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Ethiopia Map - Download
Geography
Ethiopia is a landlocked country in
northeastern Africa, separated by Djbouti and Eritrea from the Red Sea.
Existing for at least 2,000 years, it is the oldest independent country in
Africa. At 437,600 sq. miles, it is slightly less than twice the size of Texas.
The climate varies widely directly related to elevation, and in spite of the ‘tropical
monsoon’ climate designation. Ethiopia has many water sources as the headwaters
of the Blue Nile originate from Lake T’ana in NW part of the country. The high
plateau region is NNW and the central mountain range is divided from the high
plateau by the Great Rift Valley. This area has frequent earthquakes and
volcanic eruptions. There are arid and desert areas found in the west and
northeastern parts of the country.
Politics
Ethiopia, originally a monarchy, fell
under Italian occupation during WWII from 1936-41, after which the monarchy
resumed. Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed in 1974 by a military junta, which
instituted a socialist state. Then in 1991, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary
Democratic Front took control. A constitution was adopted three years later
forming a federal republic, and the first multi-party elections took place in
1995. The legal system is based on civil law. The country is divided into nine
regions, for each of the nine major ethnic groups, however there are at least
70 distinct language/ethnic groups.
Population
Current population estimate is
78,254,090, with the median age 18, and life expectancy 49 years. Infant
mortality is 90 deaths per 1,000 live births. The age structure of the society
is: 43% are 0-14 years of age, 54% are 15-64 years of age, with only 3% 65
years and over. Risk of contracting major infectious diseases is high, these
include: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A & E, typhoid fever,
malaria, meningococcal meningitis, rabies and schistosomiasis, (a water contact
disease). The adult HIV/AIDS rate 4.4%.
Culture & Religion
There is no one culture that
compasses all of Ethiopia due to the many and diverse people groups. Traditional
dress is contrasted by modern dress, especially in the larger cities. There are
three major ethnic groups, Oromo (32%), Amara (30%), Tigray and several smaller
groups. Each has it’s own language, with Amharic the most widely spoken as
national language of the country. English is the major foreign language taught
in schools. The literacy rate is about 43%. The 1994 census records the
religions as: Christian 61% (Orthodox 51% and Protestant 10%), Muslim 33%,
traditional 4% and other 2%.
Economy
Ethiopia’s struggling economy is
based on agriculture, which provides employment for 80% of the people, (8%
industry and 12% services), and still 39% of the people live below the poverty
level. Three crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, castor
bean and grain sorghum. Coffee is the mainstay crop, but more recently low
prices have caused many farmers to switch crops. Other agricultural products
include: cattle, cereals, cotton, cut flowers, fish, goat, hides, oilseed,
potatoes, got, sheep, and sugarcane. Ethiopian industries include: beverages,
cement, chemicals, food processing, leather, metals processing and textiles.
GNP-per capita is estimated at $160. In the cities modern buildings are often present alongside the
more traditional houses. However, small rural villages often have huts that are
constructed with basic native materials. Short poles are used for walls with
long thin ones for horizontal tie beams and lighter ones for the rafters. Once
the framework is up, the spaces between the poles are filled with a thick mud
and straw (wattle and daub) mixture. Then the rafters are covered with grass
straw thatching. Inside the home the women pour water on the ground to make a
mud that is packed down to form a smooth hard surface when dried. The hut is
constructed by only a handful of men in about one week’s time and depending on
the weather, may last up to 10 years.
Location of Ezra Rural Ministry
The Ezra Rural Ministry (ERM) office
is maintained in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia situated in
the central part of the country with a mild climate. It is wooded with
eucalyptus trees, has open spaces and broad avenues. It’s a sprawling city with
modern multistoried buildings alongside traditional one and two storied ones.
ERM’s teaching is based out of Hosanna with satellite schools in Butajira and
Tiya. These are to the south of Addis Ababa and are geographically in the
southern highlands of the country.
 The small village of Tiya, with a population of 3,363, is 85 km south of Addis Ababa on the Butajira road.
There is an interesting archeological site 500 meters east of Tiya with 36
monuments, which include 32 stelae. These upright stones are grave markers and
have images carved on them, notably swords that are from some ancient Ethiopian
culture. The human remains found there are presumably of warriors killed in
battle.
Continuing south on the Butajira
road, in the foothills of the Gurage Mountains of Ethiopia 135 KM SSW of Addis
Ababa and 95 km NNE of Hosanna sits Butajira, a town of 30,502 people.
It has electricity, phone, postal service and a weekly market on Fridays. It is
a relatively new city that developed less than 100 years ago.
Further down the Butajira road is the
city of Hosanna, about 230 km SSW of Addis Ababa, with a population
65,317. It is a bustling city and the home of our ERM Training Center where men
and women are trained in Biblical studies and healthy living.
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