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4 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
Ethiopia
n : Ethiopia is a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red
Sea; formerly called Abyssinia [syn: {Federal Democratic
Republic of Ethiopia}, {Yaltopya}, {Abyssinia}]
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Ethiopia
country of burnt faces; the Greek word by which the Hebrew Cush
is rendered (Gen. 2:13; 2 Kings 19:9; Esther 1:1; Job 28:19; Ps.
68:31; 87:4), a country which lay to the south of Egypt,
beginning at Syene on the First Cataract (Ezek. 29:10; 30:6),
and extending to beyond the confluence of the White and Blue
Nile. It corresponds generally with what is now known as the
Soudan (i.e., the land of the blacks). This country was known to
the Hebrews, and is described in Isa. 18:1; Zeph. 3:10. They
carried on some commercial intercourse with it (Isa. 45:14).
Its inhabitants were descendants of Ham (Gen. 10:6; Jer.
13:23; Isa. 18:2, "scattered and peeled," A.V.; but in R.V.,
"tall and smooth"). Herodotus, the Greek historian, describes
them as "the tallest and handsomest of men." They are frequently
represented on Egyptian monuments, and they are all of the type
of the true negro. As might be expected, the history of this
country is interwoven with that of Egypt.
Ethiopia is spoken of in prophecy (Ps. 68:31; 87:4; Isa.
45:14; Ezek. 30:4-9; Dan. 11:43; Nah. 3:8-10; Hab. 3:7; Zeph.
2:12).
From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:
Ethiopia, blackness; heat
From CIA World Factbook 2002 [world02]:
Ethiopia
Introduction Ethiopia
---------------------
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.
Geography Ethiopia
------------------
Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
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
Land boundaries: total: 5,328 km
border countries: Djibouti 349 km,
Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 861 km,
Somalia 1,600 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: 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 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.)
Natural hazards: geologically active Great Rift
Valley susceptible to earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions; frequent
droughts
Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; desertification; water
shortages in some areas from water-
intensive farming and poor
management
Environment - international party to: Biodiversity, Climate
agreements: Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Law of
the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
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
People 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.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 47.2% (male 16,098,191;
female 15,879,065)
15-64 years: 50% (male 17,005,387;
female 16,801,536)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male
854,023; female 1,034,829) (2002
est.)
Population growth rate: 2.64% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 44.31 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 18.04 deaths/1,000 population (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.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 98.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 44.21 years
female: 45.09 years (2002 est.)
male: 43.36 years
Total fertility rate: 6.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 10.63% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 3 million (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 280,000 (1999 est.)
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%
Languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna,
Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other
local languages, English (major
foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 35.5%
male: 45.5%
female: 25.3% (1995 est.)
Government 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
Capital: Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions: 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch,
singular - kilil) and 2 self-
governing administrations*
(astedaderoch, singular -
astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis
Ababa), Afar, Amara, Binshangul
Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch,
Hareri Hizb, Oromiya, Sumale
(Somali), Tigray, YeDebub Biheroch
Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern
Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples
Region)
Independence: oldest independent country in Africa
and one of the oldest in the world -
at least 2,000 years
National holiday: National Day (defeat of MENGISTU
regime), 28 May (1991)
Constitution: ratified December 1994; effective 22
August 1995
Legal system: currently transitional mix of
national and regional courts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: 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%
Legislative branch: 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
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)
Political parties and leaders: 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
Political pressure groups and Council of Alternative Forces for
leaders: Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or
CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern
Ethiopia People's Democratic
Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]
International organization ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-
participation: 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)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
KASSAHUN Ayele
chancery: 3506 International Drive
NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Tibor
US: P. NAGY, Jr.
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 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: purchasing power parity - $46
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.3% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $700 (2001
est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 52.3%
industry: 11.1%
services: 36.6% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 64% (1996)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 3%
percentage share: highest 10%: 33.7% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini 40 (1995)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6.8% (2001 est.)
Labor force: NA
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry
80%, government and services 12%,
industry and construction 8% (1985)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues: $1.8 billion
expenditures: $1.9 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$600 million (2002 est.)
Industries: food processing, beverages,
textiles, chemicals, metals
processing, cement
Industrial production growth rate: 6.7% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 1.63 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.84%
hydro: 98.16%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 1.516 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed,
sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides,
cattle, sheep, goats
Exports: $442 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities: coffee, qat, gold, leather products,
oilseeds
Exports - partners: Germany 18%, Japan 11%, Djibouti
11%, Saudi Arabia 8% (2000 est.)
Imports: $1.54 billion (f.o.b., 2001 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.)
Debt - external: $5.3 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $308 million (FY00/01)
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
Fiscal year: 8 July - 7 July
Communications Ethiopia
-----------------------
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 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)
Waterways: none
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 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 72
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 33
under 914 m: 22 (2001)
Military Ethiopia
-----------------
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
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 14,925,883 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 7,790,977 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 703,625 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $800 million (FY00)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 12.6% (FY00)
GDP:
Transnational Issues 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)
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