Factfile on Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, April 11 (AFP) - Ethiopia is one of the few African countries to escape colonisation and lives under the permanent threat of drought and famine which ravaged the country in the 1980s.

- GEOGRAPHY: Ethiopia is a land-locked country in eastern Africa bordering Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea. The surface area is 1,100,000 square kilometres (440,000 square miles). It has been landlocked since Eritrea gained independence in 1993.  

- CAPITAL: Addis Ababa (population 2.2 million). The headquarters of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) is located here.

- POPULATION: 63 million. There are 87 different ethnic groups including the Oromos, who are the most numerous, the Amharas, the Tigreans, the Afars and the Somalians.

- LANGUAGE: Nearly 290 different languages including English, Italian, Arabic and numerous dialects. Amharic lost its status as the official language under the 1994 Constitution.

- RELIGION: Christians (55 percent: approx. 40 percent Orthodox; 15 percent Protestant), Muslim (45 percent). Nearly all the 40,000 Jews formerly living in Ethiopia emigrated to Israel in 1984 and 1991.

- HISTORY: The modern frontiers of Ethiopia were created by Menelik II, who beat the Italians in 1896, foiling their plans to make Ethiopia a protectorate. He died in 1913.

Emperor Haile Selassie dominated Ethiopia for the next half a century, excluding the six years of Italian occupation between 1935 and 1941. He became regent in 1916, king in 1928 and emperor in 1930. He was overthrown in a military coup in 1974 headed by Lt-Gen.

Aman Andom, who was later murdered.  Armed and political opposition to the regime continued until 1979 when all political groups were theoretically abolished.

In June 1986 preparations were made for an eventual transfer of power to a civilian government which was endorsed by a referendum in

February 1987. The People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was declared in September 1987, however a number of insurgent groups established during the 1974 revolutions continued in armed struggle with the new government.

Fighting went on despite international efforts to negotiate a peace. In May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front created an interim government and Meles Zanawi became president.

In 1993 the province of Eritrea gained independence.

The interim government was replaced by a federal assembly in August 1995 following elections in May. The government coalition won presidential elections in May 2000, with an overwhelming majority of 548 seats in the federal parliament.

In May 1998, war broke out between Ethiopia and Eritrea over a border dispute, claiming the lives of more than 100,000 soldiers, according to estimates by diplomats. More than a million civilians were displaced.

A ceasefire two years later was followed by the signing of a full peace accord in December 2000.

- POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS: Under the provisions of a new Constitution adopted in December 1994, power was transferred to the Federal Parliamentary Assembly. The parliament is bicameral. Negasso Guidada has since been head of state, Zenawi, prime minister.

- ECONOMY: Devastated by years of war Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Main resources are agricultural, including coffee which makes up two thirds of the country's revenue.

The country suffers from a permanent threat of drought and famine. 700,000 died of hunger and disease in 1985. More than six million people were in need of food aid in 2001, according to the UN.

- GDP: 100 dollars per capita (1999).

- AVERAGE ANNUAL REAL GROWTH: -O.5 percent  between 1985-95 (World Bank).

- NATIONAL DEBT: 5.5 billion dollars (1999, World Bank).

- ARMED FORCES: 352,000 (International Institute of Strategic Studies).