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Ethiopia
Physical. Ethiopia is located in Eastern Africa west of Somalia. It spans
an area roughly twice the size of Texas. Ethiopia’s climate varies greatly
depending on changes in elevation and landscape, but heavy rainfall and humidity
can generally be found in southern regions decreasing as you travel north. The
landlocked terrain consists of a high plateau with a central mountain range
divided by the Great Rift Valley. Natural resources include small reserves of
gold, platinum, copper, potash and natural gas.
People. 67.7 million people reside in Ethiopia. Ethiopians speak Amharic
(at one time the official language), Tigrinya, Oromo, Somali, English, Arabic,
and Italian. Ethiopians exhibit a diverse ethnic makeup including Oromo (40%)
Amhara and Tigrean (32%) and Sidamo (9%). The religious beliefs and practices of
citizens there can be categorized into four main branches: Muslim (45-50%)
Ethiopian Orthodox Christian (35-40%) animist (12%) and other.
Government. Political instability and lack of government attention and
support for agriculture has reduced Ethiopia from breadbasket to famine-ridden.
The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) came to power
since 1991, initially as an armed movement fighting to liberate Ethiopia from a
repressive military dictatorship. In 1992, there was an internal division of the
EPRDF where some members were expelled. In 1994 a newly elected national
parliament is in place with a new Constitution, a Tigrean dominated government
came to power. There will be elections in May 2005.
Ethiopia is a multiethnic state. Since the late 1800's, the dominant group has
been the Amharas, resented by Tigrean and other ethnic groups such as the Afars,
Oromo and Somalis and other groups known as southern nationalities. In the last
30 years, movements fighting for ethno-regional autonomy have emerged.
The former northern coastal province of Eritrea was a special case. In the late
19th century until WW II, it was in the hands of Italy. After the war, it was
integrated into Ethiopia where it remained until 1993 when it achieve full
independence following an armed struggle.
Economy. Wracked by a civil war from 1974 - 1991, continuous fighting
displaced millions of people. The problems of this forced migration were
compounded by drought and starvation. The struggle for independence by Eritrea
in the early 1990s and a border war with Eritrea in the late 1990's compromised
the country’s access to the sea. Statistics show that 64% of the population live
below the poverty line. Ninety percent of the population depends on agriculture
and as mentioned above, lack of government support for agriculture has caused
the current economic state.
Areas of Concern. Deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion and
desertification are Ethiopia’s primary environmental concerns. Current border
conflicts and an uneasy cease-fire with Eritrea are the major military concerns.
Improvements in the economy, poverty levels and literacy as well as progress
toward extending basic freedoms have all been limited by civil war.
Religion. Although the Ethiopian Orthodox Church remains the major
religious group, the Lutheran church is growing at a very fast rate,
particularly in the west where missionaries were first permitted to enter.
Ethiopia statistics
Geography
Area: 435,071 square miles
Capital: Addis Ababa (pop 2,753,000)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; over grazing; soil erosion;
desertification
Geographical features: landlocked high plateau with a central mountain range
divided by the Great Rift Valley
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic variation
People.
67,700,000 people; 40% Oromo; 32% Amhara and Tigre; 9% Sidamo
Annual growth rate: 2.64%
Major languages are Amharic; Tigrinya; Oromo; Somali; Arabic; Italian; English
Religions: Muslim (40-50%); Ethiopian Orthodox Christian (35%-40%); animist
(12%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancy: Men, 43 years; women, 44 years
Infant mortality: 98.6 deaths per 1000 live births
64 % of the population lives in poverty
1 physician per 36,600 people
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 10.63%
35.5% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (Ages): 7-13 years; free
Communication and transportation
232,000 main telephone lines
20,000 Internet users (2002)
17,016 miles of highway
425 miles of railroad
86 airfields
66,000 motor vehicles
Government
Ethiopia is a federal republic and is the oldest independent nation in Africa
(at least 2000 years)
President Girma Woldegiorgis is head of state
Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front is the major political party
(but there are many others)
Universal suffrage at 18
Military
Military expenditures are 12.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current disputes: border conflicts with Somalia and an uneasy cease-fire with
Eritrea
Economy
Currency: birrs
Per capita GDP: $700
GDP: $ 46 billion
GDP growth rate: 7.3%
Inflation rate: 6.8%
Labor force: 80% agriculture; 12% government and services; 8% industry
Resources and industry
Natural resources: gold; platinum; copper; potash; natural gas; hydropower
Agriculture: cereals; pulses; coffee; oilseed; sugarcane; vegetables; livestock
Industry: food processing; beverages; textiles; cement; building materials;
hydropower
Exports: $442 million
Imports: $1.54 billion
Suggested web sites
www.ethiopians.com
www.ethiopianembassy.org
www.ethiopianonline.net
www.ethiopianspokes.net
www.ethiopiadaily.com
www.sas.upenn.edu
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