es selected by the Federal
Judicial Administrative Council)

Political parties and leaders:
Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP [leader NA]; Benishangul
Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE];
Coalition for Unity and Democracy or CUD [HAILU Shawil]; Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an
alliance of ANDM, OPDO, SEPDF, and TPLF); Gurage Nationalities'
Democratic Movement or GNDM [leader NA]; United Ethopian Democratic
Forces or UEDF [MERARA Gudina]; dozens of small parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Afar Revolutionary Democratic Union Front or ARDUF [leader NA];
Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia or
CAFPDE [BEYANE Petros]; Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic
Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNMIL, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] (1) 550666
FAX: [251] (1) 551328

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a
yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles
between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands;
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three
main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African
countries upon independence that they became known as the
pan-African colors

Economy Ethiopia

Economy - overview:
Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture,
accounting for half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total
employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought
and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian
economy with exports of some $156 million in 20