Ethiopia

Broadcast media

1 public TV 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

179 (2012) country comparison to the world: 203

Internet users

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

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 fixed lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a small base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 15 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) (2011)

Telephones - main lines in use

797,500 (2012) country comparison to the world: 86

Telephones - mobile cellular

20.524 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 47

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $6.388 billion expenditures: $7.54 billion (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.7% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 109

Central bank discount rate

NA%

Commercial bank prime lending rate

14.5% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 35 16% (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance

$-2.031 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 142 $-783 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$10.03 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $8.597 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30 (2000) country comparison to the world: 116 40 (1995)

Economy - overview

Ethiopia's economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for 46% of GDP and 85% of total employment. Coffee has been a major export crop. The agricultural sector suffers from poor cultivation practices and frequent drought, but recent joint efforts by the Government of Ethiopia and donors have strengthened Ethiopia's agricultural resilience, contributing to a reduction in the number of Ethiopians threatened with starvation. The banking, insurance, and micro-credit industries are restricted to domestic investors, but Ethiopia has attracted significant foreign investment in textiles, leather, commercial agriculture and manufacturing. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; land use certificates are now being issued in some areas so that tenants have more recognizable rights to continued occupancy and hence make more concerted efforts to improve their leaseholds. While GDP growth has remained high, per capita income is among the lowest in the world. Ethiopia''s economy continues on its state-led Growth and Transformation Plan under its new leadership after Prime Minister MELE's death. The five-year economic plan has achieved high single-digit growth rates through government-led infrastructure expansion and commercial agriculture development. Ethiopia in 2013 plans to continue construction of its Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile-the controversial multi-billion dollar effort to develop electricity for domestic consumption and export.

Exchange rates

birr (ETB) per US dollar - 17.71 (2012 est.) 16.9 (2011 est.) 14.41 (2010 est.) 11.78 (2009) 9.57 (2008)

Exports

$3.039 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 130 $3.029 billion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

China 13%, Germany 10.8%, US 8%, Belgium 7.7%, Saudi Arabia 7.6% (2012)

Fiscal year

8 July - 7 July

GDP (official exchange rate)

$41.94 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$109 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 69 $100.4 billion (2011 est.) $90.11 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 85.6% government consumption: 8.2% investment in fixed capital: 26.8% investment in inventories: 0% exports of goods and services: 12.7% imports of goods and services: -33.3% (2012 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 46.2% industry: 10.6% services: 43.2% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,300 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 207 $1,200 (2011 est.) $1,100 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

8.5% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 11.4% (2011 est.) 10.6% (2010 est.)

Gross national saving

18.2% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 22.9% of GDP (2011 est.) 23.1% of GDP (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$10.25 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 $8.329 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 13.1%, US 11%, Saudi Arabia 8.4%, India 5.4% (2012)

Industrial production growth rate

9.2% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 21

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

22.9% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 219 33.1% (2011 est.)

Labor force

44.02 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 14

Labor force - by occupation

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

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Population below poverty line

29.2% (FY09/10 est.)

Public debt

39.7% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 90 47% of GDP (2011 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

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$3.272 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $3.102 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$13.35 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $11.51 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$16.09 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 88 $11.73 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$9.107 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $6.532 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

15.2% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 193

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

6.703 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 118

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 110

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Crude oil - production

100 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 122

Crude oil - proved reserves

430,000 bbl (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 99

Electricity - consumption

4.451 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 193

Electricity - from fossil fuels

9.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 195

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

89.7% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 14

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.4% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 86

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 184

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.061 million kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 101

Electricity - production

4.929 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 97

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 190

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 128

Natural gas - proved reserves

24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 73

Refined petroleum products - consumption

49,080 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 100

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Refined petroleum products - imports

42,500 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

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 (13%/1%/86%) per capita: 80.5 cu m/yr (2005)

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

2,896 sq km (2003)

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: 13.19% permanent crops: 1.01% other: 85.8% (2011)

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: 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

122 cu km (2011)

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

several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995 (2013)

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 Patricia Marie HASLACH (since 14 August 2013) embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: 130-6000 FAX: 124-2401

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador GIRMA Birru (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 consulate(s): New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President MULATU Teshome Wirtu (since 7 October 2013) head of government: Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn (since 21 September 2012); note - prior to his approval as prime minister, HAILEMARIAM had been acting prime minister due to the death of former Prime Minister MELES 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 7 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2019); prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative elections election results: MULATU Teshome Wirtu elected president by acclamation

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, 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)

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

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 Woud Enat Ethiopia" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia)

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] All Ethiopian Unity Organization or AEUO [Hailu SHAWEL] Arena Tigray [GEBRU Asrat] Argoba People's Democratic Organization or APDO [Abdulkader MOHAMMED] Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Party or BGPDP [Mulualem BESSE] Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [AYELE Chamiso] Ethiopian Democratic Party or EDP [MUSHE Semu] Ethiopian Federal Democratic Forum or FORUM (a UDJ-led 6-party alliance established for the 2010 parliamentary elections) [Dr. Moga FRISSA] Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF (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; and Tigray People's Liberation Front or TPLF) Gambella Peoples Unity Democratic Movement or GPUDM Gurage Peoples Democratic Front [GIRMA Bogale] Harari National League or HNL [YASIN Husein] Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM Oromo People's Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina] Somali Democratic Alliance Forces or SODAF [BUH Hussien] Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP [Abdulfetah Sheck ABDULAHI] South Ethiopian People's Democratic Union or SEPDU [TILAHUN Endeshaw] United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros] Unity for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Dr. NEGASSO Gidada]

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 (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.

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 (Ye Ityopya Ayer Hayl, ETAF) (2013)

Military expenditures

0.9% of GDP (2012) country comparison to the world: 140

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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.4% (male 20,858,061/female 20,813,460) 15-24 years: 19.9% (male 9,258,868/female 9,382,338) 25-54 years: 29.1% (male 13,576,787/female 13,704,595) 55-64 years: 3.9% (male 1,772,448/female 1,859,364) 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 1,197,519/female 1,453,585) (2013 est.)

Birth rate

38.07 births/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 15

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 10,693,164 percentage: 53 % (2005 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

29.2% (2011) country comparison to the world: 17

Contraceptive prevalence rate

28.6% (2010/11)

Death rate

8.87 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 85.5 % youth dependency ratio: 79.2 % elderly dependency ratio: 6.3 % potential support ratio: 15.8 (2013)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 97% of population rural: 34% of population total: 44% of population unimproved: urban: 3% of population rural: 66% of population total: 56% of population (2010 est.)

Education expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2010) country comparison to the world: 89

Ethnic groups

Oromo 34.5%, Amhara (Amara) 26.9%, Somali (Somalie) 6.2%, Tigray (Tigrigna) 6.1%, Sidama 4%, Gurage 2.5%, Welaita 2.3%, Hadiya 1.7%, Afar (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

4.7% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 148

Hospital bed density

6.3 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 58.28 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 29 male: 66.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 49.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

Languages

Oromo (official regional) 33.8%, Amharic (official) 29.3%, Somali 6.2%, Tigrayan (official regional) 5.9%, Sidamo 4%, Wolaytta 2.2%, Guragiegna 2%, Afar 1.7%, Hadiyya 1.7%, Gamo 1.5%, other 11.7%, English (official) (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (official) (2007 census)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 60 years country comparison to the world: 193 male: 57.73 years female: 62.35 years (2013 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 39% male: 49.1% female: 28.9% (2007 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 (2013)

Major urban areas - population

ADDIS ABABA (capital) 2.863 million (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

350 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 32

Median age

total: 17.5 years male: 17.3 years female: 17.6 years (2013 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.6 note: Median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian

Net migration rate

-0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 120 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 (2013 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

1.1% (2008) country comparison to the world: 191

Physicians density

0.03 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

93,877,025 (July 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 14 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

2.9% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 12

Religions

Ethiopian 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: 19% of population total: 21% of population unimproved: urban: 71% of population rural: 81% of population total: 79% of population (2010 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years male: 10 years female: 8 years (2011)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1 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: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.31 children born/woman (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 14

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 24.9% country comparison to the world: 38 male: 19.5% female: 29.4% (2006)

Urbanization

urban population: 17% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: 3.57% 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): 243,961 (Somalia); 39,477 (Sudan); 62,996 (Eritrea) (2013) IDPs: 200,000-300,000 (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) (2008)

Airports

57 (2013) country comparison to the world: 84

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 under 914 m: 2 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 40 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 8 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 8 country comparison to the world: 121 by type: cargo 8 (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: 44,359 km country comparison to the world: 79 paved: 6,064 km unpaved: 38,295 km (2007)