Ethiopia Tourism - Travel to Ethiopia
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| Quick Facts | |
| Capital | Addis Ababa |
| Government | federal republic |
| Currency | birr (ETB) |
| Area | total: 1,127,127 sq km water: 7,444 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km |
| Population | 67,673,031 (July 2002 est.) |
| Language | Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools) |
| Religion | Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8% |
Ethiopia is a landlocked country in Eastern Africa that is surrounded by Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, and Sudan to the west.
| Table of contents |
Regions in Ethiopia
- 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)
Map of Ethiopia
Cities in Ethiopia
- Addis Ababa - Capital
Other destinations - Travel to Ethiopia
Understand Ethiopia Tourism
Climate in Ethiopia
Tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain
High plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
- Elevation extremes
- lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m
- Natural hazards
- geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
- 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, 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
History of Ethiopia
- Independence
- oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, one exception being the Italian occupation of 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 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), in 1991.
- National holiday
- National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)
- Constitution
- ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995
A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000.
Get into Ethiopia
Travel to Ethiopia By Plane
Travel to Ethiopia By Train
Travel to Ethiopia By car
Travel to Ethiopia By Bus
Travel to Ethiopia By Boat
Get around in Ethiopia
Ethiopia Talk
- Languages
- Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
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The rest of this article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real aTRAVELdirectory country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit it.
Geography in Ethiopia
- Geographic coordinates
- 8 00 N, 38 00 E
- Area
- total: 1,127,127 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km - Area - comparative
- slightly less than twice the size of Texas
- Maritime claims
- none (landlocked)
- Natural resources
- small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
- Land use
- arable land: 9.9%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 89.45% (1998 est.) - Irrigated land
- 1,900 sq km (1998 est.)
- 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
People in Ethiopia
- Population
- 67,673,031
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.) - Population growth rate
- 2.64% (2002 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2002 est.) - Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 44.21 years
female: 45.09 years (2002 est.)
male: 43.36 years - Nationality
- noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian - Ethnic groups
- Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
- Religions
- Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%
- Literacy
- definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.5%
male: 45.5%
female: 25.3% (1995 est.)
Government in Ethiopia
- Country name
- 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
- Government type
- federal republic
- Legal system
- currently transitional mix of national and regional courts
- 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)
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- 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
- Diplomatic representation from the US
- 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
- 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; 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 in Ethiopia
- Economy - overview
- 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.
- GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 52%
industry: 11%
services: 37% (2000 est.) - Population below poverty line
- 64% (1996)
- Labor force - by occupation
- agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985) (1985)
- Industries
- food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement
- Electricity - production by source
- fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98% (2000) - Agriculture - products
- cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle, sheep, goats
- Exports - commodities
- coffee, qat, gold, leather products, oilseeds
- Exports - partners
- Germany 18%, Japan 11%, Djibouti 11%, Saudi Arabia 8% (2000 est.)
- Imports - commodities
- food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles
- Imports - partners
- Saudi Arabia 25%, US 9%, Italy 7%, Russia 4% (2000 est.)
- Currency
- birr (ETB)
- Currency code
- ETB
- Exchange rates
- 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
Communications
- Telephones - main lines in use
- 231,900 (2000)
- Telephones - mobile cellular
- 17,800 (2000)
- Telephone system
- general assessment: open wire and microwave radio relay system; adequate for government use
domestic: open wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service
international: 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) - Radio broadcast stations
- AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)
- Radios
- 15.2 million (2002)
- Television broadcast stations
- 1 plus 24 repeaters (2002)
- Televisions
- 682,000 (2002)
- Internet country code
- .et
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- 1 (2002)
- Internet users
- 20,000 (2002)
Transportation in Ethiopia
- Railways
- total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: in 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals and since then Ethiopia has expended considerable effort to repair and maintain the lines; in 2001, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed to build a line from Ethiopia to Port Sudan (2000 est.) - Highways
- total: 24,145 km
paved: 3,290 km
unpaved: 20,855 km (1998) - Ports and harbors
- none; Ethiopia is landlocked and was by agreement with Eritrea using the ports of Assab and Massawa; since the border dispute with Eritrea flared, Ethiopia has used the port of Djibouti for nearly all of its imports
- Merchant marine
- total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 81,933 GRT/101,287 DWT
ships by type: cargo 5, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.) - Airports
- 86 (2001)
- Airports - with paved runways
- total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) - Airports - with unpaved runways
- total: 69
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 21 (2002)
Military
- Military branches
- Ethiopian National Defense Force (Ground Forces, Air Force, militia, police)
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession
Transnational Issues in Ethiopia
- Disputes - international
- most of the southern half of the boundary with Somalia in the Ogaden region is a provisional administrative line; in the Ogaden, regional states have established a variety of conflicting relationships with the Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu, feuding factions in Puntland region, and the economically stabile break-away "Somaliland" region; Ethiopia agreeed in 2002 to demarcate its entire boundary with Sudan; Eritrea and Ethiopia have expressed general approval of the April 2002 arbitration commission ruling re-delimiting the boundary, the focus of their 1998-2000 war; United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) will monitor activities within the 25-km wide temporary security zone in Eritrea until demarcation and de-mining are complete
- Illicit drugs
- transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America 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
