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CLICK
HERE
to
access an interactive
map of Ethiopia at
Expedia.com. (Opens new
browser
window.)
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About
Ethiopia
NOTE:
EATIC will be adding considerably more detailed
information about Ethiopia in this section soon;
please visit this page again. For now, we offer a
brief overview of the country.
Ethiopia
is the only country in Africa that has never been
colonized by any foreign power, and its people have
a proud tradition of fighting for their
independence. The country is noted for its rich,
ancient Orthodox Christian heritage, which the
Ethiopians managed to sustain even when all its
neighbors embraced Islam by the 7th century AD.
Ethiopia's
Rift Valley is known as the very cradle of
humanity, where fossils of the oldest known human
being, dating back 3.5 million years, were found
here in 1974. Ethiopians have a historical record
of their rulers dating back over 5000 years, and
you can find several Biblical passages which record
Ethiopian episodes around 1000 BC. The son of the
Queen of Sheba, Menelik I, is regarded as the first
emperor of Ethiopia, whose dynasty ended with
Emperor Haile Selassie only in 1974.
For
more information about tourism in Ethiopia,
click
here.
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Geography
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Area
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1,127,127
sq. km.
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Comparitive
Size
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Twice
the size of France, 1/3rd the
size of the continental United
States
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Land
Boundaries
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5,311
km - Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya,
Somalia, Sudan
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Coastline
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Landlocked
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Climate
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Tropical
monsoon w/ wide topographic
variation
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Natural
Resources
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Gold,
platinum, copper,
potash
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People
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Population
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60
million
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Growth
Rate
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6%
average (1995-98)
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Language
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Amharic
(official), English, Oromigna,
Tigrigna, Arabic
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Religion
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Christianity
(Ethiopian Orthodox), Islam,
Judaism, Animist,
others
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Literacy
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25%
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Government
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Type
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Federal
Democratic Republic
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Prime
Minister - Head of
State
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Meles
Zenawi
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President
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Negasso
Gidada
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Legislative
Branch / Judicial
Branch
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Bicameral
/ Federal Supreme
Court
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Political
Parties
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EPRDF
ruling coalition; a number of
smaller parties
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Economy
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National
Product
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GDP
purchasing power equivalent $25
billion
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National
Product Real Growth
Rate
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4%
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GDP
per capita
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$130
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Unemployment
Rate
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30%
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Exports
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$450
million (f.o.b.)
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Imports
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$2
billion (c.i.f.)
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Currency
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1
Birr (Br) = 100 Centim
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Exchange
Rate (Br per US$)
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8.00
Birr / $1.00
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