* Ethiopia, Africa’s oldest independent country, boasts a rich and diverse cultural heritage. With its 71 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populous country on the continent, after Nigeria. A landlocked country, Ethiopia is just slightly larger than Ontario.
* The 2004 UN Human Development Index ranks Ethiopia 170th out of 177 countries.
* Ethiopia’s infant mortality rate is 114 per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate is 171 per 1,000 births (2002 data).
* Some 29 million people, or 42 percent of the population, are undernourished and 47 percent of the country’s children are underweight for their age.
* Between 1.5 and 2.5 million Ethiopians are living with HIV and AIDS, while of a total 4.6 million orphans (children under 17), 539,000 were orphaned due to AIDS.
* More than three-quarters of Ethiopians do not have access to safe drinking water, the highest percentage in the world.
* Agriculture contributes about 43 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, accounting for about 90 percent of export earnings. However, inefficient markets, outdated production techniques and lack of credit hamper advancements in agriculture.
* As a member of the implementation committee for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)—the African-led strategic framework for the continent’s sustainable growth and development—Ethiopia has also been one of the strongest advocates for good governance and country-led poverty reduction programs.
* Natural resources are the foundation of the Ethiopian economy. As a result of rapid population growth, climate change and other factors, the quality of renewable natural resources such as land, water and forests has now deteriorated. This in turn has affected agricultural productivity.
* Water, one of Ethiopia’s biggest natural assets, is key to the country’s development. However, only about 197,000 hectares are currently under irrigation—about five percent of the 3.7 million hectares that could be irrigated. Moreover, the irrigated land accounts for only three percent of the country’s total crop production. Ethiopia also has a vast but underexploited hydroelectric power potential, requiring large-scale investments.
* Chronic malnutrition in children is a huge challenge for Ethiopia. The country has among the world’s highest levels of stunting (low height-for-age), which affects more than half of all children. Inadequate diet has led to high levels of micronutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin A and iodine; this leads to blindness, brain damage or even death, for thousands of young children every year.
* Life expectancy is only 45 years for men, and 46 years for women.
* Ethiopia’s population is expected to reach 93.8 million by 2015.
* Women in Ethiopia face significant social, economic and political barriers.
* Although women are responsible for at least half of all subsistence agriculture, their role is not recognized.
* Fewer opportunities and unequal access to education mean that women typically earn half of what men earn in Ethiopia.
No comments:
Post a Comment