Part 271

Location: Eastern Africa, west of Somalia

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references: Africa

Area: total: 1,127,127 sq km land: 1,119,683 sq km water: 7,444 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries: total: 5,311 km border countries: Djibouti 337 km, Eritrea 912 km, Kenya 830 km, Somalia 1,626 km, Sudan 1,606 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation

Terrain: high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Denakil -125 m highest point: Ras Dashen Terara 4,620 m

Natural resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash

Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops : 1% permanent pastures: 40% forests and woodland: 25% other: 22% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,900 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements: party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note: landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993

@Ethiopia:People

Population: 58,732,577 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years : 46% (male 13,492,323; female 13,444,656) 15-64 years: 51% (male 15,167,806; female 15,020,499) 65 years and over: 3% (male 745,554; female 861,739) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.67% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 45.59 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 17.56 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan, Kenya and Somalia for refuge from war and famine in earlier years, is expected to continue in 1997; entry into Ethiopia of Sudanese and Somalis fleeing the fighting in their own countries is also continuing in 1997

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 121.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 46.62 years male : 45.48 years female: 47.8 years (1997 est.)