Part 68
domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services is available throughout the country
international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2 international switches are located in Tallinn (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 32, shortwave 0 (2007)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (2007)
Internet country code:
.ee
Internet hosts:
706,449 (2009) country comparison to the world: 47
Internet users:
888,100 (2008) country comparison to the world: 94
Transportation ::Estonia
Airports:
19 (2009) country comparison to the world: 135
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Heliports:
1 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 859 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 919 km country comparison to the world: 92 broad gauge: 919 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (131 km electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 57,016 km country comparison to the world: 77 paved: 12,926 km (includes 99 km of expressways)
unpaved: 44,090 km (2005)
Waterways:
320 km (2008) country comparison to the world: 92
Merchant marine:
total: 29 country comparison to the world: 87 by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 2, chemical tanker 1
foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Norway 2)
registered in other countries: 85 (Antigua and Barbuda 23, Belize 6, Cyprus 5, Dominica 7, Finland 2, Latvia 2, Liberia 1, Malta 11, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16, Sweden 2, Vanuatu 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu
Military ::Estonia
Military branches:
Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (Eesti Ohuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
obligation for compulsory service ages 16-60, with conscription "likely" ages 18-27; service requirement 8-11 months (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 306,273
females age 16-49: 317,852 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 216,483
females age 16-49: 260,408 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 7,583
female: 7,111 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 79
Transnational Issues ::Estonia
Disputes - international:
Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Illicit drugs:
growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy
page last updated on November 11, 2009
======================================================================
@Ethiopia (Africa)
Introduction ::Ethiopia
Background:
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of a short-lived Italian occupation from 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 in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990s ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission in November 2007 remotely demarcated the border by geographical coordinates, but final demarcation of the boundary on the ground is currently on hold because of Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.
Geography ::Ethiopia
Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,104,300 sq km country comparison to the world: 27 land: 1 million sq km
water: 104,300 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: Danakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,533 m
Natural resources:
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 10.01%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 89.34% (2005)
Irrigated land:
2,900 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
110 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 5.56 cu km/yr (6%/0%/94%)
per capita: 72 cu m/yr (2002)
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 agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
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 by water volume, 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
People ::Ethiopia
Population:
85,237,338 country comparison to the world: 14 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2009 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.1% (male 19,596,784/female 19,688,887)
15-64 years: 51.2% (male 21,376,495/female 22,304,812)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 975,923/female 1,294,437) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.9 years
male: 16.6 years
female: 17.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.208% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Birth rate:
43.66 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 9
Death rate:
11.55 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 42
Net migration rate:
-0.02 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 86 note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2009 est.)
Urbanization:
urban population: 17% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 80.8 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 20 male: 92.06 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 69.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.41 years country comparison to the world: 192 male: 52.92 years
female: 57.97 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.12 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 31
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
980,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
67,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 11
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups:
Oromo 32.1%, Amara 30.1%, Tigraway 6.2%, Somalie 5.9%, Guragie 4.3%, Sidama 3.5%, Welaita 2.4%, other 15.4% (1994 census)
Religions:
Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)
Languages:
Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%, Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%, English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.7%
male: 50.3%
female: 35.1% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 8 years
female: 7 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
6% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 43
Government ::Ethiopia
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
Capital:
name: Addis Ababa
geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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)
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 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995
Legal system:
based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and regional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 9 October 2007 (next to be held in October 2013); 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 - 79%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation (or upper chamber responsible for interpreting the constitution and federal-regional issues) (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives (or lower chamber responsible for passing legislation) (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 327, CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1, others 6, undeclared 2
note: some seats still remain vacant as detained opposition MPs did not take their seats
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 [Mohammed Kedir]; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP; Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Omoro People's Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina]; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFA
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald Y. YAMAMOTO
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] 11-517-40-00
FAX: [251] 11-517-40-01
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, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 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, and in December 2005 the IMF forgave Ethiopia's debt. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state 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. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover during 2004-08.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$70.23 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $62.93 billion (2007 est.)
$56.64 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$26.39 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 6 11.1% (2007 est.)
10.9% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$900 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 214 $800 (2007 est.)
$700 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 44.9%
industry: 12.8%
services: 42.3% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
37.9 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 15
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80.2%
industry: 6.6%
services: 13.2% (2005)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
38.7% (FY05/06 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 25.6% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30 (2000) country comparison to the world: 114 40 (1995)
Investment (gross fixed):
25.2% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51
Budget:
revenues: $4.517 billion
expenditures: $5.34 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
32% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 44.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
44.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 221 17.2% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
8% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 121 7% (31 December 2006)
Stock of money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$3.651 billion (31 December 2006)
Stock of quasi money:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$3.258 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$NA (31 December 2008)
$6.694 billion (31 December 2006)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish
Industries:
food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals processing, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
10.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 12
Electricity - production:
3.46 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 122
Electricity - consumption:
3.13 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 126
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Oil - consumption:
37,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 106
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 188
Oil - imports:
33,590 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Oil - proved reserves:
430,000 bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 184
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 187
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 60
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83
Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 74
Current account balance:
-$1.806 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 135 -$827.9 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$1.555 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 $1.285 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds
Exports - partners:
Germany 11.8%, Saudi Arabia 8.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, US 8.1%, Switzerland 7.7%, Italy 6.1%, China 6%, Sudan 5.5%, Japan 4.4% (2008)
Imports:
$7.206 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 101 $5.156 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles
Imports - partners:
China 16.3%, Saudi Arabia 12%, India 8.7%, Italy 6%, Japan 4.9%, US 4.5% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$870.5 million (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 131 $1.29 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.155 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 123 $2.621 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
birr (ETB) per US dollar - 9.57 (2008 est.), 8.96 (2007), 8.69 (2006), 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004)
note: since 24 October 2001, exchange rates are determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank
Communications ::Ethiopia
Telephones - main lines in use:
908,900 (2008) country comparison to the world: 84
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.168 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 107
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate telephone system; the number of fixed lines and mobile telephones is increasing from a very small base; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is only about 5 per 100 persons
domestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; 2 domestic satellites provide the national trunk service
international: country code - 251; 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) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (plus 24 repeaters) (2001)
Internet country code:
.et
Internet hosts:
136 (2009) country comparison to the world: 195
Internet users:
360,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 116
Transportation ::Ethiopia
Airports:
63 (2009) country comparison to the world: 78
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 46
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 9 (2009)
Railways:
total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the 781 km Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad) country comparison to the world: 106 narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: railway is under joint control of Djibouti and Ethiopia but is largely inoperable (2008)
Roadways:
total: 36,469 km country comparison to the world: 93 paved: 6,980 km
unpaved: 29,489 km (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 9 country comparison to the world: 115 by type: cargo 8, roll on/roll off 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Ethiopia is landlocked and uses ports of Djibouti in Djibouti and Berbera in Somalia
Military ::Ethiopia
Military branches:
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF): Ground Forces, Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF) (2008)
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; theoretically, no compulsory military service, but the military can conduct call-ups when necessary and compliance is compulsory (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 17,666,967
females age 16-49: 17,530,211 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 11,078,847
females age 16-49: 12,017,073 (2009 est.)