Ethiopia
Federal Democratic Republic of EthiopiaItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
federal republic
Ethiopia as the 2002 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 115 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, one exception being the Italian occupation of 1936-41. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), in 1991. A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000.
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 - current issues
- deforestation;
- overgrazing;
- soil erosion;
- desertification;
- water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, 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;
- the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia;
- three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean
People
18 fieldsNote
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 47.2% (male 16,098,191; female 15,879,065)
- 15-64 years:
- 50% (male 17,005,387; female 16,801,536)
- 65 years and over:
- 2.8% (male 854,023; female 1,034,829) (2002 est.)
Net migration rate
0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees,
who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2002 est.)
Sex ratio
- 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:
- 0.83 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Languages
Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Government
Federal republic; President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001); Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August 1995)
18 fieldsLegislature, 505 seats, elected 14 May 2000seats by party
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
- conventional short form:
- Ethiopia
- local short form:
- Ityop'iya
- former:
- Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
- local long form:
- Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
- abbreviation:
- FDRE
Administrative divisions
- 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader);
- Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples)
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 GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001)
- 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 8 October 2001 (next to be held NA October 2007);
- prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections
- election results:
- GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives - 100%
Legislative branch
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper chamber (108 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:
- last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)
note: irregularities and violence at a number of polling stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies; voting postponed in Somali regional state because of severe drought
- election results:
- percent of vote - NA%;
- seats - OPDO 177, ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10, ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional political groupings 22, independents 8;
- note - 43 seats unconfirmed
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 to the House of People's Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council)
Political parties and leaders
- Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA];
- All-Amhara People's Organization or AAPO [HAILU Shawel];
- Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM [ADDISU Legesse];
- Bench Madji People's Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA];
- Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [leader NA];
- Ethiopian Democratic Party or EDP [ADMASSU Gebeyehu];
- Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF);
- Gedeyo People's Revolutionary Democratic Fund or GPRDF [leader NA];
- Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement orGNDM [leader NA];
- Kafa Shaka People's Democratic Organization or KSPDO [leader NA];
- Kembata, Alabaa and Tembaro or KAT [leader NA];
- Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa Gudina];
- Oromo National Congress or ONC [MERERA Gudina];
- Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO [JUNEDI Sado];
- Sidamo People's Democratic Organization or SPDO [leader NA];
- South Ethiopia People's Democratic Front or SEPDF [KASSU Yilala];
- South Omo People's Democratic Movement or SOPDM [leader NA];
- Tigrayan People's Liberation Front or TPLF [MELES Zenawi];
- Walayta, Gamo, Gofa, Dawro, and Konta People's Democratic Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA];
- dozens of small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros];
- Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele
- chancery:
- 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
- consulate(s):
- New York
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 686-9551
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 364-1200
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL
- embassy:
- Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
- mailing address:
- P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
- telephone:
- [251] (1) 550666
- FAX:
- [251] (1) 551328
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 three main 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's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, 85% of exports, and 80% of total employment.
33 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2000 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, 85% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices, and as many as 4.6 million people need food assistance annually.
Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $260 million in 2000. Other important exports include qat, live animals, hides, and gold. The war with Eritrea in 1999-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001 Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.
Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Despite this limitation, strong growth is expected to continue in the near term as good rainfall, the cessation of hostilities, and renewed foreign aid and debt relief push the economy forward.
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985) (1985)
Agriculture - products
cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle, sheep, goats
Imports - commodities
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles
Exchange rates
birr per US dollar (end of period) - 8.455 (December 2001), 8.3140 (December 2000), 8.3140 (2000), 8.1340 (1999), 7.5030 (1998), 6.8640 (1997) note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank
Communications
10 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- open wire and microwave radio relay system; adequate for government use
- domestic:
- open wire;
- microwave radio relay;
- radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies;
- two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service
- 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
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
- narrow gauge:
- 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: in 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals and since then Ethiopia has expended considerable effort to repair and maintain the lines;
in 2001, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed to build a line from Ethiopia to Port Sudan (2000 est.)
Ports and harbors
- 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
Merchant marine
- total:
- 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 81,933 GRT/101,287 DWT
- ships by type:
- cargo 5, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)
Military
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Ethiopian National Defense Force (Ground Forces, Air Force, militia, police) note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- most of the southern half of the boundary with Somalia in the Ogaden region is a provisional administrative line;
- in the Ogaden, regional states have established a variety of conflicting relationships with the Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu, feuding factions in Puntland region, and the economically stabile break-away "Somaliland" region;
- Ethiopia agreeed in 2002 to demarcate its entire boundary with Sudan;
- Eritrea and Ethiopia have expressed general approval of the April 2002 arbitration commission ruling re-delimiting the boundary, the focus of their 1998-2000 war;
- United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) will monitor activities within the 25-km wide temporary security zone in Eritrea until demarcation and de-mining are complete
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 (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries);
- the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Ethiopia.” The World Factbook 2002. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/ethiopia/2002.