$3.619 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.316 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 17.5% industry: 23.2% services: 59.3% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
50% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Investment (gross fixed):
19.1% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $234.6 million expenditures: $471.4 million (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17% (2007 est.)
Stock of money:
$749.1 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$932.9 million (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$1.711 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
Industries:
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement
Industrial production growth rate:
2% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
253 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
216 million kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
5,186 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
54.74 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
4,924 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$205 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$12 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures
Exports - partners:
Italy 34.4%, China 16.2%, Sudan 15.2%, France 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.2%, Australia 4.4% (2007)
Imports:
$573 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 19.1%, Italy 15.1%, China 11.1%, Turkey 8.3%, Germany 7.2%, Ukraine 5.1% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$355.2 million (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$23 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$311 million (2000 est.)
Currency (code):
nakfa (ERN)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.5 (2007), 15.4 (2006), 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003) note: the official exchange rate is 15 nakfa to the dollar
CommunicationsEritrea
Telephones - main lines in use:
37,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
70,000 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate; combined fixed-line and mobile cellular subscribership is only about 2 per 100 persons domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002) international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)
Radios:
345,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2006)
Televisions:
1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.er
Internet hosts:
1,074 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2001)
Internet users:
120,000 (2007)
TransportationEritrea
Airports:
18 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Railways:
total: 306 km narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 4,010 km paved: 874 km unpaved: 3,136 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 5 by type: cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Assab, Massawa
MilitaryEritrea
Military branches:
Eritrean Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,108,836 females age 16-49: 1,096,120 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 715,531 females age 16-49: 731,511 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 60,490 female: 60,639 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2006 est.)
Transnational IssuesEritrea
Disputes - international:
Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but, neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 32,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPs are near the central border region) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Estonia
IntroductionEstonia
Background:
After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
GeographyEstonia
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland, between Latvia and Russia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 45,226 sq km land: 43,211 sq km water: 2,015 sq km note: 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 343 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline:
3,794 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: limits fixed in coordination with neighboring 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 m highest 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)
Total renewable water resources:
21.1 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.41 cu km/yr (56%/39%/5%) per capita: 1,060 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
sometimes flooding occurs in the spring
Environment - current issues:
air polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power plants in northeast; however, the amount of pollutants emitted to the air have fallen steadily, the emissions of 2000 were 80% less than in 1980; the amount of unpurified wastewater discharged to water bodies in 2000 was one-20th the level of 1980; in connection with the start-up of new water purification plants, the pollution load of wastewater decreased; Estonia has more than 1,400 natural and manmade lakes, the smaller of which in agricultural areas need to be monitored; coastal seawater is polluted in certain locations
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the mainland terrain is flat, boggy, and partly wooded; offshore lie more than 1,500 islands
PeopleEstonia
Population:
1,307,605 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.9% (male 100,143/female 94,450) 15-64 years: 67.5% (male 420,896/female 462,072) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 76,171/female 153,873) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.6 years male: 36.2 years female: 43.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.632% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
10.28 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
13.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
-3.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.84 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.62 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.21 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.56 years male: 67.16 years female: 78.3 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.42 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
7,800 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A vectorborne disease: tickborne encephalitis (2008)
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 write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 17 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
5.1% of GDP (2004)
GovernmentEstonia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Estonia conventional short form: Estonia local long form: Eesti Vabariik local short form: Eesti former: Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:
parliamentary republic
Capital:
name: Tallinn geographic coordinates: 59 26 N, 24 43 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday 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 in parentheses
Independence:
20 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 February (1918); note - 24 February 1918 wasthe date Estonia declared its independence from Soviet Russia; 20August 1991 was the date it declared its independence from theSoviet Union
Constitution:
adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system:
based on civil law system; 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 October 2006) head of government: Prime Minister Andrus ANSIP (since 12 April 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if a candidate does not secure two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of balloting in the Parliament, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last held 23 September 2006 (next to be held in the fall of 2011); prime minister nominated by the president and approved by Parliament election results: Toomas Hendrik ILVES elected president on 23 September 2006 by a 345-member electoral assembly; ILVES received 174 votes to incumbent Arnold RUUTEL's 162; remaining 9 ballots left blank or invalid
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 4 March 2007 (next to be held in March 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - Estonian Reform Party 27.8%, Center Party of Estonia 26.1%, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 17.9%, Social Democratic Party 10.6%, Estonian Greens 7.1%, Estonian People's Union 7.1%, other 5%; seats by party - Estonian Reform Party 31, Center Party 29, Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica 19, Social Democratic Party 10, Estonian Greens 6, Estonian People's Union 6
Judicial branch:
National Court (chairman appointed by Parliament for life)
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party of Estonia (Keskerakond) [Edgar SAVISAAR]; EstonianGreens (Rohelised) [Marek STRANDBERG]; Estonian People's Union(Rahvaliit) [Villu REILJAN]; Estonian Reform Party (Reformierakond)[Andrus ANSIP]; Estonian United Russian People's Party or EUVRP[Yevgeniy TOMBERG]; Social Democratic Party (formerly People's PartyMoodukad or Moderates) [Ivari PADAR]; Union of Pro Patria and ResPublica (Isamaa je Res Publica Liit) [Mart LAAR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Nochnoy Dozor/Night Watch anti-fascist movement (leader AlexanderKOROBOV)
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA,IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO,NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associatepartner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Vaino REINART chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101 FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stanley Davis PHILLIPS embassy: Kentmanni 20, 15099 Tallinn mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [372] 668-8100 FAX: [372] 668-8265
Flag description:
pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
EconomyEstonia
Economy - overview:
Estonia, a 2004 European Union entrant, has a modern market-based economy and one of the highest per capita income levels in Central Europe. The economy benefits from strong electronics and telecommunications sectors and strong trade ties with Finland, Sweden, and Germany. The current government has pursued relatively sound fiscal policies, resulting in balanced budgets and low public debt. In 2007, however, a large current account deficit and rising inflation put pressure on Estonia's currency, which is pegged to the euro, highlighting the need for growth in export-generating industries.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$28.69 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$21.28 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$21,800 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 3% industry: 28.5% services: 68.5% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
687,000 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 11% industry: 20% services: 69% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
5% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34 (2005)
Investment (gross fixed):
31.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $7.854 billion expenditures: $7.171 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Public debt:
3.4% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.6% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
6.46% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$7.158 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$4.253 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$21.35 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, vegetables; livestock and dairy products; fish
Industries:
engineering, electronics, wood and wood products, textiles; information technology, telecommunications
Industrial production growth rate:
7.7% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
9.158 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
7.331 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
3.179 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
400 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 99.8% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.2% (2001)
Oil - production:
7,430 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
30,440 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
7,000 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
28,170 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
1.48 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
1.48 billion cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Current account balance:
-$3.771 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$11.08 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 33%, wood and paper 15%, textiles 14%, food products 8%, furniture 7%, metals, chemical products (2001)
Exports - partners:
Finland 17.9%, Sweden 13.2%, Latvia 11.4%, Russia 8.9%, Lithuania 5.8%, Germany 5.2%, US 4.1% (2007)
Imports:
$14.75 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 33.5%, chemical products 11.6%, textiles 10.3%, foodstuffs 9.4%, transportation equipment 8.9% (2001)
Imports - partners:
Finland 15.9%, Germany 12.8%, Sweden 10.1%, Russia 10%, Latvia 7.6%,Lithuania 6.9%, Poland 4.5% (2007)
Economic aid - recipient:
$135.5 million (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.27 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$24.82 billion (30 June 2007)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$16.59 billion (2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$5.873 billion (2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$5.963 billion (2006)
Currency (code):
Estonian kroon (EEK)
Currency code:
Exchange rates:
krooni (EEK) per US dollar - 11.535 (2007), 12.473 (2006), 12.584 (2005), 12.596 (2004), 13.856 (2003) note: the krooni is pegged to the euro
CommunicationsEstonia
Telephones - main lines in use:
495,500 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.982 million (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: foreign investment in the form of joint business ventures greatly improved telephone service; substantial fiber-optic cable systems carry telephone, TV, and radio traffic in the digital mode; Internet services are widely available; schools and libraries are connected to the Internet, a large percentage of the population files income-tax returns online, and online voting was used for the first time in the 2005 local elections domestic: a wide range of high quality voice, data, and Internet services is available throughout the country international: country code - 372; fiber-optic cables to Finland, Sweden, Latvia, and Russia provide worldwide packet-switched service; 2 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:
645,495 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
38 (2001)
Internet users:
780,000 (2007)
TransportationEstonia
Airports:
19 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Heliports:
1 (2007)
Pipelines:
gas 859 km (2007)
Railways:
total: 968 km broad gauge: 968 km 1.520 m/1.524-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 57,016 km paved: 12,926 km (includes 99 km of expressways) unpaved: 44,090 km (2005)
Waterways:
320 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 29 by type: cargo 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 2, chemical tanker 1 foreign-owned: 4 (Denmark 1, Germany 1, Norway 2) registered in other countries: 85 (Antigua and Barbuda 23, Belize 6, Cyprus 5, Dominica 7, Finland 2, Latvia 2, Liberia 1, Malta 11, Norway 1, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 16, Sweden 2, Vanuatu 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Kuivastu, Kunda, Muuga, Tallinn, Virtsu
MilitaryEstonia
Military branches:
Estonian Defense Forces: Land Force, Navy, Air Force (EestiOhuvagi), Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit, KL) (2008)
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 16-49: 306,273 females age 16-49: 317,852 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 218,448 females age 16-49: 264,187 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 8,322 female: 7,846 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Transnational IssuesEstonia
Disputes - international:
Russia recalled its signature to the 1996 technical border agreement with Estonia in 2005, rather than concede to Estonia's appending prepared a unilateral declaration referencing Soviet occupation and territorial losses; Russia demands better accommodation of Russian-speaking population in Estonia; Estonian citizen groups continue to press for realignment of the boundary based on the 1920 Tartu Peace Treaty that would bring the now divided ethnic Setu people and parts of the Narva region within Estonia; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Estonia must implement the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
Illicit drugs:
growing producer of synthetic drugs; increasingly important transshipment zone for cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs since joining the European Union and the Schengen Accord; potential money laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking is a concern, as is possible use of the gambling sector to launder funds; major use of opiates and ecstasy
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Ethiopia
IntroductionEthiopia
Background:
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. 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. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Border Commission in November 2007 remotely demarcated the border by geographical coordinates, but final demarcation of the boundary on the ground is currently on hold because of Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.
GeographyEthiopia
Location:
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 1,127,127 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km water: 7,444 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,328 km border 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 Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m highest point: Ras Dejen 4,533 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)
Total renewable water resources:
110 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 5.56 cu km/yr (6%/0%/94%) per capita: 72 cu m/yr (2002)
Natural hazards:
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean
PeopleEthiopia
Population:
82,544,840 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 18,922,334/female 19,017,593) 15-64 years: 51.4% (male 20,749,002/female 21,656,509) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 947,323/female 1,252,077) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.9 years male: 16.6 years female: 17.2 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.212% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
43.97 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
11.83 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA note: repatriation of Ethiopian refugees residing in Sudan is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese, Somali, and Eritrean refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 82.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 94.08 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.99 years male: 52.54 years female: 57.51 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.17 children born/woman (2008 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: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Ethiopian(s) adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups:
Oromo 32.1%, Amara 30.1%, Tigraway 6.2%, Somalie 5.9%, Guragie 4.3%,Sidama 3.5%, Welaita 2.4%, other 15.4% (1994 census)
Religions:
Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)
Languages:
Amarigna 32.7%, Oromigna 31.6%, Tigrigna 6.1%, Somaligna 6%,Guaragigna 3.5%, Sidamigna 3.5%, Hadiyigna 1.7%, other 14.8%,English (major foreign language taught in schools) (1994 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.7% male: 50.3% female: 35.1% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years male: 8 years female: 7 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
6% of GDP (2006)
GovernmentEthiopia
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:
name: Addis Ababa geographic coordinates: 9 02 N, 38 42 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
National holiday:
National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)
Constitution:
ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995
Legal system:
based on civil law; currently transitional mix of national and regional courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 August 1995) cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided for in the December 1994 constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives elections: president elected by the House of People's Representatives for a six-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 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 are 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 are directly elected by popular vote from 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 2 note: some seats still remain vacant as detained opposition MPs did not take their seats
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; Benishangul Gumuz People'sDemocratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition forUnity and Democratic Party or CUDP [AYELE Chamisso] (awarded toAYELE by the National Electoral Board on 11 January 2008, but AYELEhas virtually no support among former CUD MPs, other CUD MPs mustnow be affiliated with their original CUD-precursor parties);Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELESZenawi] (an alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM,Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South EthiopianPeople's Democratic Front or SEPDF, and Tigrayan Peoples' LiberationFront or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM;Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; OmoroPeople's Congress or OPC [IMERERA Gudina]; Somali People'sDemocratic Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF[BEYENE Petros]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden NationalLiberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]
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(observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN,UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO,WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel ASSEFA chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200 FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donald Y. YAMAMOTO embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] 11-517-40-00 FAX: [251] 11-517-40-01
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors
EconomyEthiopia
Economy - overview:
Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover during 2004-07.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$56.05 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.43 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
11.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$700 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 47% industry: 13.2% services: 39.8% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
27.27 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 80% industry: 8% services: 12% (1985)
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
38.7% (FY05/06 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3.9% highest 10%: 25.5% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
30 (2000)
Investment (gross fixed):
25.9% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3.231 billion expenditures: $3.785 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
8 July - 7 July
Public debt:
44.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17.2% (2007 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
7% (31 December 2006)
Stock of money:
$3.651 billion (31 December 2006)
Stock of quasi money:
$3.258 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$6.694 billion (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products: