Ethiopia

transitional government

Ethiopia as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 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

Area1,127,127 km2

LocationEastern Africa, between Somalia and Sudan

Populationas each edition published it

53.28 million July 1993 est. · 51.67m in 1990

Population growth% a year

3.41% 1993 est. · 2.34% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

52.21 years 1993 est. · 67.7 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.88 children per woman 1993 est. · 7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

108.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 116 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$130 $2,900 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

6% 7.3% in 2025

Geography

Eastern Africa, between Somalia and Sudan

14 fields

Land useshare of 1,127,127 km2

arable land 12%permanent crops 1%meadows and pastures 41%forest and woodland 24%other 22%irrigated 1,620 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

1,127,127km2

land area: 1,119,683 km2comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries

5,311km

total · Djibouti 337 km, Erithea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia 1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km

Location

Eastern Africa, between Somalia and Sudan

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

International 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

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

Environment

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

Note

landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993

People

14 fields

Population

53,278,446

(July 1993 est.)note: Ethiopian demographic data, except population and population growth rate, include Eritreagrowth rate: 3.41% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

45.37Death

14.23Net migration

2.94

Ethnic divisions

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

Labor force

18million

by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)

Literacy

10and over can read and write

age · (1983)total population: 62%male: NA%female: NA%

Infant mortality rate

108.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 52.21 years
male:: 50.6 years
female:: 53.88 years (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Ethiopian(s)
adjective:: Ethiopian

Religions

Muslim 45-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35-40%, animist 12%, other 5%

Languages

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

Government

Transitional government

21 fields

Names

conventional long form:: none
conventional short form:: Ethiopia
local long form:: none
local short form:: Ityop'iya

Type

transitional government

note: on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) toppled the authoritarian government of MENGISTU Haile-Mariam and took control in Addis Ababa;

the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE), announced a two-year transitional period

14 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akababi) Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Benishangul, Gambela, Gurage-Hadiya-Kambata, Harer, Kefa, Omo, Oromo, Sidamo, Somali, Tigray, Wolayta

Independence

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

Constitution

to be redrafted by 1993

Legal system

National holiday

National Day, 28 May (1991) (defeat of Mengistu regime)

Political parties and leaders

Other political or pressure groups

Oromo Liberation Front (OLF);
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP);
numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since Mengistu's resignation, including several Islamic militant groups

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

President:: last held 10 September 1987;
next election planned after new constitution drafted;
results - MENGISTU Haile-Mariam elected by the now defunct National Assembly, but resigned and left Ethiopia on 21 May 1991
Constituent Assembly:: now planned for January 1994 (to ratify constitution to be drafted by end of 1993)

Executive branch

president, prime minister, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch

unicameral Constituent Assembly

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State:: President MELES Zenawi (since 1 June 1991)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister TAMIRAT Layne (since 6 June 1991)

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, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos
chancery:: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 234-2281 or 2282

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Marc A. BAAS
embassy:: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address:: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone:: [251] (1) 550-666
FAX:: [251] (1) 551-166

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

With the independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993, Ethiopia continues to | face difficult economic problems as one of the poorest and least developed | countries in Africa.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$130

(FY92 est.)

Real growth rate

(FY92 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 2.3% (FY89 est.); accounts for 12% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

7.8%

(1989)

External debt

$3.48billion

(1991)

Budget

Revenues

$1.4 billionExpenditures

$2.3 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $565 million (FY91)

Overview

With the independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993, Ethiopia continues to face difficult economic problems as one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. (The accompanying analysis and figures predate the independence of Eritrea.) 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 than 10% of agriculture, is state run; the government is considering selling off a portion of state-owned plants.

Favorable agricultural weather largely explains the 4.5% growth in output in FY89, whereas drought and deteriorating internal security conditions prevented growth in FY90. In 1991 the lack of law and order, particularly in the south, interfered with economic development and growth. In 1992, because of some easing of civil strife and aid from the outside world, the economy substantially improved.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $6.6 billion (FY92 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$276 million (f.o.b., FY90)

commodities:: coffee, leather products, gold, petroleum products
partners:: EC, Djibouti, Japan, Saudi Arabia, US

Imports

$1.0 billion (c.i.f., FY90)

commodities:: capital goods, consumer goods, fuel
partners:: EC, Eastern Europe, Japan, US

Electricity

330,000 kW capacity; 650 million kWh produced, 10 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for 47% 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

Illicit drugs

transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America;
cultivates qat (chat) for local use and regional export

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $504 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.4 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $2.0 billion

Currency

1 birr (Br) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.0000 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year

8 July - 7 July

Communications

6 fields

Networkskm

Highways

39,150 (1993 est.)Railroads

781

Highways: ; 2,776 km paved, 7,504 km gravel, 2,054 km improved earth, 26,816 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 781 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge linking Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to Djibouti; control of railroad is shared between Djibouti and Ethiopia

Railroads

781 km total;
781 km 1.000-meter gauge;
307 km 0.950-meter gauge linking Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) to Djibouti;
control of railroad is shared between Djibouti and Ethiopia

total:: 121
usable:: 82
with permanent-surface runways:: 9
with runways over 3,659 m:: 1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 13
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 83 (1993 est.)

Telecommunications

open-wire and radio relay system adequate for government use;
open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;
microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti;
broadcast stations - 4 AM, no FM, 1 TV;
100,000 TV sets;
9,000,000 radios;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT