Ethiopia: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Capital

Addis Ababa

Area

1,133,380 sq km

437,600 sq mi

Administrative divisions (population)

Addis Ababa

2,112,737 (1994)

Afar

1,106,383 (1994)

Amhara

13,834,297 (1994)

Binshangul Gumuz

460,459 (1994)

Dire Dawa

251,864 (1994)

Gambela

181,862 (1994)

Harar

131,139 (1994)

Oromia

18,732,525 (1994)

Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region

10,377,028 (1994)

Tigray Kifle Hāger

3,136,267 (1994)

Largest cities (population)

Addis Ababa

2,723,000 (2003 estimate)

Dirē Dawa

227,494 (2001 estimate)

Nazret

180,537 (2001 estimate)

Gonder

156,087 (2001 estimate)

Desē

135,529 (2001 estimate)

Mekele

134,996 (2001 estimate)

Bahir Dar

134,062 (2001 estimate)

Jīma

125,569 (2001 estimate)

Hārer

101,000 (2001 estimate)

Population

78,254,090 (2008 estimate)

Population growth rate

2.23 per cent (2008 estimate)

Population density

70 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)

181 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

16 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

84 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

49.4 years (2008 estimate)

Female

50.6 years (2008 estimate)

Male

48.3 years (2008 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

90 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

45.1 per cent (2005 estimate)

Female

37.8 per cent (2005 estimate)

Male

52.4 per cent (2005 estimate)

Ethnic divisions

Oromo

40 per cent

Amhara and Tigrean

32 per cent

Sidamo

9 per cent

Shankella

6 per cent

Somali

6 per cent

Afar

4 per cent

Gurage

2 per cent

Other

1 per cent

Languages

English (official), Amharic (national language), Tigrigna (national language), Oromo, Sidamo, Wolaytta, Gamo-Gofa-Dawro, Afar, Silt'e, Hadiyya, Gedeo, Kambaata, Kafa, and many other indigenous languages

Religions

Ethiopian Orthodox, Muslim, indigenous religions, other

Type of government

Federal republic

Independence

Oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world: at least 2,000 years

Constitution

August 22, 1995

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

13,315 million (2006)

GDP per capita (US$)

172.60 (2006)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

47.3 per cent (2006)

GDP, industry

13.5 per cent (2006)

GDP, services

39.2 per cent (2006)

National budget (US$)

Total revenue

1,606 million (2002)

Total expenditure

1,110 million (2002)

Monetary unit

1 birr (Br), consisting of 100 cents

Exports

Coffee, leather products, gold, lentils, oilseeds, petroleum products

Imports

Capital goods, consumer goods, fuel, foodstuff, machinery, pharmaceuticals

Major trading partners for exports

Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, Djibouti, United States, Italy

Major trading partners for imports

Saudi Arabia, United States, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom

Industries

Food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Agriculture

Cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, sugar cane, potatoes and other vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats

Natural resources

Small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, iron ore, petroluem, salt

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.