General Ethiopia is a land-locked country located in East Africa, and is bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan. With an estimated population of more than 91,000,000, Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country. Although Ethiopia’s official language is Amharic, there are avariety of officially recognized regional languages which are spoken among Ethiopia’s ethnically diverse population. 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. In November 2007, the Eritrea- Ethiopia Border Commission(EEBC) issued specific coordinates as virtually demarcating the border and pronounced its work finished. Alleging that the EEBC acted beyond its mandate in issuing the coordinates, Ethiopia has not accepted them and has not withdrawn troops from previously contested areas pronounced by the EEBC as belonging to Eritrea. Climate Temperate on plateau, hot in lowlands Weather in Addis Ababa (altitude 2,450 meters) Hottest months, AprilMay,10-30°C; Coldest month, December, 5-23°C; Driest month, December, 5 mm average rainfall; wettest month, August, 300 mm average rainfall Measures Metric system; also 1 gasha = 40 ha, 1 kend = 0.5 metres, 1 frasoulla = 17 kg Currency The birr (previously the Ethiopian dollar) = 100 cents; the single legal exchange rate is determined by a weekly auction. Time 3 hours ahead of GMT Public holidays January 7th (Christmas), January 19th (Epiphany), March 2nd (Battle of Adowa), May 28th (Downfall of the Derg),September 11th (New Year), Good Friday, Easter, Eid el Fitr, Eid el Ahda, Maulid; the Ethiopian calendar has 13 months Demographics - Population :- 91,195,675 (July 2012 est.) - Age Structure :- o 0-14 years: 44.6% (male 20,342,615/female 20,319,812) o 15-24 years: 19.8% (male 8,976,586/female 9,087,897) o 25-54 years: 28.9% (male 13,144,601/female 13,248,588) o 55-64 years: 3.9% (male 1,719,791/female 1,802,075) 2 o 65 years and over: 2.8% (male 1,155,374/female 1,398,336) (2012 est.) - Median Age :- Total: 16.8 years Male: 16.5 years Female: 17.1 years (2012 EST.) - Population Growth Rate : 2.9% (2012 EST.) - Birth Rate : 38.5 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) - Death Rate : 9.3 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) - Net Migration Rate : -0.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population - Urbanization : o Urban population: 17% of total population (2010) o Rate of urbanization: 3.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) - Major Cities and Population : in 000’S o Addis Ababa (capital): 3,480 o Bahir Dar: 218 o Dese: 219 o Dire Dawa: 356 o Gonder: 253 o Jima: 208 3 o Mekelle: 220 o Nazret: 300 - Ethnic Groups : (2007 Census) o Oromo 34.5% o Amara 26.9% o Somalie 6.2% o Tigraway 6.1% o Sidama 4% o Gurage 2.5% o Welaita 2.3% o Hadiya 1.7% o Affar 1.7% o Gamo 1.5% o Gedeo 1.3% o other 11.3% - Religions :- (2007 Census) o Orthodox 43.5% o Muslim 33.9% o Protestant 18.6% o traditional 2.6% o Catholic 0.7% o other 0.7% - Languages :- o Oromigna (official regional) 33.8% o Amarigna (Amharic) (official) 29.3% o Somaligna 6.2% o Tigrigna (official regional) 5.9% o Sidamigna 4% o Wolayitigna 2.2% o Guaragigna 2% o Affarigna 1.7% o Hadiyigna 1.7% o Gamogna 1.5% 4 o other 11.7%, English (official) (major foreign language taught in schools), Arabic (official) Political Considerations Government •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 :- Addis Ababa - Geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E •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 (may be traced to the Aksumite Kingdom, which coalesced in the first century B.C.) •Constitution :- ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995 •Legal system :- Civil Law System •International law organization participation :- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICC •Suffrage :- 18 years of age; universal 5 •Executive branch: - Chief of state : President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October 2001) - Head of government : Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn (since 21 September 2012); note - prior to his approval as prime minister, HAILEMARIAM had been acting prime minister due to the death of former Prime Minister MELES cabinet: - Council of Ministers :- Ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives elections: - President elected by both chambers of Parliament for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 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 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 directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 23 May 2010 (next to be held in 2015) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 499, SPDP 24, BGPDP 9, ANDP 8, GPUDM 3, HNL 1, FORUM 1, APDO 1, independent 1 •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]; All Ethiopian Unity Organization or AEUO [Hailu SHAWEL]; Arena Tigray [GEBRU Asrat]; Argoba People's Democratic Organization or APDO [Abdulkader MOHAMMED]; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Party or BGPDP [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [AYELE Chamiso]; Ethiopian Democratic Party or EDP [MUSHE Semu]; Ethiopian Federal Democratic Forum or FORUM (a UDJ-led 6-party alliance established for the 2010 parliamentary elections) [Dr. Moga FRISSA]; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF (including the 6 following organizations: Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM; Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO; Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement or SEPDM; and Tigray People's Liberation Front or TPLF); Gambella Peoples Unity Democratic Movement or GPUDM; Gurage Peoples Democratic Front [GIRMA Bogale]; Harari National League or HNL [YASIN Husein]; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM; Oromo People's Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina]; Somali Democratic Alliance Forces or SODAF [BUH Hussien]; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP [Abdulfetah Sheck ABDULAHI]; South Ethiopian People's Democratic Union or SEPDU [TILAHUN Endeshaw]; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; Unity for Democracy and Justice or UDJ [Dr. NEGASSO Gidada] •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, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) Political stability The death of the prime minister, Meles Zenawi, in August 2012 has taken Ethiopia into largely uncharted territory. Mr Meles was only the country's second leader since 1977, and had been the overwhelmingly dominant political figure since the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) ended the 14-year dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991. In line with the constitution, the former deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, has been appointed prime minister, and his unanimous—if belated—endorsement by the 180 member council of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) suggests that the party wishes him to remain in the post at least until the next elections, due in 2015. However, the longer-term prospects for EPRDF unity are more uncertain, as these will depend on whether Mr Hailemariam—who is no political heavyweight—is able to stamp his authority on the coalition. The risk of ethnic and religious tensions has increased following the death of Mr Meles, who played a pivotal role in holding together the EPRDF's multi-ethnic framework. However, Mr Hailemariam will seek to sustain this, and is already making clear efforts to rebalance the EPRDF—traditionally dominated by the TPLF.