Ethiopia economic system

Answer 1

ECONOMY The current government has embarked on a cautious program of economic reform, including privatization of state enterprises and rationalization of government regulation. While the process is still ongoing, so far the reforms have attracted only meager foreign investment, and the government remains heavily involved in the economy. The Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture, which contributes 47% to GNP and more than 80% of exports, and employs 85% of the population. The major agricultural export crop is coffee, providing 35% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings, down from 65% a decade ago because of the slump in coffee prices since the mid-1990s. Other traditional major agricultural exports are hides and skins, pulses, oilseeds, and the traditional "khat," a leafy shrub that has psychotropic qualities when chewed. Sugar and gold production has also become important in recent years. Ethiopia's agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by inappropriate agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, undeveloped water resources, and poor transport infrastructure, making it difficult and expensive to get goods to market. Yet agriculture is the country's most promising resource. Potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, flowers, grains, oilseeds, sugar, vegetables, and fruits. Gold, marble, limestone, and small amounts of tantalum are mined in Ethiopia. Other resources with potential for commercial development include large potash deposits, natural gas, iron ore, and possibly oil and geothermal energy. Although Ethiopia has good hydroelectric resources, which power most of its manufacturing sector, it is totally dependent on imports for its oil. A landlocked country, Ethiopia has relied on the port of Djibouti since the 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea. Ethiopia is connected with the port of Djibouti by road and rail for international trade. Of the 23,812 kilometers of all-weather roads in Ethiopia, 15% are asphalt. Mountainous terrain and the lack of good roads and sufficient vehicles make land transportation difficult and expensive. However, the government-owned airline's reputation is excellent. Ethiopian Airlines serves 38 domestic airfields and has 42 international destinations. Dependent on a few vulnerable crops for its foreign exchange earnings and reliant on imported oil, Ethiopia lacks sufficient foreign exchange earnings. The financially conservative government has taken measures to solve this problem, including stringent import controls and sharply reduced subsidies on retail gasoline prices. Nevertheless, the largely subsistence economy is incapable of meeting the budget requirements for drought relief, an ambitious development plan, and indispensable imports such as oil. The gap has largely been covered through foreign assistance inflows.

Real GDP (2006 est.): $13.3 billion.

Annual growth rate (2006 est.): 9.6%.

Per capita income (2006 est.): $130.

Average inflation rate (2006 est.): 13%.

Natural resources: Potash, salt, gold, copper, platinum, natural gas (unexploited).

Agriculture (47% of GDP): Products--coffee, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, khat, meat, hides and skins. Cultivated land--17%.

Industry (12% of GDP): Types--textiles, processed foods, construction, cement, and hydroelectric power.

Trade (2006 est.): Exports--$1.1 billion. Imports--$4.1 billion; plus remittances--official est. $400 million; unofficial est. $400 million.

Fiscal year: July 8-July 7.

Answer 2

Ethiopia has a poor economy which is based on agriculture. The agricultural industry contributes 47% to GNP and over 80% of exports. Ethiopia's arable land, which is estimated to be about 60% of the total land area, is largely undeveloped. The fact that only about 15% of its rich arable land is used is largely due to constant famine, inefficient agricultural practices and over-grazing of its considerable livestock. Constant war with Eritrea between 1998 and 2000 has greatly depleted the country's resources and ability to develop them. Continued drought led to a decline of 3.3% in GDP in 2003, but improved weather conditions enabled some recovery in 2004-8. Agriculture makes up about 50 percent of the GDP, with around 85% of the population engaged either directly or indirectly in agricultural production. Since about 1995, the country has made the move from state-run to privatisation of the agricultural industry. The economy is boosted by coffee which, in 2006, accounted for some $350 million in exports. The manufacturing industry is minimal whilst the industrial sector depends largely on imports of semi-processed goods, raw materials, spare parts, oil and other fuels. Other industries include leather and leather products, pulses, oilseeds, fertilizers and chemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, textile and textile products and garments, food processing and beverages, automotive industries which include production of components and parts. Ethiopia is in the middle of massive reform which is seeing a boost to its agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries. Sugar production and gold mining, for example, have seen significant development recently, and marble, limestone, and small amounts of tantalum are also being mined. Natural gas resources and copper remian unexploited to date. This reform has been developed in co-operation with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In December 2005, the IMF cleared Ethiopia's massive debt, as the country qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. This, of course, has provided a major boost to the economy as well.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

The economy of Ethiopia is largely based on agriculture. It is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is Africa's second most populous country.