Ethiopia Profile


Ethiopia Profile

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Whenever you think of children living in poverty in Africa, many people tend to think about Ethiopia, a vast country with a population of 115 million (2020) people whose history stretches back into the mists of time. Unlike many other African nations, Ethiopia has always been independent (apart from a brief period of occupation by Italy.) Despite not being a former colony, Ethiopia still suffered from poor governance and dictatorships for decades. It was ruled for over forty years by the Emperor Hailie Selassis, then a military junta until 1991. Wars with neighbours continued over boundary disputes, although now seemingly resolved, and Ethiopia is currently in turmoil following the rise to power of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with tensions rising over Ethiopia's post 1991 ethno-federalist setlement for the governance of the country, with many Ethiopians seeing it as a guarantee of local autonomy, while others view it as an obstacle to effective central government. These tensions erupted into open conflict in 2020 between the federal and Tigray governments in the northern region of Ethiopia, an effective war that has seen tens of thousands killed to date.



Although Ethiopia has a fast growing economy, the vast majority of its population live in poor rural areas dependent on subsistence farming. Ethiopia's famine of 1984-1985, resulting from poor rainfall and leading to an almost total failure of crop production was followed in 1986 by a locust plague. The famine affected around eight million people, with one million of them dying of starvation. The country remains drought prone making for widespread food insecurity. Ethiopia is in 173rd place out of 189 countries and territories in 2019 when ranked in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards of a country. Despite having the fastest growing economy in the region, with an aim of reaching lower-middle-income status as a country by 2025, an estimated 13.2 million people in Ethiopia don't have enough to eat according to the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HPR), made worse in the north by the conflict there.


Ethiopia Country Profile


It is hard to believe that an estimated 720,000-1,200,000 children in Ethiopia have been have been orphaned by AIDS, with a further 109,133 infected themselves, with 2,420 becoming infected annually. Four and a half million children are orphans in Ethiopia and is estimated that a further 200,000 children are becoming orphaned there every year. For more about Ethiopia check out our profile articles below.




Ethiopia Profile: Volunteer in Ethiopia

African Volunteer Work: Ethiopia


Check out all the latest fee paying and free African volunteer work placements and charity work job opportunities abroad with local projects and volunteering organisations in Ethiopia.

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Ethiopia Profile: Ethiopia History

Ethiopia History


Exploring the history of Ethiopia, the location of the best preserved and oldest human fossil, named Lucy, who lived some 3.2 million years, ago making Ethiopia the birthplace of modern day Homo Sapiens.

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Ethiopia Profile: Life in Ethiopia

Life in Ethiopia


Life for children in Ethiopia is explored elsewhere at the African Volunteer Network. This artcle features two main tenets of life in Ethiopia, food and music.

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Ethiopia Profile: Ethiopian Children

Ethiopian Children


Info, facts and figures and video about children in Ethiopia and the challenges they face.

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Ethiopia Profile: Ethiopia Images

Ethiopia Images


Find out all about the rich heritage of Ethiopia in pictures, video and images.

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Ethiopia Profile: Ethiopia Quiz

Ethiopia Quiz


Take our Ethiopia country quiz and find out how much you really know about Ethiopia including some interesting facts about the country.

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Ethiopia Profile: Addis Ababa Profile

Addis Ababa Profile


A complete profile of Addis Ababa, capital city of Ethiopia including Addis Ababa information, facts, pictures and tourist attractions.

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Ethiopia Profile: Addis Ababa Airport

Addis Ababa Airport


Make a virtual landing at Addis Ababa international airport at Addis Ababa the capital city of Ethiopia where you will probably be landing in the event you undertake volunteer work in the country.

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Ethiopia Profile: Child Sponsor Ethiopia

Child Sponsor Ethiopia


Details of how to sponsor children in Ethiopia with Ethiopian child sponsor organisations, charities, programs and projects.

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Ethiopia Profile: Ethiopia Map

Ethiopia Map


Use this Google Earth satellite map of Ethiopia in Africa to explore and take a virtual tour of Ethiopia and zoom in on places of interest.

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Ethiopia Profile: Ethiopia News

Ethiopia News


Read all the latest and breaking news from Ethiopia here at our Ethiopian news profile page. Updated daily.

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