of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), announced the formation of a provisional government in Eritrea, in preparation for an eventual referendum on independence for the province

Administrative divisions

25 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular--astedader akababi) and 5 autonomous regions* (rasgez akababiwach, singular--rasgez akababi);
Addis Abeba (Addis Ababa), Arsi, Aseb*, Asosa, Bale, Borena, Debub Gonder, Debub Shewa, Debub Welo, Dire Dawa*, Ertra (Eritrea)*, Gambela, Gamo Gofa, Ilubabor, Kefa, Metekel, Mirab Gojam, Mirab Harerge, Mirab Shewa, Misrak Gojam, Misrak Harerge, Nazaret, Ogaden*, Omo, Semen Gonder, Semen Shewa, Semen Welo, Sidamo, Tigray*, Welega

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--Interim President Meles ZENAWI (since 1 June 1991); Head of Government--Acting Prime Minister Tamrat LAYNE (since 6 June 1991)

Political parties and leaders

only party--Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE)

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 10 September 1987 (next to be held September 1992);
results--MENGISTU Haile-Mariam elected by the National Assembly, but resigned and left Ethiopia on 21 May 1991;
National Assembly--last held 14 June 1987 (next to be held NA);
results--WPE was the only party;
seats--(835 total) WPE 835

Other political or pressure groups

Oromo Liberation Front; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP)

Member of

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, 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 [251] (01) 550666

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 - 0.4% (FY89 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

5.2%

(1989)

External debt

$2.6billion

(1988)

Budget

Revenues

$1.8 billionExpenditures

$1.7 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $842 million (FY88)

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 60% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector.

Over 90% of large-scale industry, but less then 10% of agriculture, is state run. Favorable agricultural weather largely explains the 4.5% growth in output in FY89.

Unemployment rate

Exports

$429 million (f.o.b., FY88);
commodities--coffee 60%, hides;
partners--US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, PDRY, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia

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 2.3% (FY89 est.); accounts for 13% of GDP

Electricity

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

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 45% of GDP and is the most important sector of the economy even though frequent droughts and poor cultivation practices 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, sugarcane, potatoes and other vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $504 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $3.1 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $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, 13 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 9roll-on/roll off cargo 1livestock carrier 1petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 213 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 69,398 GRT/89,457 DWT

Airports, 153 total, 111 usable

permanent-surface runways

9runways over 3,659 m

2runways 2,440-3,659 m

13runways 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)