General background: 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. 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.
Area comparative:
Slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Climate:
Tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain: High plateau with central mountain
range divided by Great Rift Valley
Population: 67,673,031
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%
Language: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna,
Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major
foreign language taught in schools)
Government type: Federal republic
Capital: Addis Ababa
Legal system: Currently transitional mix of
national and regional courts
Economic 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.
Communication/Telephone system: Open wire and
microwave radio relay system; adequate for government
use
Places of interest: The landscape is fabulous,
the people will make you welcome, the sense of history
is tangible and you won't have to worry about crowds
of snap-happy tourists. And of course, all of it comes
on a less-than-shoestring budget.
Travel tips: Although the situation for travelers
to Ethiopia has improved immeasurably, travel after
dark is ill-advised and areas near the Eritrean border
should still be avoided. Areas near the Somali border
should also be avoided, due to banditry. If traveling
to Sudan or Kenya, get local advice and travel in convoy.
Steer clear of public political gatherings and demonstrations,
particularly in Islamic regions.
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