ETHIOPIA

OFFICIAL NAME:
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

GEOGRAPHY:
Area: 1.1 million sq. km (472,000 sq. mi.)
Cities: Capital--Addis Ababa (pop. 2,973,000); Dire Dawa (281,750); Nazret (228,623); Gondar (194,773); Dessie (169,104); Mekelle (169,207); Bahir Dar (167,261); Jimma (159,009); Awassa (125,315).
Terrain: High plateau, mountains, dry lowland plains.
Climate: Temperate highlands; hot lowlands.

Ethiopia, located in the Horn of Africa, is bordered on the north and northeast by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the south by Kenya, and on the west and southwest by Sudan. Its high central plateau varies from 1,800 to 3,000 meters (6,000 - 10,000 ft.) above sea level, with some mountains reaching 4,620 meters (15,158 ft.). Elevation is generally highest just before the point of descent to the Great Rift Valley, which splits the plateau diagonally. A number of rivers cross the plateau, -notably the Blue Nile, flowing from Lake Tana. The plateau gradually slopes to the lowlands of the Sudan on the west and the Somali-inhabited plains on the southeast.

The climate is temperate on the plateau and hot in the lowlands. In Addis Ababa, which ranges from 2,200 to 2,600 meters (7,000 - 8,500 ft.), temperature ranges between 26° C (80° F) to 4° C (40° F). The weather is usually sunny and dry with the short (belg) rains occurring February to April and the big (meher) rains beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-September.

PEOPLE:

Nationality: Ethiopian(s).
Population: (2006 est.) 75 million.
Annual Growth Rate: 2.7%.
Languages: Amharic (official), Tigrigna, Guaragigna, Oromigna,Somali.
Education: Attendance (elementary) --57%. Literacy -- 35%.
Health: Infant mortality rate -- 77/1,000 live births.
Work force: Agriculture -- 80%. Industry and commerce -- 20%.

Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 77 different ethnic groups with their own distinct languages. Some have as few as 10,000 members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, and Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions inhabit the lowland regions. English, the most widely spoken foreign language, is taught in all secondary schools.