Coalition or SEPDC [BEYANE Petros]

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO,
G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
(observer)

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

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Tibor P. NAGY, Jr. embassy: Entoto Street,
P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone:
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, which accounts for half of GDP, 85% of exports, and 80% of
total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought
and poor cultivation practices, and as many as 4.6 million people need
food assistance annually. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with
exports of some $260 million in 2000. Other important exports include
qat, live animals, hides, and gold. The war with Eritrea in 1999-2000
and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee
production. In November 2001 Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the
Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Under Ethiopia's land
tenure system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases
to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial
sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans.
Despite this limitation, strong growth is expected to continue in the
near term as good rainfall, the cessation of hostilities, and renewed
foreign aid and debt relief push the economy forward.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $46 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7.3% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agr