Ethiopia
Why children in Ethiopia need your help
Ethiopia is one of the ten poorest countries in the world, with
almost half of all children under the age of five underweight for
their age. Food security is the most critical issues in Ethiopia,
with recurring droughts and famine putting the lives of thousands
of children and their families at risk.
The livelihood of 85
percent of Ethiopia's population is entirely dependent on
rain-fed subsistent agriculture, and access to improved water
sources is only available to a quarter of the population.
Ethiopia has the world's lowest GND per capita at just US$100.
The spread of HIV/AIDS is also having a major impact on life
expectancy, with over 1.5 million people now infected with the
disease, and few medical resources available to provide treatment
and care.
Country facts
Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,
is a country within the Horn of Africa. and is one of the oldest,
independent countries in Africa, dating back over 2,000 years.
Ethiopia has been landlocked since Eritrea sought independence in
1993, and both countries continue to dispute one of the major
borders separating the two nations.
Coffee is one of Ethiopia's major exports, and continuing
fluctuation in world coffee prices is having a major impact on
farmers. Deforestation is also contributing to agricultural
difficulties, with the loss of forests contribution to soil
erosion, fewer nutrients for soil, and a loss of animal habitats.
- Population: 76 million
- Capital: Addis Ababa
- Major languages: Amharic (official), English, 100+ indigenous
languages
- Major religions: Christianity, Islam
- Life expectancy: 49 years
