Legislative branch:
Constituent Assembly: elections were held on 5 June 1994; results -
government parties swept almost all seats; in December 1994 the
Constituent Assembly ratified the new constitution with few changes;
the new constitution prescribes two chambers for the new National
Assembly - one which is elected by popular vote and one which
represents the ethnic interests of the regional governments
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary
Democratic Front (EPRDF), MELES Zenawi;
Other political or pressure groups: Oromo Liberation Front (OLF); All
Amhara People's Organization; Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic
Coalition; numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since
Mengistu's resignation, including several Islamic militant groups
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos chancery: 2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 234-2281, 2282 FAX: [1] (202) 328-7950
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador Irvin HICKS embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa telephone: [251] (1) 550666 FAX: [251] (1) 552191
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors
@Ethiopia:Economy
Overview: With the independence of Eritrea on 27 April 1993, Ethiopia continues to face difficult economic problems as one of the poorest and least developed countries in Africa. Its economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for about 45% of GDP, 90% of exports, and 80% of total employment; coffee generates 60% of export earnings. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent periods of drought, poor cultivation practices, and deterioration of internal security conditions. The manufacturing sector is heavily dependent on inputs from the agricultural sector. Over 90% of large-scale industry, but less than 10% of agriculture, is state run. The government is considering selling off a portion of state-owned plants, and is implementing reform measures that are gradually liberalizing the economy. A major medium-term problem is the improvement of roads, water supply, and other parts of an infrastructure badly neglected during years of civil strife.