TOTAL AREA: 1,221,900 sq km (471,207 sq mi); LAND AREA: 1,101,000 sq km (424,583 sq mi)
COMPARATIVE AREA: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
LAND BOUNDARIES: 5,141 km (3,194 mi) total; Djibouti 459 km (285 mi), Kenya 861 km (535 mi), Somalia 1,600 km (994 mi), Sudan 2,221 km (1380 mi)
COASTLINE: 1,094 km (680 mi)
MARITIME CLAIM:
TERRITORIAL SEA: 12 nm
DISPUTES: southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; possible claim by Somalia based on unification of ethnic Somalis; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden; separatist movement in Eritrea; antigovernment insurgency in Tigray
CLIMATE: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation; prone to extended droughts
TERRAIN: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
NATURAL RESOURCES: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash
LAND USE: 12% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 41% meadows and pastures; 24% forest and woodland; 22% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
ENVIRONMENT: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; famine
TEMPERATURE: in degrees Celsius (Fahrenheit)
Mar Jun Sep Dec
Asmera 17 (63) 18 (65) 17 (62) 14 (57)
Addis Ababa 19 (66) 18 (65) 15 (60) 15 (59)
PRECIPITATION: in centimeters (inches)
Mar Jun Sep Dec
Asmera 1 (0.4) 4 (1.7) 4 (1.4) 1 (0.3)
Addis Ababa 7 (2.7) 11 (4.1) 17 (6.9) 2 (0.6)
NOTE: strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; major resettlement project ongoing in rural areas will significantly alter rural geography, population distribution, and settlement patterns over the next several decades
ETHNIC DIVISIONS: 40% Oromo, 32% Amhara and Tigrean, 9% Sidamo, 6% Shankella, 6% Somali, 4% Afar, 2% Gurage, 1% other
RELIGION: 40-45% Muslim, 35-40% Ethiopian Orthodox, 15-20% animist, 5% other
LANGUAGE: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
LITERACY: 35% (est.)
LABOR FORCE: NA; 90% agriculture and animal husbandry; 10% government, military, and quasi-government; 51% of population of working age (1985)
ORGANIZED LABOR: All Ethiopian Trade Union formed by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members
.GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA
LONG-FORM NAME: People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
TYPE: Communist state
CAPITAL: Addis Ababa
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS: 14 administrative regions (plural--NA, singular--kifle hager); Arsi, Bale, Eritrea, Gamo Gofa, Gojam, Gonder, Harerge, Ilubabor, Kefa, Shewa, Sidamo, Tigray, Welega, Welo; note--the administrative structure may have changed to 25 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular--astedader akababee) and 5 autonomous regions* (rasgez akababiwach, singular--rasgez akababee); Addis Ababa, Arsi, Aseb*, Asosa, Bale, Borena, Dire Dawa*, East Gojam, East Harerge, Eritrea*, Gambela, Gamo Gofa, Ilubabor, Kefa, Metekel, Nazaret, North Gonder, North Shewa, North Welo, Ogaden*, Omo, Sidamo, South Gonder, South Shewa, South Welo, Tigray*, Welega, West Gojam, West Harerge, West Shewa
INDEPENDENCE: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world--at least 2,000 years
CONSTITUTION: 12 September 1987
LEGAL SYSTEM: complex structure with civil, Islamic, common, and customary law influences; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: National Revolution Day, 12 September (1974)
BRANCHES: executive power exercised by president, elected for five-year term by the National Assembly (Shengo); 835-member legislature has nominal powers, elected every five years; Cabinet headed by prime minister, appointed by president; judiciary at higher levels based on Western pattern, at lower levels on traditional pattern
CHIEF OF STATE: President MENGISTU Haile-Mariam (Chairman from September 1977 until becoming President on 10 September 1987); Vice President FISSEHA Desta (since 10 September 1987)
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister FIKRE-SELASSIE Wogderess (since 10 September 1987)
SUFFRAGE: all citizens 18 years of age and over
ELECTIONS: National Assembly elected in June 1987; President elected in September 1987
POLITICAL PARTY AND LEADER: Ethiopian Workers Party (WPE), Mengistu Haile-Mariam, secretary general
DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION: Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim GIRMA Amare; Chancery at 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-2281 or 2282
U.S. FOREIGN SERVICE POST: Charge d'Affaires Robert G. HOUDEK; Embassy at Entoto Street, Addis Ababa (mailing address is P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa); telephone 254-233-4141
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 OF ETHIOPIA
OVERVIEW: Ethiopia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 85% of total employment; coffee generates over 60% of export earnings. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector. The economy is centrally planned, and over 90% of large-scale industry is state run. An ambitious three-year plan with a goal of food self-sufficiency was announced in 1986.
GDP: $5.7 billion, per capita $130, real growth rate 3.4% (FY87 est.)
INFLATION RATE (CONSUMER PRICES): - 2.4% (1987)
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 34% (FY87)
BUDGET: revenues $1.4 billion; expenditures $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.7 billion (FY87)
EXPORTS: $390 million (f.o.b., FY87 est.); commodities-- coffee 60%; partners-- US, FRG, Djibouti, Japan, PDRY, France, Italy
IMPORTS: $900 million (c.i.f., FY87 est.); commodities-- food; partners-- USSR, Italy, FRG, Japan, UK, US, France (1985)
EXCHANGE RATES: birr (Br) per US$1--2.0700 (fixed rate)
FISCAL YEAR: 8 July-7 July
.COMMUNICATIONS IN ETHIOPIA
RAILROADS: 992 km (616 mi) total; 685 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge
HIGHWAYS: 44,300 km (27,510 mi) total; 3,888 km bituminous, 8,344 km gravel, 2,456 km improved earth, 29,612 km unimproved earth
PORTS: Aseb, Mitsiwa
MERCHANT MARINE: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,837 GRT/90,492 DWT; includes 9 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll off cargo, 1 livestock carrier, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
CIVIL AIR: 25 major transport aircraft
AIRPORTS: 153 total, 112 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 49 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: open-wire and radio relay system adequate for government use; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti; radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; stations--4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 45,000 TV sets; 2,000,000 radio receivers; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT satellite ground station
.DEFENSE FORCES OF ETHIOPIA
BRANCHES: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense
MILITARY MANPOWER: males 15-49, 11,010,004; 5,695,433 fit for military service; 554,196 reach military age (18) annually
MILITARY BUDGET: $442.2 million, 20.1% of central government budget (FY87)
.TRAVEL IN ETHIOPIA
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Passport and visa required. Tourist visa for stay up to 30 days, 1 photo and application, $9.65 + postage of $2. Visa fee for business visa up to 30 days, $9.65 + $1.55. Entry visa also available for $14.50 + postage. Allow one week for processing. Personal checks not accepted. For business visa, need company letter and authorization from Foreign Ministry in Addis Ababa. Check local security and obtain formal permission from the government for any trip outside the capital. Vaccination certificate required for yellow fever and cholera.
HEALTH: Tapwater is not potable. Altitude sickness is possible in Addis Ababa and Asmara. Health conditions in the countryside are poor. Health requirements change; check latest information.
TOURIST OFFICE: Ethiopian Tourism and Hotels Commission, Addis Ababa, Tel (01) 447470.
WEATHER AND CLOTHING: Lightweight woolens and light wraps are appropriate year round. Umbrellas and lined raincoats are necessary Jun-Sep.
TELEPHONE: When direct dialing to Ethiopia from the U.S., dial 011 (international access code) + 251 [country code] + (city code) + local number.
TIME: 8 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time, and 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
ELECTRIC CURRENT: 220V, 60-CYCLES, AC
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: Ethiopian Christmas (Jan 7); Epiphany (Jan 19); Victory of Adowa (Mar 2); Patriots' Victory Day (Apr 6); Labor Day (May 1); Good Friday (variable); Id al Fitr (variable); Ethiopian New Year (Sep 11); Revolution Day (Sep 12); Maskal (Sep 28); Id al Adha, Birthday of Mohammed (variable).
IMPORTANT!! All requirements/recommendations are subject to change. Be sure to check latest information.
