Ethiopia
Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained
its freedom from colonial rule, one exception being the Italian occupation
of 1936-41. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile
SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn
by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems,
the regime was finally toppled by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian
People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), in 1991. A constitution
was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia’s first multiparty elections were held
in 1995. A two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace
treaty on 12 December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently
on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international commission’s
finding requiring it to surrender sensitive territory.
Population (1): 78,254,090
Religions (1): Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)
HIV/AIDS 2003 estimates (1): Adult prevalence rate 4.4%
People living with HIV/AIDS 1.5 million
HIV/AIDS deaths 120,000
Life expectancy in years (2): 48
Annual per capita GNI U.S. dollars (3): $180.00
Total number of orphans (4): 4,8000,000
Education:
Children completing primary school (5): Male – 63%; Female – 60%
Children enrolled in secondary school (6): Male – 38%; Female – 24%
Number of physicians per 100,000 people (7): 3
(1) CIA – The World Factbook
(2) (5) (6) Source: State of the World Population 2007
(3) Source: World Bank World Development Indicator Database, 1 July 2007, 2006 estimates
(4) Sources: UNICEF Africa’s OVCs affected by AIDS 2005
(7) WHO Human Resources for Health
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Cottages at the Rafiki Village Ethiopia
Rafiki in Ethiopia
The Rafiki Village is fully operational. Children have arrived!
ROS in Ethiopia
Lori and Ken Dulany
Sherri and Mike Ritter
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