Environment - current issues:deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss ofinfrastructure from civil warfare
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, EndangeredSpeciessigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shippinglanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along theRed Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
People Eritrea
Population:4,786,994 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458/female 1,046,955)15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153/female 1,268,189)65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112/female 86,127) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 17.8 yearsmale: 17.6 yearsfemale: 18 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:2.47% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:34.33 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 59.03 yearsmale: 57.44 yearsfemale: 60.66 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:2.7% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:60,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:6,300 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:degree of risk: highfood or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, andtyphoid fevervectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations (2005)
Nationality:noun: Eritrean(s)adjective: Eritrean
Ethnic groups:Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coastdwellers) 3%, other 3%
Religions:Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 58.6%male: 69.9%female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
Government Eritrea
Country name:conventional long form: State of Eritreaconventional short form: Eritrealocal long form: Hagere Ertralocal short form: Ertraformer: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Government type:transitional governmentnote: following a successful referendum on independence for theAutonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a NationalAssembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy andJustice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; aConstitutional Commission was also established to draft aconstitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by thetransitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidentialelections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legalparty is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
Capital:name: Asmara (Asmera)geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 53 Etime difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern),Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel(Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)
Independence:24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
National holiday:Independence Day, 24 May (1993)
Constitution:a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replacedby a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented
Legal system:primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions;new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet beenpromulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enactedlaws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note- the president is both the chief of state and head of governmentand is head of the State Council and National Assemblyhead of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993);note - the president is both the chief of state and head ofgovernment and is head of the State Council and National Assemblycabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority;members appointed by the presidentelections: president elected by the National Assembly for afive-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly didnot hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent ofNational Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%
Legislative branch:unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits notestablished)elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the newconstitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the oldCentral Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-memberConstituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discussand ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreansliving abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly toserve as the country's legislative body until countrywide electionsto a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members ofthe Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitutionstipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of theNational Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligiblevoters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 werepostponed indefinitely
Judicial branch:High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also havemilitary and special courts
Political parties and leaders:People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only partyrecognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a NationalAssembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted onit
Political pressure groups and leaders:Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean IslamicJihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement));Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the ArafaMovement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed];Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS,ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; EritreanPublic Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]
International organization participation:ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt(signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO,IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW,PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariamchancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISIembassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmaramailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmaratelephone: [291] (1) 120004FAX: [291] (1) 127584
Flag description:red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flaginto two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower oneis blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered onthe hoist side of the red triangle
Economy Eritrea
Economy - overview:Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced theeconomic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like theeconomies of many African nations, the economy is largely based onsubsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved infarming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severelyhurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to-12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northernEritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss,including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. Theattack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productiveregion, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war,Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting newroads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads andbridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firmgrip on the economy, expanding the use of the military andparty-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda.Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalistsfrom the military kept cereal production well below normal, holdingdown growth in 2002-05. Eritrea's economic future depends upon itsability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment,and low skills, as well as the willingness to open its economy toprivate enterprise so that the diaspora's money and expertise canfoster economic growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$4.471 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$1.244 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$1,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 10.2%industry: 25.4%services: 64.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force:NA
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture: 80%industry and services: 20%
Unemployment rate:NA%
Population below poverty line:50% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: NA%highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):15% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):25.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $248.8 millionexpenditures: $409.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal;livestock, goats; fish
Industries:food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt, cement,commercial ship repair
Industrial production growth rate:NA%
Electricity - production:270.9 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:251.9 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:4,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:$-291 million (2005 est.)
Exports:$33.58 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)
Exports - partners:Italy 39.3%, US 14.9%, Belarus 7.3%, Germany 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005)
Imports:$676.5 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)
Imports - partners:Germany 22.2%, Italy 20.3%, France 15.9%, US 12.8%, Ireland 8.2%(2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$30 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$311 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$77 million (1999)
Currency (code):nakfa (ERN)
Currency code:ERN
Exchange rates:nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878(2003), 13.958 (2002), 11.31 (2001)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Eritrea
Telephones - main lines in use:37,700 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:40,400 (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: inadequatedomestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government isseeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)international: country code - 291; note - international connectionsexist
Radio broadcast stations:AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)
Radios:345,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:1 (2000)
Televisions:1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.er
Internet hosts:1,088 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):5 (2001)
Internet users:70,000 (2005)
Transportation Eritrea
Airports: 17 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 13 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Railways: total: 306 km narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 4,010 kmpaved: 874 kmunpaved: 3,136 km (1999)
Merchant marine:total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,506 GRT/23,649 DWTby type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/rolloff 1 (2006)
Ports and terminals:Assab, Massawa
Military Eritrea
Military branches:Army, Navy, Air Force
Military service age and obligation:18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service;conscript service obligation - 16 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service:males age 18-49: 893,361females age 18-49: 891,662 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:males age 18-49: 555,553females age 18-49: 562,426 (2005)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males age 18-49: 50,156females age 18-49: 49,746 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$220.1 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:17.7% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Eritrea
Disputes - international:Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-EritreaBoundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despiteinternational intervention, mutual animosities, accusations, andarmed posturing have prevented demarcation; Ethiopia refuses towithdraw to the delimited boundary until claimed technical errorsmade by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed,including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war;Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediatelywithout modifications; in 2005 Eritrea began severely restrictingthe operations of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia andEritrea (UNMEE) monitoring the 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone inEritrea since 2000; Sudan sustains over 110,000 Eritrean refugeesand accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups
Refugees and internally displaced persons:IDPs: 59,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPsare near the central border region) (2005)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Estonia
Introduction Estonia
Background:After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule,Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated intothe USSR in 1940, it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapseof the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994,Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties withWestern Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Geography Estonia
Location:Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland,between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates:59 00 N, 26 00 E
Map references:Europe
Area:total: 45,226 sq kmland: 43,211 sq kmwater: 2,015 sq kmnote: includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Area - comparative:slightly smaller than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
Land boundaries: total: 633 km border countries: Latvia 339 km, Russia 294 km
Coastline:3,794 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination withneighboring states
Climate:maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain:marshy, lowlands; flat in the north, hilly in the south
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 mhighest point: Suur Munamagi 318 m
Natural resources:oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite,arable land, sea mud
Land use: arable land: 12.05% permanent crops: 0.35% other: 87.6% (2005)
Irrigated land:40 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Environment - current issues:air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning powerplants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted tothe air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% lessthan in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged towater bodies in 2000 was one twentieth the level of 1980; inconnection with the start-up of new water purification plants, thepollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agriculturalareas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certainlocations
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, AirPollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution,Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlandssigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshorelie more than 1,500 islands
People Estonia
Population:1,324,333 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 15.2% (male 103,367/female 97,587)15-64 years: 67.6% (male 427,043/female 468,671)65 years and over: 17.2% (male 75,347/female 152,318) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 39.3 yearsmale: 35.8 yearsfemale: 42.6 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:-0.64% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:10.04 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:13.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:-3.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.06 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/femaletotal population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 7.73 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 8.91 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 6.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 72.04 yearsmale: 66.58 yearsfemale: 77.83 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:1.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:7,800 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:noun: Estonian(s)adjective: Estonian
Ethnic groups:Estonian 67.9%, Russian 25.6%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Belarusian 1.3%,Finn 0.9%, other 2.2% (2000 census)
Religions:Evangelical Lutheran 13.6%, Orthodox 12.8%, other Christian(including Methodist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Roman Catholic,Pentecostal) 1.4%, unaffiliated 34.1%, other and unspecified 32%,none 6.1% (2000 census)
Languages:Estonian (official) 67.3%, Russian 29.7%, other 2.3%, unknown 0.7%(2000 census)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 99.8%male: 99.8%female: 99.8% (2003 est.)
Government Estonia
Country name:conventional long form: Republic of Estoniaconventional short form: Estonialocal long form: Eesti Vabariiklocal short form: Eestiformer: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:parliamentary republic
Capital:name: Tallinngeographic coordinates: 59 25 N, 24 45 Etime difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends lastSunday in October
Administrative divisions:15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond): Harjumaa (Tallinn),Hiiumaa (Kardla), Ida-Virumaa (Johvi), Jarvamaa (Paide), Jogevamaa(Jogeva), Laanemaa (Haapsalu), Laane-Virumaa (Rakvere), Parnumaa(Parnu), Polvamaa (Polva), Raplamaa (Rapla), Saaremaa (Kuressaare),Tartumaa (Tartu), Valgamaa (Valga), Viljandimaa (Viljandi), Vorumaa(Voru)note: counties have the administrative center name following inparentheses
Independence:20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 isthe date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20August 1991 is the date it declared its independence from the SovietUnion
Constitution:adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system:based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts;accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal for all Estonian citizens
Executive branch:chief of state: President Toomas Hendrik ILVES (since 9 October2006)head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,approved by Parliamentelections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term(eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not securetwo-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in theParliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plusmembers of local governments) elects the president, choosing betweenthe two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; electionlast held 23 September 2006 (next to be held fall of 2011); primeminister nominated by the president and approved by Parliamentelection results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots leftblank or invalid
Legislative branch:unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are electedby popular vote to serve four-year terms)elections: last held 2 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)election results: percent of vote by party - Center Party of Estonia25.4%, Res Publica 24.6%, Estonian Reform Party 17.7%, EstonianPeople's Union 13%, Pro Patria Union (Fatherland League) 7.3%People's Party Moodukad 7%; seats by party - Res Publica 26, CenterParty 20, Reform Party 19, Estonian People's Union 13, Pro PatriaUnion 7, Social Democrats (formerly People's Party Moodukad) 6,non-affiliated (Social Liberals and independents) 10
Judicial branch:National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
Political parties and leaders:Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman];Estonian People's Union (Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN, chairman];Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond) [Andrus ANSIP]; EstonianUnited Russian People's Party or EUVRP [Yevgeniy TOMBERG, chairman];Social Democratic Party (formerly People's Party Moodukad orModerates) [Ivari PADAR, chairman]; Social Liberals (group of eightparliamentarians, former Center Party members) [Peeter KREITZBERG];Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit)[Tonis LUKAS and Taavi VESKIMAGI, co-chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (newmember), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU,MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Juri LUIKchancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Aldona Zofia WOSembassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinnmailing address: use embassy street addresstelephone: [372] 668-8100FAX: [372] 668-8134
Flag description:pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equalhorizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Economy Estonia
Economy - overview:Estonia, as a new member of the World Trade Organization and theEuropean Union, has transitioned effectively to a modern marketeconomy with strong ties to the West, including the pegging of itscurrency to the euro. The economy benefits from strong electronicsand telecommunications sectors and is greatly influenced bydevelopments in Finland, Sweden, and Germany, three major tradingpartners. The current account deficit remains high; however, thestate budget is essentially in balance, and public debt is low.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$23.34 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$12.19 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:10.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$17,500 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 29.4% services: 66.6% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 670,000 (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 11% industry: 20% services: 69% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:7.8% (2005)
Population below poverty line:Below $2.15 per day (PPP) 5% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 28.5% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:33 (2003)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):4.1% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):29.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $4.91 billionexpenditures: $4.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA(2005 est.)
Public debt:4.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Industries:engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textile;information technology, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:9.7% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:10.304 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:6.26 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:2.141 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:347 million kWh (2004)
Oil - production:6,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption:60,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports:0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:54,000 bbl/day (2004)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2004)
Natural gas - consumption:1.42 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - exports:0 cu m (2004)
Natural gas - imports:1.42 billion cu m (2004)
Current account balance:$-1.375 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:$7.439 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, foodproducts 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)
Exports - partners:Finland 26.5%, Sweden 12.9%, Latvia 8.8%, Russia 6.5%, Germany6.2%, Lithuania 4.8% (2005)
Imports:$9.189 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)
Imports - partners:Finland 19.8%, Germany 13.8%, Russia 9.4%, Sweden 8.8%, Lithuania6.1%, Latvia 4.7% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$1.948 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$11.03 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$735 million (2004-06)
Currency (code):Estonian kroon (EEK)
Currency code:EEK
Exchange rates:krooni per US dollar - 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003),16.612 (2002), 17.478 (2001), note - the krooni is pegged to the euro
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications Estonia
Telephones - main lines in use:442,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:1.445 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: foreign investment in the form of jointbusiness ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantialfiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic inthe digital mode; Internet services are available throughout most ofthe countrydomestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internetservices is available throughout the countryinternational: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland,Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switchedservice; two international switches are located in Tallinn (2001)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 0, FM 98, shortwave 0 (2001)
Radios:1.01 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:3 (2001)
Televisions:605,000 (1997)
Internet country code:.ee
Internet hosts:52,241 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):38 (2001)
Internet users:690,000 (2005)
Transportation Estonia
Airports: 24 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 12over 3,047 m: 12,438 to 3,047 m: 71,524 to 2,437 m: 1914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 12over 3,047 m: 11,524 to 2,437 m: 2914 to 1,523 m: 4under 914 m: 5 (2006)
Heliports:1 (2006)
Pipelines:gas 859 km (2006)
Railways:total: 958 kmbroad gauge: 958 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:total: 56,849 kmpaved: 13,303 km (including 99 km of expressways)unpaved: 45,546 km (2003)
Waterways:500 km (2005)
Merchant marine:total: 35 ships (1000 GRT or over) 388,723 GRT/98,393 DWTby type: cargo 7, passenger/cargo 26, petroleum tanker 2foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 2, Norway 2)registered in other countries: 72 (Antigua and Barbuda 12, Bahamas1, Belize 3, Cyprus 6, Dominica 11, Isle of Man 2, Liberia 1, Malta4, Norway 1, Panama 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines25, Slovakia 1, Vanuatu 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:Kopli, Kuivastu, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu
Military Estonia
Military branches:Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force, VolunteerDefense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2006)
Military service age and obligation: compulsory military service for men between 19 and 28; conscription lasts 11 months for junior NCOs and reserve platoon leaders; reserve officers and designated specialists have a different conscript service obligation; Estonia has committed to retaining conscription for men up to 2010 and, unlike Latvia and Lithuania, has no plan to transition to a contract armed forces; 17 years of age for volunteers; reserve commitment up to the age of 60 (2006)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 291,696 females age 18-49: 304,961 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 200,382 (in 2004, 51% of the young men called up for service were determined to be unfit; main obstacles to conscription were psychiatric and behavioral) females age 18-49: 250,351 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:males: 11,146females age 18-49: 10,605 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:$155 million (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:2% (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues Estonia
Disputes - international:in 2005, Russia refuses to sign the 1996 technical border agreementwith Estonia when Estonia prepares a unilateral declarationreferencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demandsbetter accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia;Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of theboundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring thenow divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region withinEstonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's externalborder, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules
Illicit drugs:transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asiaand the Caucasus via Russia, cocaine from Latin America to WesternEurope and Scandinavia, and synthetic drugs from Western Europe toScandinavia; increasing domestic drug abuse problem; possibleprecursor manufacturing and/or trafficking; potential moneylaundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is aconcern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Ethiopia
Introduction Ethiopia
Background:Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchymaintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974, a militaryjunta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups,uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, theregime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces,the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Aconstitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multipartyelections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the1990's ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Final demarcationof the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections toan international commission's finding requiring it to surrenderterritory 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: 1,127,127 sq kmland: 1,119,683 sq kmwater: 7,444 sq km
Area - comparative:slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:total: 5,328 kmborder 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 RiftValley
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 mhighest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 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)
Natural hazards:geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes,volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment - current issues:deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; watershortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poormanagement
Environment - international agreements:party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, EndangeredSpecies, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protectionsigned, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note:landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with thede jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, thechief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk(Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed tohave originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean
People Ethiopia
Population:74,777,981note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account theeffects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lowerlife expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lowerpopulation and growth rates, and changes in the distribution ofpopulation by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July2006 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 43.7% (male 16,373,718/female 16,280,766)15-64 years: 53.6% (male 19,999,482/female 20,077,014)65 years and over: 2.7% (male 929,349/female 1,117,652) (2006 est.)
Median age:total: 17.8 yearsmale: 17.7 yearsfemale: 17.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:2.31% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:37.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:14.86 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:0 migrant(s)/1,000 populationnote: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan isexpected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, andEritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or faminein their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 93.62 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 103.43 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 83.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 49.03 yearsmale: 47.86 yearsfemale: 50.24 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:5.22 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:4.4% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:1.5 million (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:120,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, and hepatitis E vectorborne diseases: malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)
Nationality:noun: Ethiopian(s)adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups:Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Religions:Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%
Languages:Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, otherlocal languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy:definition: age 15 and over can read and writetotal population: 42.7%male: 50.3%female: 35.1% (2003 est.)
Government Ethiopia
Country name:conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopiaconventional short form: Ethiopialocal long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripebliklocal short form: Ityop'iyaformer: Abyssinia, Italian East Africaabbreviation: FDRE
Government type:federal republic
Capital:name: Addis Ababageographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 Etime difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)
Administrative divisions:9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2self-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 theworld - at least 2,000 years
National holiday:National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)
Constitution:ratified December 1994, effective 22 August 1995
Legal system:currently transitional mix of national and regional courts
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 NA August1995)cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister andapproved by the House of People's Representativeselections: president elected by the House of People'sRepresentatives for a six-year term (eligible for a second term);election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be held October 2007);prime minister designated by the party in power followinglegislative electionselection results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis elected president; percent ofvote by the House of People's Representatives - 100%
Legislative branch:bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Federation or upperchamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to servefive-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives or lowerchamber (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular votefrom 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 2note: irregularities at some polling stations necessitated therescheduling of voting in certain constituencies
Judicial branch:Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of theFederal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister andappointed by the House of People's Representatives; for otherfederal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People'sRepresentatives for appointment candidates selected by the FederalJudicial Administrative Council)
Political parties and leaders:Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz People'sDemocratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition forUnity and Democracy or CUD [HAILU Shawel]; Ethiopian People'sRevolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an allianceof Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People'sDemocratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopean People'sDemocratic Front or SEPDF, and TigrAyan Peoples' Liberation Front orTPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; OromoFederalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; SomaliPeople's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethopian Democratic Forcesor UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; dozens of small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders:Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF; OromoLiberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]; Oromo National LiberationFront or ONLF
International organization participation:ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM(observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFAchancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195consulate(s) general: Los Angelesconsulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires VickiHUDDLESTONembassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababamailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababatelephone: [251] (1) 517-4000FAX: [251] (1) 517-4888
Flag description:three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with ayellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the anglesbetween the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands;Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the threemain colors of her flag were so often adopted by other Africancountries upon independence that they became known as thepan-African colors
Economy Ethiopia
Economy - overview:Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture,accounting for half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of totalemployment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent droughtand poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopianeconomy with exports of some $156 million in 2002, but historicallylow prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplementincome. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought havebuffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly IndebtedPoor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 theInternational Monetary Fund voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to thebody. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns allland and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the systemcontinues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneursare unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck againlate in 2002, leading to a 2% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weatherpatterns late in 2003 helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in2004-05.
GDP (purchasing power parity):$64.73 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):$8.819 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:8.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):$900 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 47.5% industry: 9.9% services: 42.6% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 27.27 million
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 8% services: 12% (1985)
Unemployment rate:NA%
Population below poverty line:50% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 3%highest 10%: 33.7% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:30 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):11.6% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):21.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:revenues: $2.338 billionexpenditures: $2.88 billion; including capital expenditures of $788million (2005 est.)
Public debt:106.2% of GDP
Agriculture - products:cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat,cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish
Industries:food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metalsprocessing, cement
Industrial production growth rate:6.7% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:2.058 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 1.3% hydro: 97.6% nuclear: 0% other: 1.2% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:1.914 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:27,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:214,000 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:24.92 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:$-844 million (2005 est.)
Exports:$612 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds
Exports - partners:Saudi Arabia 6.9%, Djibouti 6.8%, Switzerland 6.4%, Italy 5.9%, US5.5%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005)
Imports:$2.722 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals,machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles
Imports - partners:Saudi Arabia 14.7%, China 12.6%, US 12.4%, **COUNTRY** 9.6%, India6.7%, Italy 4.6% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$1.226 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:$5.101 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$308 million (FY00/01)
Currency (code):birr (ETB)
Currency code:ETB
Exchange rates:birr per US dollar - 8.68 (2005), 8.6356 (2004), 8.5997 (2003),8.5678 (2002), 8.4575 (2001)note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a dailybasis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank
Fiscal year:8 July - 7 July
Communications Ethiopia
Telephones - main lines in use:610,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:410,600 (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: adequate for government usedomestic: open-wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication inthe HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites providethe national trunk serviceinternational: country code - 251; open-wire to Sudan and Djibouti;microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earthstations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios:15.2 million (2002)
Television broadcast stations:1 plus 24 repeaters (2002)
Televisions:682,000 (2002)
Internet country code:.et
Internet hosts:88 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):1 (2002)
Internet users:113,000 (2005)
Transportation Ethiopia
Airports: 84 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 70 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 28 under 914 m: 23 (2006)