Country Information on Ethiopia

Terrain Ethiopia is one of the countries with the highest altitude in all of tropical Africa. 50% of the area are situated above 1200 m and further 25% above 1800 m. The interior of the country is dominated by the Ethiopian Highland, divided from northeast to southwest by the Ethiopian Rift, which constitutes part of the East African rift system and is characterized by young volcanoes and lack of any drains. The highest elevation is Ras Dashan with 4620 m. It is located in the north as is the case with Lake Tana, which has its source in the Blue Nile. The northeastern parts of the plateau are characterised by steep slopes which fall away by 1,220 m or more to reach the lowlands and the Danakil Desert. Along the western edge of the plateau the highlands slowly merge into Sudan's desert areas. Along the southern and southwestern edges, the plateau falls away to reach Lake Turkana (called Lake Rudolf in the past) in neighbouring Kenya. After Eritrea split off in 1993, Ethiopia does not have any direct access to the coast any more. Climate The climate of Ethiopia mainly depends on elevation. There is more annual rainfall in the lower south than in the higher north and east of the plateau. The principal rainy season occurs between mid-June and September, followed by a dry season that may be interrupted in February or March by a short rainy season. The tropical zone below approximately 1,800 m has an average annual temperature of about 27° C, but receives less than about 500 mm of rain annually. The subtropical zone, which includes most of the highland plateau and is between about 1,800 and 2,500 m in elevation, has an average temperature of about 22° C. Fauna/Flora The great variations in elevation are directly reflected in the kind of vegetation found in Ethiopia. The lower areas of the tropical zone have sparse vegetation consisting of desert shrubs, thorn bushes, and coarse savannah grasses, the valleys and gorges, however, are densely covered with vegetation. The temperate zone is largely covered with grassland. Alpine vegetation is found on the highest slopes, merging into rock desert above 3900 m. The larger species of African wildlife are native to most parts of the country. These include the giraffe, leopard, hippopotamus, lion, elephant, antelope, rhinoceros, lynx, jackal, hyena, and various species of monkey. The great variety of flora and fauna has decreased owing to human interference. Ethiopia's forests are declining alarmingly. Because of the demands for fuel, construction and fencing, at least 77% of the country's tree cover has been cut down in the last 25 years. History/Politics Excavations of the oldest human fossils ever found in the world gave evidence of settlements in Ethiopian desert dating back six million years. In the 2nd century BC the Semites founded the kingdom of Aksum, ruled by the dynasty of the Solomonids, who claimed direct descent from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Trade relations with the Islamic kingdoms of Arabia and India ceased when the country's ruling classes converted to the Christian faith in the 4th century AD. Additionally, domestic problems as a result of economic restrictions fostered the development of a feudalised system reminiscent of Europe. When the country fell apart in 1906, the area of present-day Eritrea and the southern coastal regions of Somalia went to Italy in exchange for trade favours for Abyssinia. In 1936 the country was attacked by Mussolini's troops, who (taking advantage of internal dispute) did not leave the country before 1941. After Mussolini's fall, the British took control of Ethiopia. Ethiopia became independent in 1948 and Emperor Haile Salassie annexed Eritrea in 1962, which again caused decades of warfare. In 1974 Haile Selassie was deposed by a military coup and the monarchy was abolished under the new leader Mengistu Haile Mariam. Guerrilla warfare broke out in 1986, which caused Mengistu to flee the country in 1991. In 1993 Eritrea split off and subsequently declared its independence. Ethiopia's parliament appointed Negasso Gidada as president and 17 governmental members (carefully considering equal distribution according to ethnic groups) in August 1995. Girma Woldegiorgis became new President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in October 2001. Economy Ethiopia remains one of the least developed countries in the world. Its economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for more than half of the gross domestic product, 90% of exports, and around 75% of total employment. Ethiopians are for the most part subsistence farmers. About 13% of the country's surface is used for farming. Coffee is vital for Ethiopia's economy. More than 15 million people (25% of the population) derive their livelihood from the coffee sector. Other important agricultural commodities are barley, maize, sorghum, and sugar cane. The country's livestock includes cattle, sheep, and goats. Most important for export are coffee and hides. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent periods of drought and poor cultivation practices. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector. Over 90% of large-scale industry, but less than 10% of agriculture, is state-run. The government is considering selling off a portion of state-owned plants and is implementing reform measures that are gradually liberalising the economy. Culture Ethiopia looks back on a rich literary tradition, including translations from ancient Greek, Arabic and other languages into the church language Ge'ez and into the modern Amharic language. Most of these writings had a religious or mythological character, whereas the secular literature mainly dealt with historical topics. Ethiopia also has fine examples of art and architecture when it comes to the country's longstanding Christian tradition, such as the rock churches of Lalibela or the churches and monasteries of Lake Tana. Church buildings and frescoes mostly demonstrate Byzantine and Coptic influences. Other important examples for Ethiopian culture are the giant steles of Aksum and the palaces of Gonder. The work of Ethiopian silversmiths, which is full of inventiveness and enormous skill, is appreciated abroad, as well.