Ethiopia

D

Energy

Ethiopia has vast potential for producing hydroelectricity; in 2003 about 99 per cent of its relatively small yearly electricity output was generated by hydroelectric facilities. In the same period the country had a total installed electricity-generating capacity of some 460,000 kW; annual production in 2003 was about 2 billion kWh. However, about 92 per cent of total energy needs are still supplied by fuelwood. Demand for wood and charcoal is one of the main causes of deforestation and erosion in Ethiopia.

E

Currency and Banking

The monetary unit is the Ethiopian birr, issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia (9.29 Ethiopian birr equalled US$1; early 2008). Other banks in the country include the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia and the Agricultural and Industrial Development Bank.

F

Commerce and Trade

Ethiopia is primarily an exporter of agricultural products and an importer of consumer and capital goods. In 2003 exports amounted to about US$513 million, and imports were valued at about US$2,686 million. Coffee accounts for more than 60 per cent of all exports and is the single most valuable foreign-exchange earner. Other important exports are pulses, hides and skins, and oilseeds. Leading trade partners include Italy, the United States, Germany, and Japan.

G

Transport

Ethiopia’s terrain makes overland travel difficult. Because many areas are inaccessible by road and others are inadequately served by surface transport, air transport is of great importance. A government-owned airline, Ethiopian Airlines, handles both domestic and international flights. Bole International Airport serves Addis Ababa; there is another international airport at Dirē Dawa. Addis Ababa is connected by rail with the port of Djibouti, on an inlet of the Gulf of Aden.

The independence of Eritrea in 1993 meant that Ethiopia became a landlocked country. Agreements with Eritrea, however, guarantee it continued access to Mitsiwa and Āseb, the Red Sea ports that are the main channels for Ethiopian trade. Ethiopia has about 39,477 km (24,530 mi) of roads, of which about 13 per cent are paved. Construction of a highway linking Addis Ababa with Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, was completed in the 1970s. There were 1 passenger cars per 1,000 people in 2003.

H

Communications

In 2005 Ethiopia had about 9 telephones per 1,000 people; an estimated 12 million radio receivers and 367,000 television sets were in use in 2000. The Voice of Ethiopia makes radio broadcasts daily in the country’s main languages plus Arabic, English, and French. Television broadcasting is government controlled.