Ethiopia

• deforestation;
• overgrazing;
• soil erosion;
• desertification

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

0-14 years:

47% (male 15,167,395; female 14,977,346)

15-64 years:

50% (male 16,195,637; female 15,987,089)

65 years and over:

3% (male 816,011; female 973,974) (2000 est.)

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.84 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Ethiopian(s)

adjective:

Ethiopian

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

abbreviation:

FDRE

• 9 ethnically-based administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akabibi) and 2 chartered cities*: Addis Ababa*;
• Afar;
• Amhara, Benishangul/Gumaz;
• Dire Dawa*;
• Gambela;
• Harar;
• Oromia;
• Somali;
• Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region;
• Tigray

chief of state:

President NEGASSO Gidada (since 22 August 1995)

head of government:

Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA 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;
• election last held NA June 1995 (next to be held NA May 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

• 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

• All-Amhara People's Organization or AAPO [Dr. ASRAT Woldeyes];
• Coalition of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy or CAFPD [leader NA];
• Ethiopian Democratic Union or EDU [leader NA];
• Ethiopian Movement for Democracy, Peace, and Unity or EMDPU [GOSHU Walde];
• Ethiopian National Democratic Party or ENDP [NEBIYU Samuel, FEKADU Gedamu];
• Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi];
• Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [GELASA Dilbo];
• dozens of small parties

• Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition;
• numerous small, ethnically based groups have formed since the defeat of the former MENGISTU regime in 1991, including several Islamic militant groups

chief of mission:

Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos

chancery:

2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 234-2281

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-7950

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tibor P. NAGY

embassy:

Entoto Street, Addis Ababa

mailing address:

P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa

telephone:

[251] (1) 550666

FAX:

[251] (1) 551328

• 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

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

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; since May 1998 Ethiopia has expended considerable effort to repair and maintain the lines

total:

28,500 km

paved:

4,275 km

unpaved:

24,225 km (1996 est.)

• none;
• Ethiopia is landlocked and was by agreement with Eritrea using the ports of Assab and Massawa;
• since the border dispute with Eritrea flared, Ethiopia has used the port of Djibouti for nearly all of its imports

total:

12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,915 GRT/112,634 DWT

ships by type:

cargo 7, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off 3 (1999 est.)

• 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

• 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, principally to Djibouti and Somalia [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]