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| 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 that ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000 has strengthened
the ruling coalition, but has hurt the nation's economy. |
Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the north and northeast by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the south by Kenya, and on the west and southwest by Sudan. The country has a high central plateau that varies from 1,800 to 3,000 meters (6,000-10,000 ft.) above sea level, with some mountains reaching 4,620 meters (15,158 ft.). Elevation is generally highest just before the point of descent to the Great Rift Valley, which splits the plateau diagonally. A number of rivers cross the plateau--notably the Blue Nile rising from Lake Tana. The plateau gradually slopes to the lowlands of the Sudan on the west and the Somali-inhabited plains to the southeast.
The climate is temperate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. At Addis Ababa, which ranges
from 2,200 to 2,600 meters (7,000-8,500 ft.), maximum temperature is 26o C (80o F) and
minimum 4o C (40o F). The weather is usually sunny and dry with the short (belg) rains
occurring February-April and the big (meher) rains beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-September.
| Location: |
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
8 00 N, 38 00 E
|
| Area: |
total:
1,127,127 sq km (472,000 sq. mi.)
land:
1,119,683 sq km
water:
7,444 sq km
|
| Area - comparative: |
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
|
| Major cities: |
Capital--Addis Ababa (pop. 2.3 million).
Other cities--Dire Dawa (180,000), Harar (138,000), Dessie (105,000), Nazret (100,000), Bahir Dar (95,000), Awassa (90,000) |
| Land boundaries: |
total:
5,311 km
border countries:
Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia 1,626 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:
12%
permanent crops:
1%
permanent pastures:
40%
forests and woodland:
25%
other:
22% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
1,900 sq km (1993 est.)
|
| Natural hazards: |
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
|
| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
|
| 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
|
| 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 |
Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 80 different ethnic groups within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions tend to inhabit lowland regions. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is taught in all secondary schools. Amharic was the language of primary school instruction but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya
| Population: |
65,891,874
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 2001 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years:
47.18% (male 15,647,675; female 15,442,348)
15-64 years:
50.03% (male 16,584,765; female 16,378,060)
65 years and over:
2.79% (male 834,825; female 1,004,201) (2001 est.)
|
| Population growth rate: |
2.7% (2001 est.)
|
| Birth rate: |
44.68 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
|
| Death rate: |
17.84 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
|
| Net migration rate: |
0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from
war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years;
small numbers of Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from
the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their
homes |
| 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 (2001 est.)
|
| Infant mortality rate: |
99.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
|
| Life expectancy at birth: |
total population:
44.68 years
male:
43.88 years
female:
45.51 years (2001 est.)
|
| Total fertility rate: |
7 children born/woman (2001 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
10.63% (1999 est.)
|
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
3 million (1999 est.)
|
| 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.)
|
| Country name: |
conventional long form:
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form:
Ethiopia
local long form:
Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form:
Ityop'iya
former:
Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
abbreviation:
FDRE
|
| Government type: |
federal republic
|
| 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; 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 NEGASSO Gidada (since 22 August 1995)
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 NA June 1995 (next to be held NA
May 2001); prime minister designated by the party in power following legislative
elections
election results:
NEGASSO Gidada elected president; percent of vote by the House of People's Representatives - NA%
|
| 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)
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
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 |
| 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 [KEGNAZ MATCH
Neguea Tibeb]; Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM [TEFERA Walwa];
Bench Madji People's Democratic Organization or BMPDO [leader NA]; Benishangul
Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [leader NA]; Coalition of
Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy or CAFPD [Kifle TIGNEH Abate and
BEYENE Petros]; Ethiopian Democratic Unity Party or EDUP [Lt. Gen. TESFAYE
Gebre Kidan]; Ethiopian National Democratic Party or ENDP [FEKADU Gedamu];
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi]
(an alliance of the ANDM, OPDO, and TPLF); Gedeyo People's Revolutionary
Democratic Movement or GPRDF [leader NA]; Gurange Nationalities Democratic
Movement or GNDM [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 People's Democratic Organization
or OPDO [KUMA Demeksa]; Sidama People's Democratic Organization or SPDO [leader
NA]; South Omo People's Democratic Movement or SOPDM [leader NA]; Tigrai
People's Liberation Front or TPLF [MELES Zenawi]; Walayta, Gamo, Gofa, Dawro,
Konta People's Democratic Organization or WGGPDO [leader NA]; dozens of small
parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Southern Ethiopia People's
Democratic Coalition; numerous small, ethnically based groups have formed
since the defeat of the former MENGISTU regime in 1991, including several
Islamic militant groups |
| International organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant)
chancery:
3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 364-1200
FAX:
[1] (202) 686-9857
|
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Tibor 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 colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries
upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors |
The current government has embarked on a program of economic reform, including privatization of state enterprises and rationalization of government regulation. While the process is still ongoing, the reforms have begun to attract much-needed foreign investment.
The Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture, which contributes 45% to GNP and more than 80% of exports and employs 85% of the population. The major agricultural export crop is coffee, providing 65%-75% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings. Other traditional major agricultural exports are hides and skins, pulses, oilseeds, and the traditional "khat," a leafy shrub which has psychotropic qualities when chewed.
Ethiopia's agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, and poor infrastructure, making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market. Yet it is the country's most promising resource. A potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Gold, marble, limestone, and small amounts of tantalum are mined in Ethiopia. Other resources with potential for commercial development include large potash deposits, natural gas, iron ore, and possibly oil and geothermal energy. Although Ethiopia has good hydroelectric resources ,which power most of its manufacturing sector, it is totally dependent on imports for its oil. A landlocked country, Ethiopia uses the seaports of Assab and Massawa in Eritrea. Ethiopia also uses the port of Djibouti, connected to Addis Ababa by rail, for international trade. Of the 23,812 kilometers of Ethiopia's all-weather roads, 15% are asphalt. Mountainous terrain and the lack of good roads and sufficient vehicles make land transportation difficult. However, the government-owned airline is excellent. Ethiopian Airlines serves 38 domestic airfields and has 42 international destinations.
Dependent on a few vulnerable crops for its foreign exchange earnings and reliant on imported oil, Ethiopia lacks sufficient foreign exchange. The financially conservative government has taken measures to solve this problem, including stringent import controls and sharply reduced subsidies on retail gasoline prices. Nevertheless, the largely subsistence economy is incapable of supporting high military expenditures, drought relief, an ambitious development plan, and indispensable imports such as oil and, therefore, must depend on foreign assistance
| Economy - overview: |
Ethiopia's economy is based
on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of
total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent periods of
drought and poor cultivation practices, and as many as 4.6 million people
need food assistance annually. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy,
and Ethiopia earned $267 million in 1999 by exporting 105,000 metric tons.
According to current estimates, coffee contributes 10% of Ethiopia's GDP.
More than 15 million people (25% of the population) derive their livelihood
from the coffee sector. Other exports include live animals, hides, gold,
and qat. In December 1999, Ethiopia signed a $1.4 billion joint venture deal
to develop a huge natural gas field in the Somali Regional State. The war
with Eritrea forced the government to spend scarce resources on the military
and to scale back ambitious development plans. Foreign investment has declined
significantly. Government taxes imposed in late 1999 to raise money for the
war depressed an already weak economy. The war forced the government to improve
roads and other parts of the previously neglected infrastructure, but only
certain regions of the nation benefited. Recovery from the war is mostly
contingent on natural factors. A drought has continued into the end of 2000
and food relief is expected to be needed through mid-2001 at least. Ethiopia
may receive Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief by the end
of the year. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $39.2 billion (2000 est.)
|
| GDP - real growth rate: |
2% (2000 est.)
|
| GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.)
|
| GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture:
45%
industry:
12%
services:
43% (1999 est.)
|
| Population below poverty line: |
NA%
|
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
3%
highest 10%:
33.7% (1995)
|
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
5% (2000 est.)
|
| Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)
|
| Budget: |
revenues:
$1 billion
expenditures:
$1.48 billion, including capital expenditures of $415 million (FY96/97)
|
| Industries: |
food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement
|
| Industrial production growth rate: |
NA%
|
| Electricity - production: |
1.625 billion kWh (1999)
|
| Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel:
3.08%
hydro:
96.92%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999)
|
| Electricity - consumption: |
1.511 billion kWh (1999)
|
| Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (1999)
|
| Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (1999)
|
| Agriculture - products: |
cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle, sheep, goats
|
| Exports: |
$460 million (f.o.b., 1999)
|
| Exports - commodities: |
coffee, gold, leather products, oilseeds, qat
|
| Exports - partners: |
Germany 16%, Japan 13%, Djibouti 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (1999 est.)
|
| Imports: |
$1.25 billion (f.o.b., 1999)
|
| Imports - commodities: |
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles
|
| Imports - partners: |
Saudi Arabia 28%, Italy 10%, Russia 7%, US 6% (1999 est.)
|
| Debt - external: |
$10 billion (1999 est.)
|
| Economic aid - recipient: |
$367 million (FY95/96)
|
| Exchange rates: |
birr per US dollar (end of
period) - 8.3140 (December 2000), 8.3140 (2000), 8.1340 (1999), 7.5030 (1998),
6.8640 (1997), 6.4260 (1996)
note:
since May 1993, the birr market rate has been determined in an interbank market supported by weekly wholesale auction
|
| Fiscal year: |
8 July - 7 July
|
| Telephones - main lines in use: |
157,000 (1997)
|
| Telephones - mobile cellular: |
4,000 (1999)
|
| 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 5, FM 0, shortwave 2 (1999)
|
| Radios: |
11.75 million (1997)
|
| Television broadcast stations: |
25 (1999)
|
| Televisions: |
320,000 (1997)
|
| Internet country code: |
.et
|
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
1 (2000)
|
| Internet users: |
7,200 (1999)
|
| 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; since then Ethiopia has
expended considerable effort to repair and maintain the lines (2000) |
| 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:
11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 85,382 GRT/108,526 DWT
ships by type:
cargo 6, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 3 (2000 est.)
|
| Airports - with paved runways: |
total:
12
over 3,047 m:
3
2,438 to 3,047 m:
5
1,524 to 2,437 m:
3
914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
|
| Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total:
74
over 3,047 m:
2
2,438 to 3,047 m:
7
1,524 to 2,437 m:
10
914 to 1,523 m:
35
under 914 m:
20 (2000 est.)
|
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Ethiopia was relatively isolated from major movements of world politics until the 1895 and 1935 Italian invasions. Since World War II, it has played an active role in world and African affairs. Ethiopia was a charter member of the United Nations and took part in UN operations in Korea in 1951 and the Congo in 1960. Former Emperor Haile Selassie was a founder of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Addis Ababa is the host capital for the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the OAU.
Although nominally a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, after the 1974 revolution, Ethiopia moved into a close relationship with the Soviet Union and its allies and supported their international policies and positions until the change of government in 1991. Today, Ethiopia has very good relations with the U.S. and the West, especially in responding to regional instability and, increasingly, through economic involvement. Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea are extremely close, reflecting the shared revolutionary struggle against the Derg. Continuing instability along Ethiopia's borders with Sudan and Somalia contributes to tension with the National Islamic Front regime in Sudan and several groups in Somalia.
U.S.-ETHIOPIA RELATIONS
U.S.-Ethiopian relations were established in 1903 and were good throughout the period prior to the Italian occupation in 1935. After World War II, these ties strengthened, on the basis of a September 1951 treaty of amity and economic relations. In 1953, two agreements were signed: a mutual defense assistance agreement, under which the U.S. agreed to furnish military equipment and training, and an accord regularizing the operations of a U.S. communication facility at Asmara. Through fiscal year 1978, the U.S. provided Ethiopia with $282 million in military assistance and $366 million in economic assistance in agriculture, education, public health, and transportation. A Peace Corps program emphasized education, and United States Information Service educational and cultural exchanges were numerous.
After Ethiopia's revolution, the bilateral relationship began to cool as a result of the Derg's identification with international communism and U.S. revulsion at the Derg's murderous means of maintaining itself in power. The U.S. rebuffed Ethiopia's request for increased military assistance to intensify its fight against the Eritrean secessionist movement and to repel the Somali invasion. The International Security and Development Act of 1985 prohibited all U.S. economic assistance to Ethiopia with the exception of humanitarian disaster and emergency relief. In July 1980, the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia was recalled at the request of the Ethiopian Government, and the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Embassy in the U.S. were headed by Charges d'Affaires.
With the downfall of the Mengistu regime, U.S.-Ethiopian relations improved dramatically. Legislative restrictions on assistance to Ethiopia other than humanitarian assistance were lifted. Diplomatic relations were upgraded to the ambassadorial level in 1992. During FY 1997, the U.S. provided about $77.2 million in assistance to Ethiopia, of which $39.9 million was food aid ($6.4 million in emergency food assistance). U.S. development assistance to Ethiopia is conditional on progress in democracy and human rights as well as economic reforms. Some in military training funds, including training in such issues as the laws of war and observance of human rights, also are provided. The Peace Corps returned about 3 years ago to Ethiopia where, in the past, it had one of its largest programs. In FY 1999, the Peace Corps expects to have more than 100 volunteers in-country.
Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--David Shinn
Deputy Chief of Mission--Martin G. Brennan
Chiefs of Sections Administrative--Bernie Gross
Consular-- Raymond Baca
Political/Economic--Herb Thomas
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)--Keith Brown
Defense Attache Officer--Lt. Col. Kevin Kenny
U.S. Information Service (USIS)--Michael Seidenstricker
Peace Corps Director--Lis A. Doane
The address and telephone/fax numbers for the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia are
P.O. Box 1014, Entoto Street, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Tel: 251/1/550-666; fax: 251/1/552-191.
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program provides Consular Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements. Consular Information Sheets exist for all countries and include information on entry requirements, currency regulations, health conditions, areas of instability, crime and security, political disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. posts in the country. Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel to a certain country. Public Announcements are issued as a means to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas which pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Free copies of this information are available by calling the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 202-647-5225 or via the fax-on-demand system: 202-647-3000. Consular Information Sheets and Travel Warnings also are available on the Consular Affairs Internet home page: http://travel.state.gov. Consular Affairs Tips for Travelers publication series, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a safe trip abroad are on the internet and hard copies can be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, telephone: 202-512-1800; fax 202-512-2250.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained from the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at (202) 647-5225. For after-hours emergencies, Sundays and holidays, call 202-647-4000.
Passport information can be obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center's automated system ($.35 per minute) or live operators 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (EST) Monday-Friday ($1.05 per minute). The number is 1-900-225-5674 (TDD: 1-900-225-7778). Major credit card users (for a flat rate of $4.95) may call 1-888-362-8668 (TDD: 1-888-498-3648). It also is available on the internet.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements, and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A booklet entitled Health Information for International Travel (HHS publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.
Information on travel conditions, visa requirements, currency and customs regulations, legal holidays, and other items of interest to travelers also may be obtained before your departure from a country's embassy and/or consulates in the U.S. (for this country, see "Principal Government Officials" listing in this publication).
U.S. citizens who are long-term visitors or traveling in dangerous areas are encouraged to register at the U.S. embassy upon arrival in a country (see "Principal U.S. Embassy Officials" listing in this publication). This may help family members contact you in case of an emergency.
Further Electronic Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background Notes; daily press briefings; Country Commercial Guides; directories of key officers of Foreign Service posts and more.
National Trade Data Bank (NTDB). Operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the NTDB contains a wealth of trade-related information. It is available on the Internet (www.stat-usa.gov) and on CD-ROM. Call the NTDB Help-Line at (202) 482-1986 for more information.
The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) has approximately 100,000 personnel, which makes it one of the largest military forces in Africa. This number is significantly smaller than the 250,000 plus troops that existed during the Derg regime that fell to the rebel forces in 1991. The U.S. was Ethiopia's major arms supplier from the end of World War until 1977, when Ethiopia began receiving massive arms shipments from the Soviet Union. These shipments, including armored patrol boats, transport and jet fighter aircraft, helicopters, tanks, trucks, missiles, artillery, and small arms have incurred an unserviced Ethiopian debt to the former Soviet Union estimated at more than $3.5 billion. Since the early 1990s, the ENDF has been in transition from a rebel force to a professional military organization with the aid of the U.S. and other countries. Training in demining, humanitarian and peace-keeping operations, professional military education, and military justice are among the major programs sponsored by the U.S.
| Military branches: |
Ground Forces, Air Force, Police, Militia
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the independence
of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession and
ships which belonged to the former Ethiopian Navy and based at Djibouti have
been sold |
| Military manpower - military age: |
18 years of age
|
| Military manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
14,537,884 (2001 est.)
|
| Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
7,581,815 (2001 est.)
|
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
703,625 (2001 est.)
|
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$138 million (FY98/99)
|
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
2.5% (FY98/99)
|
| Disputes - international: |
most of the southern half of
the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; as a result
of the 12 December 2000 peace agreement ending a two year war with Eritrea,
the UN will administer a 25-km wide temporary security zone within Eritrea
until a joint boundary commission delimits and demarcates a final boundary;
dispute over alignment of boundary with Eritrea led to armed conflict in
1998; a peace accord signed in December 2000 provides for UN-assisted arbitration
and demarcation of the border |
| 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
|
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