ETHIOPIA
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LAND
1,178,450 km2; 10% cropland and orchards, 55% meadows and natural pastures, 6% forests and woodlands, 29% wasteland, built-on areas, and other
Land boundaries: 5,198 km
WATER
Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 12 nm; for sedentary fisheries, territorial sea extends to limit of fisheries
Coastline: 1,094 km (includes offshore islands)
PEOPLE
Population: 30,569,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.9%
Nationality: noun—Ethiopian(s); adjective—Ethiopian
Ethnic divisions: Galla 40%, Amhara and Tigrai 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Religion: 35%-40% Ethiopian Orthodox, 40%-45% Muslim, 15%-20% animist, 5% other
Language: Amharic official; many local languages and dialects; English major foreign language taught in schools
Literacy: about 5%
Labor force: 90% agriculture and animal husbandry; 10% government, military, and Quasi-government
Organized labor: All Ethiopian Trade Union formed January 1977 to represent 273,000 registered trade union members
GOVERNMENT
Official name: Ethiopia
Type: under military rule since mid-1974; monarchy abolished in March 1975, but republic not yet declared
Capital: Addis Ababa
Political subdivisions: 14 provinces (also referred to as regional administrations)
Legal system: complex structure with civil, Islamic, common and customary law influences; constitution suspended September 1974; military leaders have promised a new constitution but established no time frame for its adoption; legal education at Addis Ababa University; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Popular Revolution Commemoration Day, 12 September
Branches: executive power exercised by the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), dominated by its chairman and small circle of associates; predominantly civilian Cabinet is ineffectual and holds office at sufferance of military; legislature dissolved September 1974; judiciary at higher levels based on Western pattern, at lower levels on traditional pattern, without jury system in either
Government leader: MENGISTU Haile-Mariam, Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council
Suffrage: universal over age 21
Elections: urban dwellers' association officials elected June 1981
Political parties and leaders: no political party exists, although efforts to create one have been underway for the past few years
Communists: probably a few Communist sympathizers in the government; government officially committed to organize a Communist party, but progress is slow
Other political or pressure groups: important dissident groups include Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), and Eritrean Liberation Front/Popular Liberation Forces in Eritrea; Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) in Tigre Province; Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLF) in the Ogaden Region
Member of: AFDB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICO, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMCO, IMF, IPU, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
ECONOMY
GDP: $4.4 billion (1981), $138 per capita; growth rate 2.0-3.0% (1981)
Agriculture: main crop—coffee
Major industries: cement, sugar refining, cotton textiles, food processing, oil refinery
Electric power: 330,000 kW capacity (1980); 720 million kWh produced (1980), 25 kWh per capita
Exports: $408 million (f.o.b., 1981 est.); 70% coffee, 5% hides and skins
Imports: $779 million (c.i.f., 1981 est.) 18% petroleum
Major trade partners: imports—Saudi Arabia, Japan, Italy, West Germany, Iran, UK, France, and US; exports—US, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Italy, West Germany
External debt: $740 million, 1981; external debt ratio 6.6%
