According to ezinereligion, in 2007, Ethiopia had a population of around 79 million people and its economy was largely based on agriculture. It had strong foreign relations with many countries in the region, as well as with other countries around the world. Politically, Ethiopia was a federal parliamentary republic and the government was led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who had been in power since 1995. Since 1991, Ethiopia had been part of the United Nations, and it joined the African Union in 2000. In 2007, the country was still using its own currency, the Ethiopian Birr, but it was making plans to introduce a new currency called the East African Shilling.
Yearbook 2007
Ethiopia. After twelve years of trial, former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam was sentenced in January in his absence to life imprisonment. Along with eleven of his closest advisers, he was charged with 211 counts of genocide, murder, illegal imprisonment and illegal possession of property. According to CountryAAH, Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia. A total of 73 representatives of the previous regime have been charged with serious abuse, but 14 had died before the judges fell and 25 had been investigated in their absence.
The unrest in the 2005 parliamentary elections also had its legal ramifications. Over 100 oppositionists, including about twenty journalists, were facing trial for treason, rioting and attempted genocide in connection with protests against alleged electoral fraud. The trials ended with 30 life sentences, but all were quickly pardoned. Most of the others were acquitted. The Ethiopian government had been subjected to strong international criticism for the harsh treatment of the opposition and had been deprived of some assistance.
- According to abbreviationfinder: ET is the 2-letter acronym for the country of Ethiopia.
During the year, the country’s army was drawn ever deeper into the conflict in Somalia. The army entered the neighboring country in December 2006 on the side of the Provisional Government to drive away the Islamist militia that has taken control of large areas, including the capital Mogadishu. But the Islamists conducted effective guerrilla warfare and even clan-based militias offered resistance. Dozens of Ethiopian soldiers were killed during the year.
Four Swedes, including a 17-year-old girl, were detained in Ethiopia for months on suspicion of terrorist activity in Somalia. They were released following Swedish pressure without concrete charges being made against them.
In the Ethiopian state of Somali in the Ogaden region, unrest also occurred. In April, 77 people were killed when the guerrilla movement Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) attacked an oil field in which a Chinese company conducted test drilling. Nine Chinese were among the victims. Struggles were reported sporadically throughout the rest of the year, but all information was difficult to assess as the area was basically closed to foreigners. Both MSF and the Red Cross were prevented from conducting relief operations there.
Country data
Area: 1,104,300 km2 (world ranking: 26)
Residents: 104,957,000
Population density: 95 per km2 (as of 2017, world ranking: 12)
Capital: Adis Abeba (Addis Abeba)
Official languages: Amharic
Gross domestic product: 80.6 billion US $; Real growth: 10.2%
Gross national product (GNP, per resident and year): 740 US$
Currency: 1 Birr (Br) = 100 cents
Embassy
Boothstr. 20a, 12207 Berlin
Telephone 030 772060,
Fax 030 7720626
www.aethiopien-botschaft.de
Government
Head of State: Mulatu Teshome Wirtu, Head of Government: Abiy Ahmed Ali, Outside: Workneh Gebeyehu
National holiday: 28.5. (Defeat of the Mengistu regime in 1991)
Administrative structure
9 regions or federal states, Adis Abeba and Dire Dawa with special status Form of
State and government
Constitution of 1995
Federal Republic of
Parliament: Council of People’s Deputies with a maximum of 550 members, election every 5 years; Representation of the regions with 135 members appointed for 5 years.
Election of the head of state by parliament every 6 years (one re-election)
Suffrage from 18 years.
Population: Ethiopians, last census 2007: 73,750,932 residents
over 80 ethnic groups: 35% Oromo, 27 % Amhara, 6% Somali, 6% Tigray, 4% Sidama, 3% Guragie, 2% each Welaita, Hadiya, Afar, Gamo; 45 Sudan peoples
Cities (with population): (As of 2015) Adis Abeba (Addis Abeba) 3,273,000 pop., Nazret 324,000, Gonder 323,900, Mekele 323,700, Awasa 300,100, Dire Dawa 277,000, Bahir Dar 243,300, Dese 187,900, Jima 177,900, Jijiga 159,300, Shashemene time 147,800, Debashemene time 147,100
Religions: 44% Orthodox, 34% Muslims (Sunnis), 19% Protestants, 3% followers of indigenous religions; Minorities of Baha’i, Hindus, Jews, Catholics and others (as of 2006)
Languages: Amharic; Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali; omotic, cushitic and semitic languages; Italian and Arabic
Workers by economic sector: Agriculture. 68%, industry 10%, business 22% (2017)
Unemployment (in% of all economically active persons)
no information
Inflation rate (in%): 2017: 9.9%
Foreign trade: import: 16.3 billion US $ (2017); Export: 3.2 billion US $ (2017)
Ethiopia weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 25 ° C and 31 ° C can be expected over the next three months. It gets warmest in March in Gondar, while March is noticeably cooler in Mekele.
In March it rains for 3 (Gondar) to 8 days (Addis Ababa), in April for 3 (Mekele) to 10 days (Addis Ababa) and in May for 3 (Mekele) to 11 days (Gondar), depending on the region.
In the period from March to May, the sun shines on average between 0 and 8 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in March in Addis Ababa, with less sun you have to get by in March in Bahir Dar.