Ethiopia
Federal Democratic Republic of EthiopiaYeItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
federal republic
Ethiopia as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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. A new constitution was promulgated in December 1994 and national and regional popular elections were held in May and June 1995.
Geography
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 1,127,127 sq km
Natural hazards
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment--international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography--note
landlocked?entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 46% (male 13,787,810; female 13,703,546)
- 15-64 years:
- 51% (male 15,398,123; female 15,141,892)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 745,737; female 903,275) (1999 est.)
Net migration rate
-1.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia for refuge from war and famine in earlier years, is expected to continue slowly in 1998;
small numbers of Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting in their own countries, began returning to their homes in 1998
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.83 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.01 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Languages
Amharic, Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Government
Federal republic; President NEGASSO Gidada (since 22 August 1995); Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August 1995)
19 fieldsCountry name
- conventional long form:
- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- conventional short form:
- Ethiopia
- local long form:
- YeItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
- local short form:
- YeItyop'iya
- abbreviation:
- FDRE
Administrative divisions
- 9 states and 2 chartered cities*: Addis Ababa*;
- Afar;
- Amhara;
- Benshangul/Gumuz (Benishangul-Gumaz);
- Dire Dawa*;
- Gambela (Gambella);
- Harari (Harar);
- Oromia (Oromiya);
- Somalia (Somali);
- Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples (SNNP);
- Tigray (Tigre)
Independence
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world--at least 2,000 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President NEGASSO Gidada (since 22 August 1995)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August 1995)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers as provided 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 June 1995 (next to be held NA 2001);
- prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections
- election results:
- NEGASSO Gidada elected president; percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives--NA
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper chamber (117 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:
- regional and national popular elections were held in May and June 1995 (next to be held NA 2000)
- election results:
- percent of vote--NA;
- seats--NA;
- note--EPRDF won nearly all seats
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 candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council to the House of People's Representatives for appointment
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Oromo Liberation Front or OLF;
- All Amhara People's Organization;
- Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition;
- numerous small, ethnically-based groups have formed since former President MENGISTU'S defeat, including several Islamic militant groups
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos
- chancery:
- 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador David H. SHINN
- embassy:
- Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
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 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 remains one of the least developed | countries in the world.
31 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1995 est.)
Electricity
Economy--overview
Ethiopia remains one of the least developed countries in the world. Its economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for more than half of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates 60% of export earnings. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent periods of drought, poor cultivation practices, and deterioration of internal security conditions.
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 and is implementing reform measures that are gradually liberalizing the economy.
A major medium-term problem is the improvement of roads, water supply, and other parts of an infrastructure badly neglected during years of civil strife. Renewed fighting with Eritrea dims economic prospects for 1999.
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)
Agriculture--products
cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes; hides, cattle, sheep, goats
Imports--commodities
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles and aircraft (1994)
Exchange rates
birr (Br) per US$1 (end of period)--7.58 (January 1999), 6.8640 (1997), 6.4260 (1996), 6.3200 (1995), 5.9500 (1994) note: since May 1993, the birr market rate has been determined in an interbank market supported by weekly wholesale auction; prior to that date, the official rate was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
open wire and microwave radio relay system adequate for government use
- domestic:
- open wire and microwave radio relay
- international:
- 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)
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine, 11 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
- narrow gauge:
- 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: in April 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals
Ports and harbors
none; Ethiopia is landlocked and was by agreement with Eritrea using the ports of Assab and Massawa, but since the border dispute with Eritrea flared, Ethiopia has used the port of Djibouti
Airports--with paved runways
- total:
- 11
- over 3,047 m:
- 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Ground Forces, Air Force, Police
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the de jure independence of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession and ships which belonged to the former Ethiopian Navy and based at Djibouti have been sold
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes--international
- most of the southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line;
- territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden;
- dispute over alignment of boundary with Eritrea led to armed conflict in 1998, which is still unresolved despite arbitration efforts
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 (chat) for local use and regional export
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Ethiopia.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/ethiopia/1999.