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Ethiopia
Anthony Pratt, Sarah Erkson, and Annie Kennedy
General Facts
• Population = 85,237,338
• Life expectancy at birth =
~55 years old
• Literacy Rate
– Male: 50.3%
– Female: 35.1%
History
• Oldest Human Settlement
• Lucy(Australopithecus) was
discovered 1974 in Awash Valley,
Ethiopia
– Estimated to live 3.2 million
years ago
– Human evolution
History (continued)
• Zemene Mesafint
– 1755 - 1855
– Complete isolation and emperors
started to act like figureheads
– Modernization and recentralizing
power to the Emperor
– Ethiopia began to take part in world
affairs again
• "Age of Princes“
• THEN connected with
Europe
• Slightly less than twice the size of Texas
• Landlocked (no coastlines)
• Located in the north eastern part of Africa, also called the
“Horn of Africa”
• Total area: 1,127,127km , 7,444 of that being water bodies.
•
A Blend of massive highlands, highly rugged terrain , and
valleys divided the by Great Rift Valley
•
Bordering Countries: Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Eritrea, and
Djibouti
•
Climate: Mostly tropical monsoon, moderate temperate,
with the average temperature rarely exceeding 68 F.
Natural Resources: small reserves of gold,
platinum, copper, potash, natural gas,
hydropower
Current Environmental Issues:
Deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion,
water shortages, intensive farming and
poor management.
• A large split in the landscape from two
tectonic plates separating
• Large complex divergent plate boundary
on the Eastern side of Africa. Total
distance of 3,000 km.
• Remarkable region of volcanic lakes,
with a famous collection of birds.
Blue Nile Falls, Tis Iset
Ethiopia
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/map
s/africa/ethiopia/map_of_ethiopia.j
pg
Economy
•GDP(official exchange
rate)- 25.08 billion (2008
est.)
•GDP per capita- $800
(2008 est.)
Natural Resources/Industry
• Natural resources- small
reserves of gold, platinum,
copper, natural gas,
hydropower.
• Industries- food processing,
beverages, textiles, leather,
chemicals, cement.
Poverty in Ethiopia
• http://indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=et&v=6
9
• http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01259/st
atistics_on_ethiopian_poverty.htm
Ethiopia’s Trade
•Imports- food and live
animals, petroleum, chemicals,
machinery, motor vehicles,
cereals, textiles.
•Exports- coffee, gold, leather
products, live animals,
oilseeds.
Trade Relations
•
•
•
•
•
Imports
Saudi Arabia 17%
China 15.9%
India 7.8%
Italy 5.1%
Exports
-Germany 8.2%
-Saudi Arabia 7%
-U.S 6.9%
-China 6.5%
-Italy 6.5%
• The two major religions are Christianity and
Islam.
• Most Muslims are Sunnis, the largest sect of
Islam.
• Christianity is more predominant in the north
where 62% of the people are Christian.
• Ethiopia is well known for its distinctive
Christian tradition
• Muslim is more predominant in the South at
about 34%
•
They do not eat meat and dairy products
on fasting days, Wednesdays and
Fridays.
• Church is held daily in all Tewahedo
Churches from early morning to three
o’clock PM.
• Only one meal can be eaten each day of
fasting, usually occurring after three
o’clock
• Christmas falls on December 29,and New
Years fall on September 11(the first
month of the year is September and the
last is Pagumiene which comes after
August.
Government
• 1970’s – illegal political groups formed
• Groups hold elections 1970-present
• Federal Parliamentary Republic
– Prime Minister
– Executive Power
Ethnic Groups
• Oromo (Galla) 40%
– Southern half of nation
• Amhara and Tigrean 32%
– Political
• Sidamo 9%
– Southern foothills and savanna
• Shankella 6%
– Western frontier
Ethiopian Music
• Modal System
• Pentatonic
• Long intervals
between notes
• Some well known
musicians include
Teddy Afro, Gigi,
Mahmoud Ahmed, etc.
Current Events
• June 2, 2008
• UNICEF estimates 1260,000
children are in need of care
for sever malnutrition.
• Harvest fails  increased
amount of malnutrition in
children
• The World Food Program
estimates that 147 million
dollars will be necessary to
feed the kids in Ethiopia.
Current Affairs in Ethiopia
• Recently, 35 Ethiopians were arrested for allegedly
plotting to overthrow the Ethiopian government.
• The government claims that these people were all
part of an opposition group called Ginbot Seven.
• This opposition group was founded by the exiled
mayor of Addis Abba, Berhanu Nega.
• After the most recent Ethiopian election (2005),
Nega was tried for treason and sentenced to life in
prison before being pardoned and released.
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8035430.stm
CONNECTIONS
• Gender Roles  Kite Runner & A Thousand Splendid
Suns
• Government Issues  Taliban like groups
• Strict Religious Rules  Iraq & Middle East
Bibliography
•
"Country Profile:Ethiopia." BBC News 04 15 2009 Web.3 Jun 2009.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1072164.stm>.
•
"Ethiopia." CIA-The World Factbook. Web.3 Jun 2009.
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html>.
•
"Ethiopia."The Volume Library. 3rd. 2001. Print.
•
"Ethiopia." Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations. 12th ed. Detroit:
Thomson Gale, 2007. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington
Hills, MI: Gale. <http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/>.
•
"Ethiopian Treasures." 06 01 2009 Web.3 Jun 2009.
<http://www.ethiopiantreasures.toucansurf.com/pages/calendar.htm>.