conventional long form:
State of Eritrea
conventional short form:
Eritrea
local long form:
none
local short form:
none
former:
Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Digraph:
ER
Type:
transitional government
note:
on 29 May 1991 ISSAIAS Afeworke, secretary general of the Eritrean
People's Liberation Front (EPLF), announced the formation of the
Provisional Government in Eritrea (PGE), in preparation for the 23-25
April 1993 referendum on independence for the autonomous region of
Eritrea; the result was a landslide vote for independence that was
announced on 27 April 1993
Capital:
Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces; Akale Guzay, Baraka, Denakil, Hamasen, Samhar, Seraye,
Sahil (1993)
Independence:
27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
National holiday:
National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)
Constitution:
transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
NA
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President ISSAIAS Afeworke (since 22 May 1993)
cabinet:
State Council; the collective executive authority
note:
election to be held before 20 May 1997
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly:
EPLF Central Committee serves as the country's legislative body until
multinational elections are held (before 20 May 1997)
Judicial branch:
Judiciary
Political parties and leaders:
Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) (Christian Muslim), ISSAIAS
Aferworke, PETROS Solomon; Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) (Muslim),
ABDULLAH Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization
(ELF-UO), Mohammed Said NAWUD; Eritrean Liberation Front -
Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), Ahmed NASSER
Other political or pressure groups:
Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ); Islamic Militant Group
Member of:
OAU, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), ITU, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador-designate Hagos GEBREHIWOT
chancery:
Suite 400, 910 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20006
telephone:
(202) 429-1991
FAX:
(202) 429-9004
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Robert G. HOUDEK
embassy:
34 Zera Yacob St., Asmara
mailing address:
P.O. Box 211, Asmara
telephone:
[291] (1) 123-720
FAX:
[291] (1) 127-584
Flag:
red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag
into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one
is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on
the hoist side of the red triangle
@Eritrea, Economy
Overview:
With independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993, Eritrea faces the
bitter economic problems of a small, desperately poor African country.
Most of the population will continue to depend on subsistence farming.
Domestic output is substantially augmented by worker remittances from
abroad. Government revenues come from custom duties and income and
sales taxes. Eritrea has inherited the entire coastline of Ethiopia
and has long-term prospects for revenues from the development of
offshore oil, offshore fishing and tourism. For the time being,
Ethiopia will be largely dependent on Eritrean ports for its foreign
trade.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
NA%
National product per capita:
$500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$NA
commodities:
NA
partners:
NA
Imports:
$NA
commodities:
NA
partners:
NA
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
NA kW
production:
NA kWh
consumption per capita:
NA kWh
Industries:
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Agriculture:
products - sorghum, livestock (including goats), fish, lentils,
vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope)
Economic aid:
$NA
Currency:
1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used
Exchange rates:
1 birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.000 (fixed rate since 1992)
Fiscal year:
NA
@Eritrea, Communications
Railroads:
307 km total; 307 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge
(nonoperational) linking Ak'ordat and Asmara (formerly Asmera) with
the port of Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa; 1993 est.)
Highways:
total:
3,845 km
paved:
807 km
unpaved:
gravel 840 km; improved earth 402 km; unimproved earth 1,796 km
Ports:
Assab (formerly Aseb), Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa)
Merchant marine:
none
Airports:
total:
5
usable:
5
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
2
Telecommunications:
NA
@Eritrea, Defense Forces
Branches:
Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
@Estonia, Geography
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia
Map references:
Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
45,100 sq km
land area:
43,200 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined
note:
includes 1,520 islands in the Baltic Sea
Land boundaries:
total 557 km, Latvia 267 km, Russia 290 km
Coastline:
1,393 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
maritime, wet, moderate winters, cool summers
Terrain:
marshy, lowlands
Natural resources:
shale oil, peat, phosphorite, amber
Land use:
arable land:
22%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
11%
forest and woodland:
31%
other:
36%
Irrigated land:
110 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
air heavily polluted with sulfur dioxide from oil-shale burning power
plants in northeast; contamination of soil and ground water with
petroleum products, chemicals at military bases
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified
- Biodiversity, Climate Change
Population:
1,616,882 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.52% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
13.98 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
12.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
3.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
19.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
69.96 years
male:
64.98 years
female:
75.19 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Estonian(s)
adjective:
Estonian
Ethnic divisions:
Estonian 61.5%, Russian 30.3%, Ukrainian 3.17%, Byelorussian 1.8%,
Finn 1.1%, other 2.13% (1989)
Religions:
Lutheran
Languages:
Estonian (official), Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, other
Literacy:
age 9-49 can read and write (1989)
total population:
100%
male:
100%
female:
100%
Labor force:
750,000 (1992)
by occupation:
industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 20%, other 38%
(1990)
@Estonia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Estonia
conventional short form:
Estonia
local long form:
Eesti Vabariik
local short form:
Eesti
former:
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
EN
Type:
republic
Capital:
Tallinn
Administrative divisions:
15 counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond) and 6 municipalities*:
Harju maakond (Tallinn), Hiiu maakond (Kardla), Ida-Viru maakond
(Johvi), Jarva maakond (Paide), Jogeva maakond (Jogeva),
Kohtla-Jarve*, Laane maakond (Haapsalu), Laane-Viru maakond (Rakvere),
Narva*, Parnu*, Parnu maakond (Parnu), Polva maakond (Polva), Rapla
maakond (Rapla), Saare maakond (Kuessaare), Sillamae*, Tallinn*,
Tartu*, Tartu maakond (Tartu), Valga maakond (Valga), Viljandi maakond
(Viljandi), Voru maakond (Voru)
note:
county centers are in parentheses
Independence:
6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 February (1918)
Constitution:
adopted 28 June 1992
Legal system:
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Lennart MERI (since 21 October 1992); election last held 20
September 1992; (next to be held NA 1997); results - no candidate
received majority; newly elected Parliament elected Lennart MERI (21
October 1992)
head of government:
Prime Minister Mart LAAR (since 21 October 1992)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister, authorized by
the legislature
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament (Riigikogu):
elections last held 20 September 1992; (next to be held NA); results -
Fatherland 21%, Safe Haven 14%, Popular Front 13%, M 10%, ENIP 8%, ERP
7%, ERL 7%, EP 2%, other 18%; seats - (101 total) Fatherland 29, Safe
Haven 18, Popular Front 15, M 12, ENIP 10, ERP 8, ERL 8, EP 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
National Coalition Party 'Pro Patria' (Isamaa of Fatherland), Mart
LAAR, president, made up of 4 parties: Christian Democratic Party
(KDE), Aivar KALA, chairman; Christian Democratic Union (KDL), Illar
HALLASTE, chairman; Conservative People's Party (KR), Enn TARTO,
chairman; Republican Coalition Party (VK), Leo STARKOV, chairman;
Moderates (M), made up of two parties: Estonian Social Democratic
Party (ESDB), Marju LAURISTIN, chairman; Estonian Rural Center Pary
(EMK), Ivar RAIG, chairman; Estonian National Independence Party
(ENIP), Tunne KELAM, chairman; Liberal Democratic Party (LDP),
Paul-Eerik RUMMO, chairman; Safe Haven, made up of three parties:
Estonian Coalition Party (EK), Tiit VAHI, chairman; Estonian Rural
Union (EM), Arvo SIRENDI, chairman; Estonian Democratic Justice
Union/Estonian Pensioners' League (EDO/EPU), Harri KARTNER, chairman;
Estonian Centrist Party (EK), Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman; Estonian
Democratic Labor Party (EDT), Vaino VALJAS, chairman; Estonian Green
Party (ERL), Tonu OJA; Estonian Royalist Party (ERP), Kalle KULBOK,
chairman; Entrepreneurs' Party (EP), Tiit MADE; Estonian Citizen
(EKL), Juri TOOMEPUU, chairman
Member of:
BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NACC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Toomas Hendrik ILVES
chancery:
1030 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005, Suite 1000
telephone:
(202) 789-0320
FAX:
(202) 789-0471
consulate(s) general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Robert C. FRASURE
embassy:
Kentmanni 20, Tallin EE 0001
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
011-[372] (6) 312-021 through 024
FAX:
[372] (6) 312-025
Flag:
pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990 - three equal
horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
@Estonia, Economy
Overview:
Bolstered by a widespread national desire to reintegrate into Western
Europe, the Estonian government has pursued a program of market
reforms and rough stabilization measures, which is rapidly
transforming the economy. Two years after independence - and one year
after the introduction of the kroon - Estonians are beginning to reap
tangible benefits; inflation is low; production declines appear to
have bottomed out; and living standards are rising. Economic
restructuring is clearly underway with the once-dominant
energy-intensive heavy industrial sectors giving way to
labor-intensive light industry and the underdeveloped service sector.
The private sector is growing rapidly; the share of the state
enterprises in retail trade has steadily declined and by June 1993
accounted for only 12.5% of total turnover, and 70,000 new jobs have
reportedly been created as a result of new business start-ups.
Estonia's foreign trade has shifted rapidly from East to West with the
Western industrialized countries now accounting for two-thirds of
foreign trade.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8.8 billion (1993 estimate from
the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and
published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as
extrapolated to 1993 using official Estonian statistics, which are
very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)
National product real growth rate:
-5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
$5,480 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% per month (1993 average)
Unemployment rate:
3.5% (May 1993); but large number of underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues:
$223 million
expenditures:
$142 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
$765 million (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
textile 14%, food products 11%, vehicles 11%, metals 11% (1993)
partners:
Russia, Finland, Latvia, Germany, Ukraine
Imports:
$865 million (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
machinery 18%, fuels 15%, vehicles 14%, textiles 10% (1993)
partners:
Finland, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands
External debt:
$650 million (end of 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate -27% (1993)
Electricity:
capacity:
3,700,000 kW
production:
22.9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
14,245 kWh (1992)
Industries:
accounts for 42% of labor force; oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates,
electric motors, excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles,
paper, shoes, apparel
Agriculture:
employs 20% of work force; very efficient by Soviet standards; net
exports of meat, fish, dairy products, and potatoes; imports of
feedgrains for livestock; fruits and vegetables
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia
and Latin America to Western Europe; limited illicit opium producer;
mostly for domestic consumption
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (1992), $10 million
Currency:
1 Estonian kroon (EEK) = 100 cents (introduced in August 1992)
Exchange rates:
kroons (EEK) per US$1 - 13.9 (January 1994), 13.2 (1993); note -
kroons are tied to the German Deutschmark at a fixed rate of 8 to 1
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Estonia, Communications
Railroads:
1,030 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
total:
30,300 km
paved or gravelled:
29,200 km
unpaved:
earth 1,100 km (1990)
Inland waterways:
500 km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
natural gas 420 km (1992)
Ports:
coastal - Tallinn, Novotallin, Parnu; inland - Narva
Merchant marine:
69 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 406,405 GRT/537,016 DWT, bulk 6,
cargo 50, container 2, oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 6,
short-sea passenger 4
Airports:
total:
29
usable:
18
with permanent-surface runways:
11
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
10
with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
8
note:
a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
Telecommunications:
Estonia's telephone system is antiquated and supports about 400,000
domestic telephone circuits, i.e. 25 telephones for each 100 persons;
improvements are being made piecemeal, with emphasis on business needs
and international connections; there are still about 150,000
unfulfilled requests for telephone service; broadcast stations - 3 TV
(provide Estonian programs as well Moscow Ostenkino's first and second
programs); international traffic is carried to the other former USSR
republics by land line or microwave and to other countries partly by
leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch, and
partly by a new Tallinn-Helsinki fiber optic submarine cable which
gives Estonia access to international circuits everywhere; substantial
investment has been made in cellular systems which are operational
throughout Estonia and also Latvia and which have access to the
international packet switched digital network via Helsinki
@Estonia, Defense Forces
Branches:
Ground Forces, Maritime Border Guard, National Guard (Kaitseliit),
Security Forces (internal and border troops), Coast Guard
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 392,135; fit for military service 308,951; reach
military age (18) annually 11,789 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
124.4 million kroons, NA% of GDP (forecast for 1993); note -
conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current
exchange rate could produce misleading results
@Ethiopia, Geography
Location:
Eastern Africa, between Somalia and Sudan
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,127,127 sq km
land area:
1,119,683 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total 5,311 km, Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia
1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
International disputes:
southern half of the boundary with Somalia is a Provisional
Administrative Line; territorial dispute with Somalia over the Ogaden
Climate:
tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain:
high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley
Natural resources:
small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash
Land use:
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
41%
forest and woodland:
24%
other:
22%
Irrigated land:
1,620 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; famine
natural hazards:
geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Note:
landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de
jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993
@Ethiopia, People
Population:
54,927,108 (July 1994 est.)
note:
Ethiopian demographic data, except population and population growth
rate, include Eritrea
Population growth rate:
3.4% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
45.01 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
13.89 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
106.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
52.67 years
male:
51 years
female:
54.38 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.81 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Ethiopian(s)
adjective:
Ethiopian
Ethnic divisions:
Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigrean 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%,
Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 5%
Languages:
Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic,
English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy:
age 10 and over can read and write (1984)
total population:
24%
male:
33%
female:
16%
Labor force:
18 million
by occupation:
agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%,
industry and construction 8% (1985)
@Ethiopia, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Ethiopia
local long form:
none
local short form:
Ityop'iya
Digraph:
ET
Type:
transitional government
note:
on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
(EPRDF) toppled the authoritarian government of MENGISTU Haile-Mariam
and took control in Addis Ababa; the Transitional Government of
Ethiopia (TGE), announced a two-year transitional period
Capital:
Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions:
14 administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader
akababi) Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Benishangul, Gambela,
Gurage-Hadiya-Kambata, Harer, Kefa, Omo, Oromo, Sidamo, Somali,
Tigray, Wolayta
Independence:
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the
world - at least 2,000 years
National holiday:
National Day, 28 May (1991) (defeat of Mengistu regime)
Constitution:
to be redrafted by 1993
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President MELES Zenawi (since 1 June 1991); election last held 10
September 1987; next election planned after new constitution drafted;
results - MENGISTU Haile-Mariam elected by the now defunct National
Assembly, but resigned and left Ethiopia on 21 May 1991
head of government:
Prime Minister TAMIRAT Layne (since 6 June 1991)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers; designated by the chairman of the Council of
Representatives
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Constituent Assembly:
elections were held on 5 June 1994 (next to be held NA); results - NA;
a major task of the new Assembly will be to ratify the constitution to
drafted by the end of 1994
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), MELES
Zenawi; Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), Kuma DEMEKSA
Other political or pressure groups:
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party
(EPRP); numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since
Mengistu's resignation, including several Islamic militant groups
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos
chancery:
2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 234-2281 or 2282
FAX:
(202) 328-7950
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Marc A. BAAS
embassy:
Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address:
P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone:
[251] (1) 550-666
FAX:
[251] (1) 552-191
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red; Ethiopia
is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the colors of her
flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon
independence that they became known as the pan-African colors
@Ethiopia, Economy
Overview:
With the independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993, Ethiopia continues
to face difficult economic problems as one of the poorest and least
developed countries in Africa. (The accompanying analysis and figures
predate the independence of Eritrea.) Its economy is based on
subsistence agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of
exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates 60% of export
earnings. 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. Favorable agricultural
weather largely explains the 4.5% growth in output in FY89, whereas
drought and deteriorating internal security conditions prevented
growth in FY90. In 1991 the lack of law and order, particularly in the
south, interfered with economic development and growth. In 1992,
because of some easing of civil strife and aid from the outside world,
the economy substantially improved.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $22.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
7.8% (FY93 est)
National product per capita:
$400 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
21% (1992 est)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992 est.)
Exports:
$189 million (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
coffee, leather products, gold, petroleum products
partners:
Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia, France, Italy
Imports:
$472 million (c.i.f., FY91)
commodities:
capital goods, consumer goods, fuel
partners:
US, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan
External debt:
$3.48 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate -3.3% (FY92); accounts for 12% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
330,000 kW
production:
650 million kWh
consumption per capita:
10 kWh (1991)
Industries:
food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing,
cement
Agriculture:
accounts for 47% of GDP and is the most important sector of the
economy even though frequent droughts and poor cultivation practices
keep farm output low; famines not uncommon; export crops of coffee and
oilseeds grown partly on state farms; estimated 50% of agricultural
production at subsistence level; principal crops and livestock -
cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes and other
vegetables, hides and skins, cattle, sheep, goats
Illicit drugs:
transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and
destined for Europe and North America as well as cocaine destined for
southern African markets; cultivates qat (chat) for local use and
regional export
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $504 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $3.4
billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $8 million; Communist countries
(1970-89), $2 billion
Currency:
1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.0000 (fixed rate since 1992); fixed at 2.070
before 1992
Fiscal year:
8 July - 7 July
@Ethiopia, Communications