Ethiopia

Broadcast media

1 public TV broadcast station broadcasting nationally and 1 public radio broadcaster with stations in each of the 13 administrative districts; a few commercial radio stations and roughly a dozen community radio stations (2009)

Internet country code

.et

Internet hosts

151 (2010) country comparison to the world: 200

Internet users

447,300 (2009) country comparison to the world: 119

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate telephone system with the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) 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 fixed lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a small base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is only about 5 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) (2009)

Telephones - main lines in use

908,900 (2010) country comparison to the world: 82

Telephones - mobile cellular

6.517 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 92

Agriculture - products

cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish

Budget

revenues: $4.587 billion expenditures: $5.017 billion (2010 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.5% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 68 14.183% (31 December 2009 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.905 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 156 -$2.191 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$5.593 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $5.025 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30 (2000) country comparison to the world: 119 40 (1995)

Economy - overview

Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, accounting for almost 45% of GDP, and 85% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state 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. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF forgave Ethiopia's debt. The global economic downturn led to balance of payments pressures, partially alleviated by recent emergency funding from the IMF. While GDP growth has remained high, per capita income is among the lowest in the world.

Electricity - consumption

3.357 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 126

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

3.715 billion kWh (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 122

Exchange rates

birr (ETB) per US dollar - 14.4 (2010) 11.78 (2009) 9.57 (2008) 8.96 (2007) 8.69 (2006)

Exports

$1.716 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $1.538 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds

Exports - partners

China 13.9%, Germany 10.5%, Belgium 7.5%, Saudi Arabia 7.1%, US 6.8%, Sudan 4.6% (2010)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$29.72 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$86.12 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 $79.74 billion (2009 est.) $72.48 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 50% industry: 11% services: 39% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,000 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 212 $900 (2009 est.) $900 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 10% (2009 est.) 11.2% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 25.6% (2005)

Imports

$6.992 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $6.819 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

Imports - partners

China 15.1%, US 9.5%, Saudi Arabia 8.8% (2010)

Industrial production growth rate

9.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 31

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 188 8.5% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

24.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 65

Labor force

37.9 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 17

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 85% industry: 5% services: 10% (2009 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 94

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 180

Natural gas - proved reserves

24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 73

Oil - consumption

47,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 156

Oil - imports

33,480 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 170

Oil - proved reserves

430,000 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 99

Population below poverty line

38.7% (FY05/06 est.)

Public debt

48.3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 54 40.9% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.808 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121 $1.781 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$7.589 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 111 $8.852 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$7.988 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $9.524 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $5.094 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.4% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 184

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total: 1,104,300 sq km country comparison to the world: 27 land: 1 million sq km water: 104,300 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Danakil Depression -125 m highest point: Ras Dejen 4,533 m

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 5.56 cu km/yr (6%/0%/94%) per capita: 72 cu m/yr (2002)

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 38 00 E

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 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

Irrigated land

2,900 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries

total: 5,328 km border countries: Djibouti 349 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, South Sudan 837 km, Sudan 769 km

Land use

arable land: 10.01% permanent crops: 0.65% other: 89.34% (2005)

Location

Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts volcanism: Ethiopia experiences 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, causing evacuations; other historically active volcanoes include Alayta, Dalaffilla, Dallol, Dama Ali, Fentale, Kone, Manda Hararo, and Manda-Inakir

Natural resources

small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

Terrain

high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Total renewable water resources

110 cu km (1987)

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)

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)

Constitution

ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Donald E. BOOTH embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] 11-517-40-00 FAX: [251] 11-517-40-01

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador GIRMA Birru chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200 FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001) head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since August 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by both chambers of Parliament for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2013); 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 - 79%

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 adopted 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

Government type

federal republic

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.)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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)

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation (or upper chamber responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues) (108 seats; members chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives (or lower chamber responsible for passing legislation) (547 seats; members directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 23 May 2010 (next to be held in 2015) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 499, SPDP 24, BGPDP 9, ANDP 8, GPUDM 3, HNL 1, FORUM 1, APDO 1, independent 1

National anthem

name: "Whedefit Gesgeshi Woude Henate Ethiopia" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia) lyrics/music: DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu note: adopted 1992

National holiday

National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)

National symbol(s)

Abyssinian lion

Political parties and leaders

Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [Mohammed KEDIR]; Arena Tigray; Argoba People's Democratic Organization or APDO; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Party or BGPDP [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP; Ethiopian Federal Democratic Forum or FORUM (a UDJ-led 8-party alliance established for the 2010 parliamentary elections); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF; Gambella Peoples Unity Democratic Movement or GPUDM [Umod UBONG]; Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Harari National League or HNL [Murad ABDULHADI]; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Oromo People's Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina]; Somali Democratic Alliance Forces or SODAF; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; Unity for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Birtukan MEDEKSA, currently imprisoned]

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]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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 (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. In November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission remotely demarcated the border by geographical coordinates, but final demarcation of the boundary on the ground is currently on hold because of Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 19,067,499 females age 16-49: 19,726,816 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 11,868,084 females age 16-49: 12,889,260 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 967,411 female: 981,714 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) (2011) note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea (1993), Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession

Military expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 118

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 (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years: 46.3% (male 20,990,369/female 21,067,961) 15-64 years: 51% (male 22,707,235/female 23,682,385) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 1,037,488/female 1,388,301) (2011 est.)

Birth rate

42.99 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 6

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

34.6% (2005) country comparison to the world: 10

Death rate

11.04 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 98% of population rural: 26% of population total: 38% of population unimproved: urban: 2% of population rural: 74% of population total: 62% of population (2008)

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 42

Ethnic groups

Oromo 34.5%, Amara 26.9%, Somalie 6.2%, Tigraway 6.1%, Sidama 4%, Guragie 2.5%, Welaita 2.3%, Hadiya 1.7%, Affar 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, Gedeo 1.3%, other 11.3% (2007 Census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

3.6% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 170

Hospital bed density

0.18 beds/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 182

Infant mortality rate

total: 77.12 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 17 male: 88.03 deaths/1,000 live births female: 65.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Languages

Amarigna (Amharic) (official) 32.7%, Oromigna (official regional) 31.6%, Tigrigna (official regional) 6.1%, Somaligna 6%, Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%, English (official) (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (official) (1994 census)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.19 years country comparison to the world: 195 male: 53.64 years female: 58.81 years (2011 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.7% male: 50.3% female: 35.1% (2003 est.)

Major cities - population

ADDIS ABABA (capital) 2.863 million (2009)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

470 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 29

Median age

total: 16.8 years male: 16.5 years female: 17.1 years (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian

Net migration rate

-0.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 115 note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2011 est.)

Physicians density

0.022 physicians/1,000 population (2007) country comparison to the world: 187

Population

90,873,739 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 13 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected

Population growth rate

3.194% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 8

Religions

Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.6%, traditional 2.6%, Catholic 0.7%, other 0.7% (2007 Census)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 29% of population rural: 8% of population total: 12% of population unimproved: urban: 71% of population rural: 92% of population total: 88% of population (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 8 years male: 9 years female: 8 years (2008)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.02 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 7

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 24.9% country comparison to the world: 30 male: 19.5% female: 29.4% (2006)

Urbanization

urban population: 17% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 3.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - 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

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 66,980 (Sudan); 16,576 (Somalia); 13,078 (Eritrea) IDPs: 200,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000, ethnic clashes in Gambela, and ongoing Ethiopian military counterinsurgency in Somali region; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2007)

Airports

61 (2010) country comparison to the world: 79

Airports - with paved runways

total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 44 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 7 (2010)

Merchant marine

total: 9 country comparison to the world: 120 by type: cargo 8, roll on/roll off 1 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Ethiopia is landlocked and uses ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia

Railways

total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) country comparison to the world: 102 narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008)

Roadways

total: 36,469 km country comparison to the world: 95 paved: 6,980 km unpaved: 29,489 km (2007)