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NAVIGATION
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
GOVERNMENT
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia local short form: Ityop'iya former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik abbreviation: FDRE |
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Government type:
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federal republic |
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Capital:
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Addis Ababa |
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Administrative divisions:
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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) |
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Independence:
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oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years |
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National holiday:
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National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991) |
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Constitution:
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ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995 |
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Legal system:
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currently transitional mix of national and regional courts |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994 constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives elections: president elected by the House of People's Representatives for a six-year term; election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be held NA October 2007); 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 - 100% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upper chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or lower chamber (548 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 14 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005) note: irregularities and violence at a number of polling stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting in certain constituencies; voting postponed in Somali regional state because of severe drought election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - OPDO 177, ANDM 134, TPLF 38, WGGPDO 27, EPRDF 19, SPDO 18, GNDM 15, KSPDO 10, ANDP 8, GPRDF 7, SOPDM 7, BGPDUF 6, BMPDO 5, KAT 4, other regional political groupings 22, independents 8; note - 43 seats unconfirmed |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA]; All-Amhara People's Organization or AAPO [HAILU Shawel]; Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM [ADDISU Legesse]; Bench Madji People's Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA]; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [leader NA]; Ethiopian Democratic Party or EDP [ADMASSU Gebeyehu]; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF); Gedeyo People's Revolutionary Democratic Fund or GPRDF [leader NA]; Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement orGNDM [leader NA]; Kafa Shaka People's Democratic Organization or KSPDO [leader NA]; Kembata, Alabaa and Tembaro or KAT [leader NA]; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa Gudina]; Oromo National Congress or ONC [MERERA Gudina]; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO [JUNEDI Sado]; Sidamo People's Democratic Organization or SPDO [leader NA]; South Ethiopia People's Democratic Front or SEPDF [KASSU Yilala]; South Omo People's Democratic Movement or SOPDM [leader NA]; Tigrayan People's Liberation Front or TPLF [MELES Zenawi]; Walayta, Gamo, Gofa, Dawro, and Konta People's Democratic Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA]; dozens of small parties |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros] |
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s): New York FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] (1) 550666 FAX: [251] (1) 551328 |
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Flag description:
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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; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors |
ECONOMY
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Economy - overview:
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Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, 85% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices, and as many as 4.6 million people need food assistance annually. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $260 million in 2000. Other important exports include qat, live animals, hides, and gold. The war with Eritrea in 1999-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001 Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government 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. Despite this limitation, strong growth is expected to continue in the near term as good rainfall, the cessation of hostilities, and renewed foreign aid and debt relief push the economy forward. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $46 billion (2001 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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7.3% (2001 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $700 (2001 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 52%
industry: 11% services: 37% (2000 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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64% (1996) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 34% (1995) (1995) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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40 (1995) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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6.8% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985) (1985) |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $1.8 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $600 million (2002 est.) |
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Industries:
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food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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6.7% (2001 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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1.63 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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1.516 billion kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2000) |
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Agriculture - products:
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cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle, sheep, goats |
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Exports:
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$442 million f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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coffee, qat, gold, leather products, oilseeds |
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Exports - partners:
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Germany 18%, Japan 11%, Djibouti 11%, Saudi Arabia 8% (2000 est.) |
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Imports:
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$1.54 billion f.o.b. (2000 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles |
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Imports - partners:
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Saudi Arabia 25%, US 9%, Italy 7%, Russia 4% (2000 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$5.3 billion (2001 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$308 million (FY00/01 ) |
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Currency:
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birr (ETB) |
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Currency code:
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ETB |
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Exchange rates:
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birr per US dollar (end of period) - 8.455 (December 2001), 8.3140 (December 2000), 8.3140 (2000), 8.1340 (1999), 7.5030 (1998), 6.8640 (1997)
note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank |
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Fiscal year:
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8 July - 7 July |