Located in East Africa, Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world. It is unique among African countries because it is the only one never truly colonized by a European power. Ethiopia saw much change in the 20th century, when its ancient monarchy fell to a military dictatorship. It finally became a democratic nation in the 1990s. The capital, Addis Ababa, is located almost at the center of the country. GeographyEthiopia covers an area of 437,794 square miles (1,133,882 square kilometers) in the region known as the Horn of Africa. It is bordered on the north by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the south by Kenya, and on the west by the Sudan. It is landlocked, meaning that it has no coastline. Ethiopia is one of the most rugged countries in Africa. It can be divided into five major geographical regions: the Western Highlands, the Western Lowlands, the Great Rift Valley, the Eastern Highlands, and the Eastern Lowlands. The highest peak in Ethiopia, Mount Ras Dejen, rises to 15,157 feet (4,620 meters) in the Western Highlands. The climate is temperate in the highlands and hot in the lowlands. The average daily temperature at Addis Ababa, which is in the highlands, ranges from 52° F (11° C) to 73° F (23° C). The average annual temperature in the lowlands is about 82° F (28° C). Ethiopia has two rainy seasons, from March to April and from June to August. The amount of rainfall often depends on altitude—higher areas are wetter, lowlands drier. The country often experiences devastating droughts. Plants and animalsThe nondesert parts of Ethiopia were once covered with grasslands or forests. Thousands of years of farming and herding have altered this natural landscape, however. Tropical forests still exist in parts of the highlands and the lowlands, but much of the country's forestland has been cleared, usually to create fields. The desert lands bear mainly scrub. Twenty national parks, game reserves, and sanctuaries protect endangered animals that are unique to Ethiopia. Among these animals are the walia ibex (a type of mountain goat) of the Simen Mountains, the Simien jackal, and the gelada monkey. Lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo, zebras, giraffes, and rhinoceroses, once abundant, are now endangered. People and cultureThe two largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia are the Amhara and the Oromo. Each accounts for about one third of the population. Other ethnic groups include the Tigray, Shankella, Gurage, Afar, Somali, and Sidamo peoples. Many languages and dialects are spoken, with Amharic and Oromo being the most common. More than half of Ethiopia's people are Christian, mostly of the Ethiopian Orthodox church. Christianity was the official state religion until 1974. About a third of the population is Muslim. Traditional religions are practiced mainly in the south and west. For centuries Judaism has been practiced in the vicinity of the ancient city of Gonder. Most of the Ethiopian Jews have relocated to Israel. Only about 17 percent of Ethiopia's population lives in cities. The rural population is concentrated in the highlands. More than 2 million people live in Addis Ababa, one of the world's most scenic capital cities. Nestled in the highlands, it has many bustling marketplaces and public squares. In the late 1980s and 1990s the disease known as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) became a severe health problem in Ethiopia. The disease caused a drop in the country's average life expectancy, which was already among the lowest in the world. At the start of the 21st century, life expectancy was about 44 years for males and 46 years for females. Economy - A farmer carries a plow in the Western Highlands of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is one of the world's poorest countries. Agriculture employs most of the workforce. Farming is difficult in Ethiopia for several reasons. Much of the soil is of very poor quality because of erosion and overgrazing. Frequent drought is another serious problem. As a result of such difficulties, the country cannot produce enough food for its people. Grains such as corn (maize), barley, wheat, millet, teff (a cereal grass), and sorghum are the main food crops. Coffee is the main cash crop, accounting for about two thirds of the country's total exports. Livestock raising is an important part of agricultural production, for meat as well as for hides and skins. Manufacturing and mining form only a small part of the Ethiopian economy. The most important industries are food processing and textiles, followed by shoes and leather goods, tobacco, and chemicals. Little has been done to find possible mineral resources in Ethiopia. Those known and mined include gold, platinum, salt, and limestone. HistoryEthiopia has been inhabited since ancient times. Some of the oldest fossils of the creatures that evolved into human beings have been found there. Bone fragments from an apelike creature commonly known as Lucy are thought to be 4 million years old. The kingdom of Da'amat was established in the 2nd millennium BC. In the 1st century AD the kingdom of Aksum seized control of the region. According to legend, Menilek I, the founder of Aksum, was the son of the biblical king Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Christianity was introduced to Ethiopia in the 4th century AD. When Islam swept through Africa in the 7th century AD, Ethiopia remained Christian. The Muslim Arabs continued their attempts to conquer the region, however. In the 16th century the Portuguese helped the Ethiopians defeat the invading Arab armies. In the late 19th century Italy became interested in making Ethiopia and Eritrea into Italian colonies. By 1890 the Italians governed Eritrea. From there they advanced into Ethiopia. In 1896 the Ethiopians under Emperor Menilek II decisively defeated the Italians. The victory preserved Ethiopia as one of the few nations of Africa that did not become a colony of a European power. Under Menilek II, Ethiopia expanded to its present size. In 1930 Haile Selassie was crowned emperor of Ethiopia. He modernized the country through public projects. He was driven out of the country in 1935 when Italy again attacked Ethiopia. The Italians occupied most of the country until early 1941. Later that year Haile Selassie returned to Ethiopia. In 1952 Ethiopia incorporated Eritrea. In 1974 Haile Selassie was removed from power by the military. This ended the country's longstanding monarchy. The new military government, known as the Derg, made Ethiopia a socialist state. In 1977 Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam became head of state. The Derg faced a number of problems. In the late 1970s Ethiopia fought a war with Somalia. In addition, rebel groups, especially in Eritrea and Tigray, fought the Ethiopian government throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These groups wanted to break away from Ethiopia or to change its government. These conflicts were worsened by drought and famine, which brought millions of Ethiopians to the brink of starvation in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1991 the combined efforts of the rebel troops forced Mengistu to resign. Eritrea declared its independence in 1993. In late 1994 Ethiopia adopted a new constitution. The next year the country held its first democratic elections. In 1998 Ethiopia became involved in a border war with Eritrea. The government spent much of the country's meager funds on the war effort, hurting the economy. A peace agreement signed in 2000 ended the conflict. Population (2001 estimate), 65,892,000. |