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ETHIOPIA.TXT
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1994-11-29
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Ethiopia
Geography
Location:
Eastern Africa, between Somalia and Sudan
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,127,127 sq km
land area:
1,119,683 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,311 km, Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia
1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
International disputes:
southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional
Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden
Climate:
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain:
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Natural resources:
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash
Land use:
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
41%
forest and woodland:
24%
other:
22%
Irrigated land:
1,620 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; famine
natural hazards:
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Note:
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de
jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993
People
Population:
54,927,108 (July 1994 est.)
note:
Ethiopian demographic data, except population and population growth
rate, include Eritrea
Population growth rate:
3.4% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
45.01 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
13.89 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
106.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
52.67 years
male:
51 years
female:
54.38 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Ethiopian(s)
adjective:
Ethiopian
Ethnic divisions:
Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%,
Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
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)
Literacy:
age 10 and over can read and write (1984)
total population:
24%
male:
33%
female:
16%
Labor force:
18 million
by occupation:
agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%,
industry and construction 8% (1985)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
local long form:
none
local short form:
Ityop'iya
Digraph:
ET
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
Capital:
Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions:
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
National holiday:
National Day, 28 May (1991) (defeat of Mengistu regime)
Constitution:
to be redrafted by 1993
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President MELES Zenawi (since 1 June 1991); election 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
head of government:
Prime Minister TAMIRAT Layne (since 6 June 1991)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; designated by the chairman of the Council of
Representatives
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Constituent Assembly:
elections were held on 5 June 1994 (next to be held NA); results - NA;
a major task of the new Assembly will be to ratify the constitution to
drafted by the end of 1994
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), MELES
Zenawi; Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), Kuma DEMEKSA
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
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
FAX:
(202) 328-7950
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) 552-191
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
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 - purchasing power equivalent - $22.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
7.8% (FY93 est)
National product per capita:
$400 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
21% (1992 est)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Exports:
$189 million (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
coffee, leather products, gold, petroleum products
partners:
Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy
Imports:
$472 million (c.i.f., FY91)
commodities:
capital goods, consumer goods, fuel
partners:
US, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan
External debt:
$3.48 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate -3.3% (FY92); accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
330,000 kW
production:
650 million kWh
consumption per capita:
10 kWh (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 as well as cocaine destined for
southern African markets; cultivates qat (chat) for local use and
regional export
Economic aid:
recipient:
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 billion
Currency:
1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.0000 (fixed rate since 1992); fixed at 2.070
before 1992
Fiscal year:
8 July - 7 July
Communications
Highways:
total:
24,127 km
paved:
3,289 km
unpaved:
gravel 6,664 km; improved earth 1,652 km; unimproved earth 12,522 km
(1993)
Ports:
none; landlocked
Merchant marine:
12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,627 GRT/88,909 DWT, cargo 8,
livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 2, roll on/roll off cargo 1
Airports:
total:
120
usable:
84
with permanent-surface runways:
10
with runways over 3,659 m:
1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
15
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
83
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
Defense Forces
Branches:
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 13,229,078; fit for military service 6,867,582; reach
military age (18) annually 596,691 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP