Geography
Area: 1.1 million sq. km (472,000 sq. mi.); about the size of Texas,
Oklahoma, and New Mexico combined.
Cities: Capital--Addis Ababa (pop. 2.6 million). Other
cities--Dire Dawa (237,000), Nazret (189,000), Gondar (163,000),
Dessie (142,000), Mekelle (141,000), Bahir Dar (140,000), Jimma
(132,000), Awassa (104,000).
Terrain: High plateau, mountains, dry lowland plains.
Climate: Temperate in the highlands; hot in the lowlands.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Ethiopian(s).
Population (2003 est.): 70.5 million.
Annual growth rate: 2.7%.
Ethnic groups (est.): Oromo 35%, Amhara 30%, Tigre 6.3%, Somali 6%,
Sidama 6%, Gurage 4%, Wolaita 4%, Afar 2%, other nationalities 6.7%.
Christian singles note-Religions (est.): Ethiopian Orthodox Christian
45%, Sunni Muslim 40-45%, Protestant 5%, remainder indigenous beliefs.
Languages: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Arabic, Guaragigna, Oromigna,
English, Somali.
Education: Years compulsory--none. Attendance
(elementary) 57%. Literacy--35%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--97/1,000 live births.
Work force: Agriculture--80%. Industry and commerce--20%.
Government
Type: Federal Republic.
Constitution: Ratified 1994.
Branches: Executive--president, Council of State, Council of
Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. Legislative--bicameral
parliament. Judicial--divided into Federal and Regional Courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 9 regions and 2 special city
administrations: Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Political parties: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
and 50 other registered parties, most of which are small and
ethnically based.
Suffrage: Universal starting at age 18.
Central government budget (2003): $2.3 billion.
Defense: $348 million (5.6% of GDP FY 2003).
National holiday: May 28.
Economy
Real GDP (2003): $6.1 billion.
Annual growth rate (2003): -3.8%.
Per capita income (2003): $92.
Average inflation rate (last 3 years): 0%.
Natural resources: Potash, salt, gold, copper, platinum, natural gas
(unexploited).
Agriculture (45% of GDP): Products--coffee, cereals, pulses,
oilseeds, khat, meat, hides and skins. Cultivated land--17%.
Industry (11% of GDP): Types--textiles, processed foods,
construction, cement, and hydroelectric power.
Trade (2002): Exports--$451 million. Imports--$1.8
billion; plus remittances--official est. $400 million; unofficial est.
$400 million.
Fiscal year: July 8-July 7.
GEOGRAPHY
Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the north
and northeast by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the
south by Kenya, and on the west and southwest by Sudan. The country
has a high central plateau that varies from 1,800 to 3,000 meters
(6,000 ft.-10,000 ft.) above sea level, with some mountains reaching
4,620 meters (15,158 ft.). Elevation is generally highest just before
the point of descent to the Great Rift Valley, which splits the
plateau diagonally. A number of rivers cross the plateau--notably the
Blue Nile flowing from Lake Tana. The plateau gradually slopes to the
lowlands of the Sudan on the west and the Somali-inhabited plains to
the southeast.
The climate is temperate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. At
Addis Ababa, which ranges from 2,200 to 2,600 meters (7,000 ft.-8,500
ft.), maximum temperature is 26o C (80o F) and
minimum 4o C (40o F). The weather is usually
sunny and dry with the short (belg) rains occurring February-April and
the big (meher) rains beginning in mid-June and ending in
mid-September.
PEOPLE
Christian singles note-Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of
its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara,
and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but
there are more than 77 different ethnic groups with their own distinct
languages within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000
members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands,
while Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions tend to
inhabit lowland regions. English is the most widely spoken foreign
language and is taught in all secondary schools. Amharic is the
official language and was the language of primary school instruction
but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa
and Tigrinya.
