Ethiopia

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant and animal life
People
- Ethnic groups and languages
- Religion
- Settlement patterns
- Demographic trends
Economy
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Trade
- Services
- Labour and taxation
- Transportation and telecommunications
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
- Local government
- Justice
- Political process
- Security
- Health and welfare
- Education
Cultural life
- Daily life and social customs
- The arts
- Cultural institutions
- Sports and recreation
- Media and publishing
History
- From prehistory to the Aksumite kingdom
- The Zagwe and Solomonic dynasties
- Challenge, revival, and decline (16th–19th century)
- Emergence of modern Ethiopia (1855–1916)
  - Tewodros II (1855–68)
  - Yohannes IV (1872–89)
  - Menilek II (1889–1913)
  - Iyasu (1913–16)
- The rise and reign of Haile Selassie I (1916–74)
  - Regent and heir apparent
  - Emperor
  - Conflict with Italy
  - Return to power
  - Internal conflicts and the fall of the monarchy
- Socialist Ethiopia (1974–91)
  - Land reform and famine
  - Challenges to the regime
- Transition (1991–95)
- Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
  - Political and economic reforms
  - War with Eritrea
  - Dissent, protests, and increasing oppression
  - Winds of change
  - Challenges, ethnic tensions, and the Tigrayan conflict
  - 2021 elections, Tigrayan rebel advance, and expansion of fighting

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Ethiopia: Simien Mountains

Ethiopia: Chapel of the Tablet

Physical features of Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Lake Tana

Blue Nile River

Awash National Park

For Students

Ethiopia summary

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Ethiopia: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	YeEtyopʾiya • Ītyop’iya • Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia • YeEtiyopʾiya
Head Of Government	Prime Minister: Abiy Ahmed
Capital	Addis Ababa
Population	(2024 est.) 109,900,000
Head Of State	President: Sahle-Work Zewde
Form Of Government	federal republic with two legislative houses (House of the Federation [153]; House of Peoples’ Representatives [547])
Official Language	none¹
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Total Area (Sq Km)	1,120,000
Total Area (Sq Mi)	432,432
Monetary Unit	birr (Br)
Population Rank	(2023) 14
Population Projection 2030	125,234,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2022) 246
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2023) 95
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2020) 21.7% • Rural: (2020) 78.3%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 66.1 years • Female: (2022) 70.4 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2017) 59% • Female: (2017) 44%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2022) 126,126
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2022) 1,020
¹Amharic is the “working” language.

Photos and Videos

Ethiopia: Simien Mountains

Ethiopia: Chapel of the Tablet

Physical features of Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Lake Tana

Blue Nile River

Awash National Park

Ethiopia: Omo River valley

Follow an Ethiopian community churning butter, dyeing cloth, and harvesting subsistent crops

Efforts toward sustainable industry growth in Ethiopia

Learn about the efforts to improve Ethiopia's education system including the building of universities

Explore Ethiopia's untapped geothermal and hydropower resources

National anthem of Ethiopia

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

Zagwe dynasty Solomonid Dynasty BRICS League of Nations Battle of Adwa Italo-Ethiopian War Treaty of Wichale Allied powers nation-state flag of Ethiopia United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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Ethiopian athlete

Abiy Ahmed

Abiy Ahmed

prime minister of Ethiopia

Menilek II

emperor of Ethiopia

Haile Selassie

Haile Selassie I

emperor of Ethiopia

Mengistu Haile Mariam

president of Ethiopia

Yohannes IV

emperor of Ethiopia

Pietro Badoglio.

Pietro Badoglio

Italian general and statesman

Aḥmad Grāñ

Aḥmad Grāñ

Somalian Muslim leader

Tewodros II

emperor of Ethiopia

Saint Frumentius

Ethiopian bishop

Girma Wolde-Giorgis

president of Ethiopia

Ewostatewos

Ethiopian saint

Mikael Sehul

regent of Ethiopia

Charles-Jacques Poncet

French pharmacologist

Pedro Páez

Spanish priest

Amda Seyon I

king of Ethiopia

castle of Fasilides

Fasilides

emperor of Ethiopia

Tedros Adhanom

Tedros Adhanom

Ethiopian biologist and public health official

Francesco Crispi

Italian statesman

ʿAbd Allāh

Sudanese religious leader

Africa

Africa

continent

Fort Jesus

eastern Africa

region, Africa

Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa

national capital, Ethiopia

Ogaden, Ethiopia

Ogaden

region, Ethiopia

Bete Giyorgis (House of St. George)

Lalībela

Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Chapel of the Tablet

Aksum

Ethiopia

Hārer

Hārer

Ethiopia

Fasilides' castle in Gonder

Gonder

Ethiopia

peoples and language areas of the Horn of Africa

Horn of Africa

region, eastern Africa

Dire Dawa

Dire Dawa

Ethiopia

Nazret

Nazret

Ethiopia

Adwa, Ethiopia

Adwa

Ethiopia

Dese

Dese

Ethiopia

Mekele

Mekele

Ethiopia

Jima

Ethiopia

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Church of Saint George (Bet Giyorgis), Lalibela, Ethiopia. UNESCO World Heritage site.

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List

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