Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a landlocked country in East Africa surrounded by six (6) countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somali, Sudan, and South Sudan. The climate of Ethiopia is a tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation and terrain of high plateau with central mountain range divided by the Great Rift Valley. With a population of approximately 113 million people, Ethiopia is the second-most populous country in Africa and the most populous country in Eastern Africa. The official languages of the country are Oromo and Amharic which are the languages of the country’s largest ethnic groups.

Politically, Ethiopia is also the oldest independent country on the continent, void of any form of colonial ties, and operates a federal parliamentary republic system of government which is administratively divided into 9 ethnically based regions including Addis Ababa the capital of the country. Ethiopia operates a planned economy that is heavily reliant on the agricultural sector and the service sector.

While the agricultural sector employs 70 percent of the population, the service sector is the major contributor to the country’s GDP. Furthermore, the service sector is the main source of the country’s foreign exchange particularly from state-owned Ethiopian Airlines. Other major sources of foreign exchange include coffee, gold, sesame, and livestock. The major problem facing the country is the political tension between the Tigray region and the prime minister.