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Never a Colony
Ethiopians maintain historical traditions
that date back 5,000 years. The Queen of Sheba, mentioned in an Old
Testament reference from about 1000 BC, was the mother of the first
emperor of Ethiopia, Menelik I. Hid dynasty lasted into the 20th
century, ending with the reign of Haile Selassie.
A fiercely independent people, the
Ethiopians have been largely successful in resisting conquest, first
by Islamic forces in the 7th and 12th centuries and later by Europe.
Ethiopia is the only African country never to be a European colony.
The ancient imperial order was overthrown
by a military coup in 1974, but democracy was restored in the early
1990s. A border dispute with neighbouring Eritrea broke into open
war from 1998 to 2000, and continues to simmer.
Much of Ethiopia is located on a high
plateau, giving rise to a moderate average temperature of 16ΊC.
Coffee is the country's main source of income, but much of the
farming that takes place is on a subsistence level.
Culturally, Orthodox
Christianity plays an important role, although Islam is a strong
presence. Ethiopians are proud of their long history; the country's
heritage is reflected in many historical sites and ancient
traditions.
GODINO, ETHIOPIA
(excerpt from leaflet provided by
CCFCanada)
A river divides the community of Godino in
tow, and the old log bridge is too dangerous to use. But that's only
one of the problems the residents of this rural Ethiopian village
have to face. Life here can be harsh and difficult. Meagre crops and
a few head of livestock make subsistence farming possible, but the
threat of drought and famine continues to hang in the air. And
HIV/AIDS is taking a toll of its own here, as it is all across
sub-Saharan Africa.
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FACTS
(Excerpt from the information package
from CCFCanada)
Area:
1,104,300 sq.km
Population:
64,459,000
Official Language:
Amharic
Monetary Unit:
Birr
Main Industries:
Agriculture, forestry, agricultural processing
Terrain:
Arid desert in south and east; temperate highlands in
west.
Climate:
Tropical monsoon, but varies widely with terrain
Ethnic groups:
Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%,
Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%.
Religious Affiliations:
Muslim 45-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox
35-40%, Animist 12%, other 3-8%
ETHIOPIA: STATISTIC
as compared to Canadian Statistics (
in parenthesis)
Health:
Under
five mortality rate: 2001 - 172 (7)
Life expectancy at birth: 2001- 44 (79)
Percentage of population using improved drinking water sources: 2000
Total: 24% (100 %)
Urban: 81% (100%)
Rural: 12% (99%)
Percentage of children under five who are
moderately to severely underweight:
47%
()
Impact of
HIV/AIDS
Percentage of
population living with HIV/AIDS, 15 to 49 years
2001 - 6.4% (0.31%)
Children under 14
orphaned by HIV/AIDS in 2001 - 990,000 ()
Percentage of
one-year-olds immunized against measles in 2001 - 52% (96%)
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Ethiopian Flag
Economics and Society
GNI per capita
in US$ in 2001 - $100 ($21,340)
Child population 2001
Percentage under
18: 51% (23%)
Percentage under 5:
18% (6%)
Population growth rate
(1998 -2001): 2.8% (1%)
Percentage of
population urbanized (2001): 16% (79%)
Net primary school enrollment/attendance
(1995 - 2001): 30% (99%)
Number of
radios/television per 1,000 population (1997)
Radios: 202 (1,067)
Television: 6 (710)
Under five mortality rate - the probability of dying between
birth and exactly five years of age expressed per 1,000 live births
GNI (gross national
income) per capita - derived from a formula developed to measure
the average income of individuals
Net primary
school enrollment/attendance - the percentage of eligible
children actually enrolled and attending primary school
- Data not available
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