Ethiopia
Federal Democratic Republic of EthiopiaItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
federal parliamentary republic
Ethiopia as the 2016 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 163 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 with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 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 in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front.
A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea in the late 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission (EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea.
In August 2012, longtime leader Prime Minister MELES Zenawi died in office and was replaced by his Deputy Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn, marking the first peaceful transition of power in decades.
Geography
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
18 fieldsLand use
- agricultural land:
- 36.3%;
- arable land 15.2%;
- permanent crops 1.1%;
- permanent pasture 20%
- forest:
- 12.2%
- other:
- 51.5% (2011 est.)
Natural hazards
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
- volcanism:
- volcanic activity in the Great Rift Valley;
- Erta Ale (elev. 613 m), which has caused frequent lava flows in recent years, is the country's most active volcano;
- Dabbahu became active in 2005, forcing evacuations;
- other historically active volcanoes include
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
- signed, but not ratified:
- Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note
- landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993;
- Ethiopia is, therefore, the most populous landlocked country in the world;
- the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, 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 and Society
38 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2016 est.)
Note
Per 1,000 population(2016 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2007 est.)
Religions(2007 est.)
Languages
Oromo (official working language in the State of Oromiya) 33.8%, Amharic (official national language) 29.3%, Somali (official working language of the State of Sumale) 6.2%, Tigrigna (Tigrinya) (official working language of the State of Tigray) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Gurage 2%, Afar (official working language of the State of Afar) 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, Opuuo 1.2%, Kafa 1.1%, other 8.1%, English (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (2007 est.)
Demographic profile
Ethiopia is a predominantly agricultural country – more than 80% of the population lives in rural areas – that is in the early stages of demographic transition. Infant, child, and maternal mortality have fallen sharply over the past decade, but the total fertility rate has declined more slowly and the population continues to grow.
The rising age of marriage and the increasing proportion of women remaining single have contributed to fertility reduction. While the use of modern contraceptive methods among married women has increased significantly from 6 percent in 2000 to 27 percent in 2012, the overall rate is still quite low.
Ethiopia’s rapid population growth is putting increasing pressure on land resources, expanding environmental degradation, and raising vulnerability to food shortages. With more than 40 percent of the population below the age of 15 and a fertility rate of over 5 children per woman (and even higher in rural areas), Ethiopia will have to make further progress in meeting its family planning needs if it is to achieve the age structure necessary for reaping a demographic dividend in the coming decades.
Poverty, drought, political repression, and forced government resettlement have driven Ethiopia’s internal and external migration since the 1960s. Before the 1974 revolution, only small numbers of the Ethiopian elite went abroad to study and then returned home, but under the brutal Derg regime thousands fled the country, primarily as refugees.
Between 1982 and 1991 there was a new wave of migration to the West for family reunification. Since the defeat of the Derg in 1991, Ethiopians have migrated to escape violence among some of the country’s myriad ethnic groups or to pursue economic opportunities. Internal and international trafficking of women and children for domestic work and prostitution is a growing problem.
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.95 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.82 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- very high
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases:
- malaria and dengue fever
- respiratory disease:
- meningococcal meningitis
- animal contact disease:
- rabies
- water contact disease:
- schistosomiasis (2016)
Government
Federal parliamentary republic; President MULATU Teshome Wirtu (since 7 October 2013); Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn (since 21 September 2012)
22 fieldsLegislature, 547 seats, elected 24 May 2015seats by party
Country name
- 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
- former:
- Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
- abbreviation:
- FDRE
- etymology:
- the country name derives from the Greek word "Aethiopia," which in classical times referred to lands south of Egypt in the Upper Nile region
Capital
- name:
- Addis Ababa
- geographic coordinates:
- 9 02 N, 38 42 E
- time difference:
- UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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 (may be traced to the Aksumite Kingdom, which coalesced in the first century B.C.)
Constitution
several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995 (2016)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Ethiopia
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 4 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President MULATU Teshome Wirtu (since 7 October 2013)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn (since 21 September 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers DEMEKE Mekonnen Hassen and DEBRETSION Gebre-Michael
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives
- elections/appointments:
- president indirectly elected by both chambers of Parliament for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held on 7 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2019);
- prime minister designated by the majority party following legislative elections
- election results:
- MULATU Teshome Wirtu (OPDO) elected president by acclamation
Legislative branch
- bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or Yefedereshein Mikir Bete (108 seats; members indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 5-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete (547 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms);
- note - the House of Federation is responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues and the House of People's Representatives is responsible for passing legislation
- elections:
- last held on 24 May 2015 (next to be held in 2020)
- election results:
- House of Representatives percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 500, SPDP 24, BGPDP 9, ANDP 8, GPUDM 3, APDO 1, HNL 1, independent 1
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Federal Supreme Court or Supreme Imperial Court (consists of 11 judges); note - the Federal Supreme Court has jurisdiction for all constitutional issues
- judge selection and term of office:
- president and vice president of Federal Supreme Court nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives;
- other Supreme Court judges nominated by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council and appointed by the House of People's Representatives;
- judges serve until retirement at age 60
- subordinate courts:
- federal high courts and federal courts of first instance;
- state court systems (mirror structure of federal system);
- sharia courts and customary and traditional courts
Political parties and leaders
Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [Mohammed KEDIR]
Argoba People Democratic Organization or APDO
Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Party or BGPDP
Blue Party (Semayawi Party) [Yanatan TESFAYE, spokesman]
Ethiopian Federal Democratic Forum or FORUM [Dr. Moga FRISSA] (a UDJ-led 6-party alliance established for the 2010 parliamentary elections)
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [Hailemarian DESALEGN] (including the following organizations: Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO; Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement or SEPDM; Tigray People's Liberation Front or TPLF)
Gambella Peoples Unity Democratic Movement or GPUDM
Harari National League or HNL [YASIN Husein]
Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF
- Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF
- Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, EITI (candidate country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador GIRMA Birru Geda (since 6 January 2011)
- chancery:
- 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 364-1200
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 587-0195
- consulate(s) general:
- Los Angeles, Seattle
- consulate(s):
- Houston, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Peter H. VROOMAN (since 2015)
- embassy:
- Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
- mailing address:
- P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
- telephone:
- [251] 11 130-6000
- FAX:
- 124-2401 [251] 11 124 2401
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;
- green represents hope and the fertility of the land, yellow symbolizes justice and harmony, while red stands for sacrifice and heroism in the defense of the land;
- the blue of the disk symbolizes peace and the pentagram represents the unity and equality of the nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia
note: Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag (adopted ca. 1895) were so often appropriated by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the Pan-African colors; the emblem in the center of the current flag was added in 1996
National symbol(s)
Abyssinian lion (traditional), yellow pentagram with five rays of light on a blue field (promoted by current government); national colors: green, yellow, red
National anthem
- name:
- "Whedefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia)
- lyrics/music:
- DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu
note: adopted 1992
Economy
Ethiopia has grown at a rate between 8% and 11% annually for more than a decade and the country is the fifth-fastest growing economy among the 188 IMF member countries.
39 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2015 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Ethiopia has grown at a rate between 8% and 11% annually for more than a decade and the country is the fifth-fastest growing economy among the 188 IMF member countries. This growth has been driven by sustained progress in the agricultural and service sectors. Ethiopia has the lowest level of income-inequality in Africa and one of the lowest in the world, with a Gini coefficient comparable to that of the Scandinavian countries.
Yet despite progress toward eliminating extreme poverty, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world, due both to rapid population growth and a low starting base. Changes in rainfall associated with world-wide weather patterns resulted in the worst drought in thirty years in 2015/2016, creating food insecurity for millions of Ethiopians.
Almost 80% of Ethiopia’s population is still employed in the agricultural sector, but services have surpassed agriculture as the principal source of GDP. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to tenants. Since 2005, the Ethiopian government has introduced a system to register traditional land use rights and provide certificates documenting these rights.
Initial surveys show that land-use certificates have significantly increased the willingness of farmers to invest in improvements on their land, from terracing to irrigation. However, title rights in urban areas, particularly Addis Ababa, are poorly regulated, and subject to corruption.
Ethiopia’s export earnings are led by the services sector - primarily Ethiopian airlines - followed by several commodities. While coffee remains the largest foreign exchange earner, Ethiopia is diversifying exports and commodities such as gold, sesame, khat, livestock and horticulture products are becoming increasingly important.
Manufacturing represents less than 8% of total exports. The banking, insurance, telecommunications, and micro-credit industries are restricted to domestic investors, but Ethiopia has attracted significant foreign investment in textiles, leather, commercial agriculture, and light manufacturing.
Ethiopia remains a one-party state with a planned economy. In the fall of 2015, the government finalized and published the current 2016-2020 five year plan, known as the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II). GTP II emphasizes developing manufactures in sectors where Ethiopia has a comparative advantage in exporting, including textiles and garments, leather goods, and processed agricultural products.
New infrastructure projects are to include power production and distribution, roads, rails, airports and industrial parks. To support industrialization, Ethiopia plans to increase power generation by 8,320 MW, up from an installed capacity of 2,000 MW, by building three more major dams and expanding to other sources of renewable energy.
Construction is underway on an electric railway network that will connect Ethiopia to all its neighbors, with a link to the Port of Djibouti already finished and partially functioning. A tripling of capacity at the international airport in Addis Ababa to 25 million passengers will be completed in 2017, while construction of a completely new airport is being planned by 2025.
Meanwhile, the domestic airport network has expanded to nineteen airports in a country where mountains and deserts make developing and maintaining a road network challenging. Despite difficult topography, more than a hundred thousand kilometers of roads have been built, connecting previously isolated regions.
Gross national saving
38% of GDP (2015 est.) · 38% of GDP (2014 est.) · 34.1% of GDP (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 24
Agriculture - products
- cereals, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, vegetables, khat, cut flowers;
- hides, cattle, sheep, goats;
- fish
Industries
food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, garments, chemicals, metals processing, cement
Distribution of family income - Gini index
33 (2011) · 30 (2000) country comparison to the world: 104
Public debt
49.6% of GDP (2015 est.) · 54.5% of GDP (2014 est.) note: official data cover central government debt, including debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury and treasury debt owned by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions country comparison to the world: 82
Commercial bank prime lending rate
11.5% (31 December 2015 est.) · 11% (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 71
Stock of narrow money
$11.97 billion (31 December 2015 est.) · $10.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Stock of broad money
$23.77 billion (31 December 2015 est.) · $20.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Stock of domestic credit
$28.41 billion (31 December 2015 est.) · $22.66 billion (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 78
Current account balance
-$7.893 billion (2015 est.) · -$4.407 billion (2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 174
Exports - commodities
coffee (27%, by value), oilseeds (17%), edible vegetables including khat (17%), gold (13%), flowers (7%), live animals (7%), raw leather products (3%), meat products (3%)
Imports - commodities
machinery and aircraft (14%, by value), metal and metal products, (14%), electrical materials, (13%), petroleum products (12%), motor vehicles, (10%), chemicals and fertilizers (4%)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$3.113 billion (31 December 2015 est.) · $3.132 billion (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Debt - external
$19.04 billion (31 December 2015 est.) · $16.59 billion (31 December 2014 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Exchange rates
birr (ETB) per US dollar - 21.55 (2015 est.) · 19.8 (2014 est.) · 19.8 (2013 est.) · 17.71 (2012 est.) · 16.899 (2011 est.)
Energy
24 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2013)
Installed generating capacity, 2.4 million kW(2014 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) country comparison to the world: 73
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
9.3 million Mt (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 110
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(July 2015 est.)
Telephone system
- general assessment:
- inadequate telephone system with the Ethio Telecom maintaining a monopoly over telecommunication services;
- open-wire, microwave radio relay;
- radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies;
- 2 domestic satellites provide the national trunk service
- domestic:
- the number of mobile telephones is increasing steadily from a small base and now stands at over 40 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 251;
- 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) (2015)
Broadcast media
6 public TV stations broadcasting nationally and 10 public radio broadcasters; 7 private radio stations and 18 community radio stations (2015)
Transportation
9 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 1; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 75
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 7,074,779
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 1,228,738,320 mt-km (2015)
Railways
- total:
- 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
- narrow gauge:
- 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia (2015)
country comparison to the world: 102
Ports and terminals
Ethiopia is landlocked and uses the ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia
Military and Security
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (Ye Ityopya Ayer Hayl, ETAF) (2013)
3 fieldsMilitary branches
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (Ye Ityopya Ayer Hayl, ETAF) (2013)
Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
- no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct callups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2012)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
- Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement;
- the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region;
- Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist courts from Mogadishu in January 2007;
- "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia;
- civil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 323,144 (South Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers);
- 254,965 (Somalia) (refugees);
- 155,276 (Eritrea) (refugees and asylum seekers);
- 37,959 (Sudan) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2016)
- IDPs:
- 450,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000; ethnic clashes; and ongoing fighting between the Ethiopian military and separatist rebel groups in the Sumale and Oromiya regions; natural disasters; intercommunal violence; most IDPs live in Sumale state) (2015)
Illicit drugs
- transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, 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 2016. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/ethiopia/2016.