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 Ethiopia



Geography

Total area: 1,221,900 km²; land area: 1,101,000 km²

Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries: 5,141 km total; Djibouti 459 km, Kenya 861 km, Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 2,221 km

Coastline: 1,094km

Maritime claims:
 * 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 insurgencies in Tigray and other areas

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; frequent droughts; famine

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 population distribution and settlement patterns over the next several decades

People

Population: 51,666,622 (July 1990), growth rate 3.5% (1990)

Birth rate: 45 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 5 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 116 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 52 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun—Ethiopian(s); adjective—Ethiopian

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: 55.2%

Labor force: 18,000,000; 80% agriculture and animal husbandry, 12% government and services, 8% industry and construction (1985)

Organized labor: All Ethiopian Trade Union formed by the government in January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members

Government

Long-form name: People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Type: Communist state

Capital: Addis Ababa

Administrative divisions: 14 administrative regions (plural—NA, singular—kifle hāger); Ārsī, Balē, Eritrea, Gamo Gofa, Gojam, Gonder, Hārergē, Īlubabor, Kefa, Shewa, Sīdamo, Tigray, Welega, Welo; note—the administrative structure may be changing to 25 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular—astedader akababee) and 5 autonomous regions* (rasgez akababiwach, singular—rasgez akababee); Addis Ababa, Ārsī, Aseb*, Asosa, Balē, Borena, Dire Dawa*, East Gojam, East Hārergē, Eritrea*, Gambela, Gamo Gofa, Īlubabor, Kefa, Metekel, Nazaret, North Gonder, North Shewa, North Welo, Ogāden*, Omo, Sīdamo, South Gonder, South Shewa, South Welo, Tigray*, Welega, West Gojam, West Hārergē, 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)

Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of State prime minister, five deputy prime ministers, Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Shengo)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Leaders: Chief of State—President MENGISTU Haile-Mariam (Chairman from 11 September 1977 until becoming President on 10 September 1987); Vice President FISSEHA Desta (since 10 September 1987);

Head of Government—Prime Minister (Acting) and Deputy Prime Minister HAILU Yimenu (since 7 November 1989 ) ; Deputy Prime Minister WOLLE Chekol (since 21 November 1989); Deputy Prime Minister ALEMU Abebe (since 10 September 1987); Deputy Prime Minister TESFAYE Dinka (since 10 September 1987); Deputy Prime Minister ASHAGRE Yigletu (since 21 November 1989)

Political parties and leaders: only party—Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE), Mengistu Haile-Mariam, secretary general

Suffrage: universal at age 18

Elections: President—last held 10 September 1987 (next to be held September 1992); results—National Assembly elected President Mengistu Haile-Mariam;

National Assembly—last held 14 June 1987 (next to be held June 1992); results—WPE is the only party; seats—(835 total) WPE 835

Other political or pressure groups: important dissident groups include Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) in Eritrea; Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples Democratic Movement in Tigray, Welo, and border regions; Oromo Liberation Front in Welega and Hārergē regions

Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICO, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation: Counselor, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim GIRMA Amare; Chancery at 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 234-2281 or 2282; US— Chargé d'Affaires Robert G. HOUDEK; Embassy at Entoto Street, Addis Ababa (mailing address is P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa); telephone 254-233-4141 94