| Country Size: |
1.2 million sq km |
| Population: |
77 million |
| Currency: |
Birr (ETB) |
| Languages: |
Amharic (official), Oromiffa, Tigrigna, Somaligna, Sidamgna, Wolaitigna, Afarigna, Hadiyigna (among 80 other languages spoken), English |
| Capital City: |
Addis Ababa |
| GDP (US$): |
$54.89 billion (2004 est.) |
| Main Economic Sectors: |
Coffee, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds. |
| Main Exports: |
Coffee, gold, leather products, live animals, oilseeds. |
| Main Imports: |
Food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles. |
| Industry (Main Industries): |
Food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement, leather processing. |
| Natural Resources: |
Small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower. |
| Agriculture (Main Products): |
Cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, hides, cattle, sheep, goats. |
| International Organization Member: |
ACP, AFDB, AU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WTO (observer). |
| Infrastructure: |
Highways:
31,571 km total (3,890 km asphalt; 12,380 km gravel; 13,521 km rural road; 2,000 km sub-rural)
Airports:
120 total, 84 usable
Railway:
778-km railway line from Addis Ababa to Djibouti.
Communication and Transport:
Despite its geographical complexities, the country has a well-developed system of transport and communications. An extensive road network connects the capital, Addis Ababa, with various regional and urban centers. There is also a highway from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. A railway system links Addis Ababa with the port cities of Djibouti, while Ethiopian Airlines links Ethiopia to most major countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.
Telecommunication services in major urban centers are served through a microwave system. There is an open-wire relay system to Sudan and Djibouti and microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti. Excellent international communications are also maintained through two satellite earth stations-(1) Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and (2) Pacific Ocean INTELSAT.
There are four AM broadcast stations and 1 television station. Most of the Ethiopian people listen to radios for information, although almost every village has a television in the community center, where the villagers can gather to watch television programs. There are several foreign-language newspapers published in Ethiopia, including the daily Ethiopian Herald, printed in English, and the Arabic weekly newspaper Al-Alem.
Energy:
There is substantial hydroelectric and thermal power potential in Ethiopia. Its hydropower potential has been estimated at about 650 billion kilowatt hours (kWh). To date, the aggregate electricity generated is more than 1.2 billion kWh, which is much less than one percent of the potential.
Electricity:
Distribution stations: 114
Production capacity: 528
Megawatt Electricity production: 493 million KWH
Production by source:
-
Hydro ('%): 99.2
-
Others (%): 0.8
Number of customers: 625,496
Total coverage: 13.4%
Banking:
Efficient facilities for banking and insurance are available in the country. The National Bank of Ethiopia is the central bank and its responsibilities include conducting implementation of monetary policy and exchange rate policy as well as regulation and supervision of banks and other financial institutions. Currently there are eight commercial banks and one development bank with 267 branches, nine insurance companies with 91 branches and 16 micro-finance institutions. |