Ethiopia

1
Ethiopia
Anthony Pratt, Sarah Erkson, and Annie Kennedy
2
General Facts

• Population 85,237,338
• Life expectancy at birth 55 years old
• Literacy Rate
• Male 50.3
• Female 35.1

3
History

• Oldest Human Settlement
• Lucy(Australopithecus) was discovered 1974 in
  Awash Valley, Ethiopia
• Estimated to live 3.2 million years ago
• Human evolution

4
History (continued)

• Zemene Mesafint
• 1755 - 1855
• Complete isolation and emperors started to act
  like figureheads
• Modernization and recentralizing power to the
  Emperor
• Ethiopia began to take part in world affairs
  again
• "Age of Princes
• THEN connected with Europe

5
Geography

• Slightly less than twice the size of Texas
• Landlocked (no coastlines)
• Located in the north eastern part of Africa, also
  called the Horn of Africa
• Total area 1,127,127km , 7,444 of that being
  water bodies.
• A Blend of massive highlands, highly rugged
  terrain , and valleys divided the by Great Rift
  Valley
• Bordering Countries Sudan, Somalia, Kenya,
  Eritrea, and Djibouti
• Climate Mostly tropical monsoon, moderate
  temperate,
• with the average temperature rarely
  exceeding 68 F.

6
Geography (Continued)

• Natural Resources small reserves of gold,
  platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower
• Current Environmental Issues Deforestation,
  overgrazing, soil erosion, water shortages,
  intensive farming and poor management.

7
The Great Rift Valley

• A large split in the landscape from two tectonic
  plates separating
• Large complex divergent plate boundary on the
  Eastern side of Africa. Total distance of 3,000
  km.
• Remarkable region of volcanic lakes, with a
  famous collection of birds.

8
Blue Nile Falls, Tis Iset Ethiopia
http//www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/ethiopia/m
ap_of_ethiopia.jpg
9
Economy

• GDP(official exchange rate)- 25.08 billion (2008
  est.)
• GDP per capita- 800 (2008 est.)

10
Natural Resources/Industry

• Natural resources- small reserves of gold,
  platinum, copper, natural gas, hydropower.
• Industries- food processing, beverages, textiles,
  leather, chemicals, cement.

11
Poverty in Ethiopia

• http//indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?cetv69
• http//library.thinkquest.org/05aug/01259/statisti
  cs_on_ethiopian_poverty.htm

12
Ethiopias Trade

• Imports- food and live animals, petroleum,
  chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals,
  textiles.
• Exports- coffee, gold, leather products, live
  animals, oilseeds.

13
Trade Relations

• Imports Exports
• Saudi Arabia 17 -Germany 8.2
• China 15.9 -Saudi Arabia 7
• India 7.8 -U.S 6.9
• Italy 5.1 -China 6.5
• -Italy 6.5

14
Religion

• The two major religions are Christianity and
  Islam.
• Most Muslims are Sunnis, the largest sect of
  Islam.
• Christianity is more predominant in the north
  where 62 of the people are Christian.
• Ethiopia is well known for its distinctive
  Christian tradition
• Muslim is more predominant in the South at about
  34

15
Christianity

• They do not eat meat and dairy products on
  fasting days, Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Church is held daily in all Tewahedo Churches
  from early morning to three oclock PM.
• Only one meal can be eaten each day of fasting,
  usually occurring after three oclock
• Christmas falls on December 29,and New Years fall
  on September 11(the first month of the year is
  September and the last is Pagumiene which comes
  after August.

16
Government

• 1970s illegal political groups formed
• Groups hold elections 1970-present
• Federal Parliamentary Republic
• Prime Minister
• Executive Power

17
Ethnic Groups

• Oromo (Galla) 40
• Southern half of nation
• Amhara and Tigrean 32
• Political
• Sidamo 9
• Southern foothills and savanna
• Shankella 6
• Western frontier

18
Ethiopian Music

• Modal System
• Pentatonic
• Long intervals between notes
• Some well known musicians include Teddy Afro,
  Gigi, Mahmoud Ahmed, etc.

19
Current Events

• June 2, 2008
• UNICEF estimates 1260,000 children are in need of
  care for sever malnutrition.
• Harvest fails ? increased amount of malnutrition
  in children
• The World Food Program estimates that 147 million
  dollars will be necessary to feed the kids in
  Ethiopia.

20
Current Affairs in Ethiopia

• Recently, 35 Ethiopians were arrested for
  allegedly plotting to overthrow the Ethiopian
  government.
• The government claims that these people were all
  part of an opposition group called Ginbot Seven.
• This opposition group was founded by the exiled
  mayor of Addis Abba, Berhanu Nega.
• After the most recent Ethiopian election (2005),
  Nega was tried for treason and sentenced to life
  in prison before being pardoned and released.
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8035430.stm

21
CONNECTIONS

• Gender Roles ? Kite Runner A Thousand Splendid
  Suns
• Government Issues ? Taliban like groups
• Strict Religious Rules ? Iraq Middle East

22
Bibliography

• "Country ProfileEthiopia." BBC News 04 15 2009
  Web.3 Jun 2009. lthttp//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/
  africa/country_profiles/1072164.stmgt.
• "Ethiopia." CIA-The World Factbook. Web.3 Jun
  2009. lthttps//www.cia.gov/library/publications/th
  e-world-factbook/geos/et.htmlgt.
• "Ethiopia."The Volume Library. 3rd. 2001. Print.
• "Ethiopia." Worldmark Encyclopedia of the
  Nations. 12th ed. Detroit Thomson Gale, 2007.
  Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington
  Hills, MI Gale. lthttp//galenet.galegroup.com/ser
  vlet/HistRC/gt.
• "Ethiopian Treasures." 06 01 2009 Web.3 Jun 2009.
  lthttp//www.ethiopiantreasures.toucansurf.com/page
  s/calendar.htmgt.