World Country Guide

General Information

Area
1,133,380 sq km (437,600 sq miles).

Population
65,370,000 (official estimate 2001).

Population Density
57.7 per sq km.

Capital
Addis Ababa. Population: 2,084,588 (1994).

Geography
Ethiopia is situated in northeast Africa, bordered by Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti. It is the 10th-largest country in Africa and about twice the size of France. The central area is a vast highland region of volcanic rock forming a watered, temperate zone surrounded by hot, arid, inhospitable desert. The Great Rift Valley, which starts in Palestine, runs down the Red Sea and diagonally southwest through Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi. The escarpments on either side of the country are steepest in the north where the terrain is very rugged. To the south, the landscape is generally flatter and more suited to agriculture.

Government
Federal Republic. Head of State: President Girma Wolde Giorgis since 2001. Head of Government: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi since 1995. Ethiopia is the only African country never to have been colonised by Europeans.

Language
Amharic is the official language, although about 80 other native tongues are spoken. English is widely used and some Arabic, Italian and French is spoken.

Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox (Tewahido) and Coptic Church mainly in the north; Islam, mainly in the east and south. There are also significant Evangelical, Protestant and Roman Catholic communities.

Time
GMT + 3.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Communications

Telephone
IDD is available. Country code: 251. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone
The PTO, ETA, provides a GSM 900 network. Coverage is limited.

Fax
Facilities are available in major hotels and at the Telecommunications Head Office in Addis Ababa.

Telegram
International services from local offices and hotels in Addis Ababa.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Addis Ababa. Some top-end hotels may also offer services. The main ISP is the PTO ETC, although connections may be difficult.

Post
Service to and from Europe takes up to two weeks. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1600.

Press
Amharic newspapers published in the capital include Addis Zemen. The English-language daily in Ethiopia is The Ethiopian Herald. A number of other weeklies - many of them in English - are also available.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.