Harju maakond (Tallinn), Hiiu maakond (Kardla), Ida-Viru maakond
(Johvi), Jarva maakond (Paide), Jogeva maakond (Jogeva), Laane maakond
(Haapsalu), Laane-Viru maakond (Rakvere), Parnu maakond (Parnu), Polva
maakond (Polva), Rapla maakond (Rapla), Saare maakond (Kuessaare),
Tartu maakond (Tartu), Valga maakond (Valga), Viljandi maakond
(Viljandi), Voru maakond (Voru)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name
following 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)
head of government: Prime Minister Tiit VAHI (acting since NA March
1995; confirmed 17 April 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister,
approved by Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a five-year term; if he
or she does not secure two-thirds of the votes after 3 rounds of
balloting, then an electoral assembly (made up of Parliament plus
members of local governments) elects the president, choosing between
the two candidates with the largest percentage of votes; election last
held August-September 1996 (next to be held fall 2001); prime minister
nominated by the president and approved by Parliament
election results: Lennart MERI elected president by an electoral
assembly after Parliament was unable to break a deadlock between MERI
and RUUTEL; percent of electoral assembly vote - Lennert MERI 61%,
Arnold RUUTEL 39%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Riigikogu (101 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections : last held 5 March 1995 (next to be held NA 1999)
election results: percent of vote by party - KMU 32.22%, RE 16.18%, K
14.17%, Pro Patria and ERSP 7.85%, M 5.98%, Our Home is Estonia and
Right-Wingers 5.0%; seats by party - KMU 41, RE 19, K 16, Pro Patria
8, Our Home is Estonia 6, M 6, Right-Wingers 5
Judicial branch: National Court
Political parties and leaders: Coalition Party and Rural Union or KMU
[Tiit VAHI, chairman] made up of 4 parties: Coalition Party, Country
People's Party/Farmer's Assembly, Rural Union, and Pensioners' and
Families' League; Reform Party-Liberals or RE [Siim KALLAS, chairman];
Center Party or K [Edgar SAVISAAR, chairman]; Union of Pro Patria or
Fatherland League (Isamaa) [Toivo JURGENSON, chairman]; National
Independence Party or ERSP [Kelam TUNNE, chairman]; Our Home is
Estonia made up of 2 parties: United Peoples Party and the Russian
People's Party of Estonia; United Peoples Party [Viktor ANDREJEV,
chairman]; Russian Party of Estonia [Nikolai MASPANOV, chairman];
Moderates or M made up of 2 parties: Social Democratic Party and Rural
Center Party; Social Democratic Party [Eiki NESTOR, chairman]; Rural
Center Party [Vambo KAAL, chairman]; Right-Wingers [Ulo NUGIS,
chairman]; Republican Conservative [Vootele HANSEN];
Development/Progressive Party [Andra VEIDEMANN, chairwoman], note -
party was created by defectors from Center Party in late spring 1996,
now holds 6 or 7 seats in Parliament
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EBRD,
ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIBH,
UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lauri LEPIK
chancery: 2131 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-0101
FAX: [1] (202) 588-0108
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Lawrence P. TAYLOR
embassy: Kentmanni 20, Tallinn EE 0001
mailing address: American Embassy, Tallinn; PSC 78, Box T; APO AE
09723
telephone: [372] (6) 312-021
FAX: [372] (6) 312-025
Flag description: pre-1940 flag restored by Supreme Soviet in May 1990
- three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), black, and white
Economy
Economy - overview: Estonia continues to experience strong economic
growth after its economy bottomed out in 1993. Bolstered by a
widespread national desire to reintegrate into Western Europe, Estonia
has adhered to disciplined fiscal and financial policies and has led
the FSU countries in pursuing economic reform. Monthly inflation has
been held to 2% in 1995-96. Following four years of decline, Estonia's
GDP grew at 3% in 1995 and 1996. Despite these positive economic
indicators, the current account deficit is widening. The resident IMF
representative in Estonia has been worried since early 1996 about a
rising public sector deficit boosted by local government spending.
Small- and medium-scale privatization is essentially complete, and
large-scale privatization is progressing gradually. In 1996, Estonia's
national airline was privatized; in 1997 Estonia plans to privatize
large infrastructure, i.e., Eesti Energia, Tallinn Port, Estonian
Telecom, and Oil Shale. Estonia has successfully reoriented its trade
toward the West, two-thirds of exports now going to Western markets.
Estonia's free trade policies were the cornerstone of its negotiations
with the European Union, and led to the signing of an association
agreement in June 1995. Estonia was the only Baltic state not to have
a transition period imposed by the EU prior to its implementation of a
free trade agreement.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $8.1 billion (1996 estimate as
extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,560 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 37%
services : 53% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 23% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 750,000 (1992)
by occupation: industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry
20%, other 38% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1996 official est.)
Budget:
revenues: $620 million
expenditures : $582 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(January-October 1995)
Industries: oil shale, shipbuilding, phosphates, electric motors,
excavators, cement, furniture, clothing, textiles, paper, shoes,
apparel
Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 3.29 million kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 8.6 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,005 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables; livestock and
dairy products; fish
Exports:
total value: $2 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: textiles 16%, food products 16%, machinery and equipment
16%, metals 9% (1995)
partners: Finland, Russia, Sweden, Germany, Latvia (1995)
Imports:
total value : $3.1 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: machinery and equipment 29%, foodstuffs 14%, minerals
13%, textiles 13%, metals 12% (1995)
partners: Finland, Russia, Sweden, Germany (1995)
Debt - external: $270 million (January 1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $147 million (1993)
note: Western commitments $285 million (including international
financial institutions)
Currency: 1 Estonian kroon (EEK) = 100 cents (introduced in August
1992)
Exchange rates: krooni (EEK) per US$1 - 12.6 (January 1997), 12.410
(December 1996), 12.034 (1996), 11.465 (1995), 12.991 (1994), 13.223
(1993); note - krooni are tied to the German deutsche mark at a fixed
rate of 8 to 1
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Estonia:Communications
Telephones: 400,000 (1994 est.)
Telephone system: system is antiquated; improvements are being made
piecemeal, with emphasis on business needs and international
connections; there are still about 150,000 unfulfilled requests for
subscriber service
domestic : substantial investment has been made in cellular systems
which are operational throughout Estonia
international: international traffic is carried to the other former
Soviet republics by landline or microwave radio relay 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; access to the international packet-switched digital
network via Helsinki
Radio broadcast stations: 3 commercial broadcast stations, 1
government broadcast station (1994)
Radios: 710,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1993)
note: provide Estonian programs as well as Moscow Ostenkino's first
and second programs
Televisions: 600,000 (1993 est.)
@Estonia:Transportation
Railways:
total : 1,018 km common carrier lines only; does not include dedicated
industrial lines
broad gauge: 1,018 km 1.520-m gauge (132 km electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total: 14,992 km
paved: 8,096 km (including 65 km of expressways)
unpaved : 6,896 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 500 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: natural gas 420 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Haapsalu, Narva, Paldiski, Parnu, Tallinn
Merchant marine:
total: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 364,492 GRT/478,441 DWT
ships by type : bulk 7, cargo 31, container 4, oil tanker 3,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 6, short-sea passenger 4 (1996 est.)
Airports: 22 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total : 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 12
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m : 2
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 5 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy/Coast Guard, Air and Air
Defense Force (not officially sanctioned), Maritime Border Guard,
Volunteer Defense League (Kaitseliit), Security Forces (internal and
border troops)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 353,616 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males : 277,489 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 10,396 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $35 million (1995)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.5% (1995)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Estonian and Russian negotiators reached a
technical border agreement in December 1996, which Estonia is prepared
to sign and ratify in January 1997; Estonia had claimed over 2,000 sq
km territory in the Narva and Pechory regions in Russia - based on
boundary established under the 1920 Peace Treaty of Tartu
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from
Southwest Asia and the Caucasus, and cocaine from Latin America to
Western Europe and Scandinavia
______________________________________________________________________
ETHIOPIA
Introduction
Historical perspective: 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; a
new constitution was promulgated in December 1994 and national and
regional popular elections were held in May and June 1995
@Ethiopia:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total: 1,127,127 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,311 km
border countries: Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km,
Somalia 1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great
Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Denakil -125 m
highest point: Ras Dashen Terara 4,620 m
Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops : 1%
permanent pastures: 40%
forests and woodland: 25%
other: 22% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts
Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil
erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Environmental Modification,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was
lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993
@Ethiopia:People
Population: 58,732,577 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 46% (male 13,492,323; female 13,444,656)
15-64 years: 51% (male 15,167,806; female 15,020,499)
65 years and over: 3% (male 745,554; female 861,739) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.67% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 45.59 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 17.56 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan, Kenya and Somalia
for refuge from war and famine in earlier years, is expected to
continue in 1997; entry into Ethiopia of Sudanese and Somalis fleeing
the fighting in their own countries is also continuing in 1997
Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 121.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 46.62 years
male : 45.48 years
female: 47.8 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 6.94 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian
Ethnic groups: 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 3%-8%
Languages: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali,
Arabic, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.5%
male: 45.5%
female : 25.3% (1995 est.)
@Ethiopia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: YeItyop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form: YeItyop'iya
abbreviation: FDRE
Data code: ET
Government type: federal republic
National capital: Addis Ababa
Administrative divisions: 9 ethnically-based administrative regions
(astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akababi) and 1 federal
capital*: Addis Ababa*; Afar; Amhara; Benshangul/Gumaz; Gambela;
Harar; Oromia; Somali; Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples;
Tigray
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: new constitution promulgated in December 1994
Legal system: NA
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state : President NEGASSO Gidada (since 22 August 1995)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi (since NA August 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided in the December 1994
constitution; ministers are selected by the prime minister and
approved by the Council of People's Representatives
elections : president elected by the Council of People's
Representatives for a six-year term; election last held June 1995
(next to be held NA 2001); prime minister designated by the party in
power following legislative elections
election results: NEGASSO Gidada elected president; percent of vote by
the Council of People's Representatives - NA
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Council of
the Federation or upper chamber (117 seats; members are chosen by
state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the Council of People's
Representatives or lower chamber (548 seats; members are directly
elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve
five-year terms); note - the upper chamber represents the ethnic
interests of the regional governments
elections: regional and national popular elections were held in May
and June 1995 (next to be held NA 2000) and the Federal Parliamentary
Assembly assumed legislative power on 21 August 1995
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - NA; note - EPRDF won
nearly all seats
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are elected by the national
legislature
Political parties and leaders: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary
Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Oromo Liberation Front or OLF;
All Amhara People's Organization; Southern Ethiopia People's
Democratic Coalition; numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed
since MENGISTU'S resignation, including several Islamic militant
groups
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos
chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 234-2281, 2282
FAX: [1] (202) 328-7950
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David H. SHINN (17 June 1996)
embassy : Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] (1) 550666
FAX: [251] (1) 552191
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow,
and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from
the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the
three bands; 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
Economy
Economy - overview: Ethiopia continues to face difficult economic
problems as one of the poorest and least developed countries in the
world. Its economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for more
than half of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee
generates 60% of export earnings. The agricultural sector suffers from
frequent periods of drought, poor cultivation practices, and
deterioration of internal security conditions. 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 liberalizing the economy. A major medium-term problem is the
improvement of roads, water supply, and other parts of an
infrastructure badly neglected during years of civil strife.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $24.8 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.7% (1995 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $430 (1995 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 57%
industry: 10%
services: 33% (1994 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 10% (1995 est.)
Labor force:
total: 18 million
by occupation: agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and
services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues : $1 billion
expenditures: $1.48 billion, including capital expenditures of $415
million (FY96/97)
Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals
processing, cement
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity - capacity: 630,000 kW (1991)
Electricity - production: 1.27 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 23 kWh (1994 est.)
Agriculture - products: cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane,
potatoes, other vegetables; hides, cattle, sheep, goats
Exports:
total value : $423 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: coffee, leather products, gold (1995)
partners: Germany 18%, Japan 13%, Djibouti 10%, Saudi Arabia 8% (1993)
Imports:
total value: $1.15 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products,
chemicals (1995)
partners : Saudi Arabia 13.3%, Italy 11.6%, US 10.2%, Germany 9.1%,
Japan (1993)
Debt - external: $4.3 billion (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $367 million (FY95/96)
Currency: 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: birr (Br) per US$1 (end of period) - 6.4260 (December
1996), 6.4260 (1996), 6.3200 (1995), 5.9500 (1994), 5.0000 (fixed rate
1992-93); fixed at 2.070 before 1992
note: since May 1993, the birr market rate has been determined in an
interbank market supported by weekly wholesale auction; prior to that
date, the official rate was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr
Fiscal year: 8 July - 7 July
@Ethiopia:Communications
Telephones: 100,000 (1983 est.)
Telephone system: open wire and microwave radio relay system adequate
for government use
domestic: open wire and microwave radio relay
international: open wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay
to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1
Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 9.9 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 100,000 (1993 est.)
@Ethiopia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways:
total: 28,360 km
paved : 4,254 km
unpaved: 24,106 km (1995 est.)
Ports and harbors: none; Ethiopia is landlocked but by agreement with
Eritrea may use the ports of Assab and Massawa
Merchant marine:
total: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 60,081 GRT/84,686 DWT
ships by type: cargo 7, oil tanker 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3 (1996
est.)
Airports: 59 (1996 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total : 13
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m : 1
under 914 m: 6 (1996 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 46
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 31 (1996 est.)
Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Air Force, Police
note: following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopia's naval facilities
remained in Eritrea's possession; current reorganization plans do not
include a navy
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 13,257,668 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 6,889,800 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 605,030 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $110 million (1996)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: most of the southern half of the boundary
with Somalia is a Provisional Administrative Line; territorial dispute
with Somalia over the Ogaden
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 markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (chat)
for local use and regional export
______________________________________________________________________
EUROPA ISLAND
(possession of France)
@Europa Island:Geography
Location: Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about
one-half of the way from southern Madagascar to southern Mozambique