Facts on the Government of Ethiopia
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Country name:
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conventional long
form: Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi
Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
local short form: Ityop'iya
former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
abbreviation: FDRE |
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Government
type:
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federal republic
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Capital of
Ethiopia:
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Addis Ababa
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Administrative divisions in Ethiopia:
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9 ethnically-based
states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2
self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch,
singular - astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis
Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz,
Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples),
Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia),
Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch
Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations,
Nationalities and Peoples) |
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Independence
day of Ethiopia:
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oldest independent
country in Africa and one of the oldest in the
world - at least 2,000 years |
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National
holiday:
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National Day (defeat
of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991) |
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Constitution:
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ratified December
1994, effective 22 August 1995 |
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Legal system:
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currently
transitional mix of national and regional courts
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age;
universal |
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Executive
branch of Ethiopia:
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chief of state:
President GIRMA Woldegiorgis (since 8 October
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister MELES
Zenawi (since NA August 1995)
cabinet: Council of Ministers as provided
for in the December 1994 constitution; ministers
are selected by the prime minister and approved
by the House of People's Representatives
elections: president elected by the House
of People's Representatives for a six-year term;
election last held 8 October 2001 (next to be
held October 2007); prime minister designated by
the party in power following legislative
elections
election results: GIRMA Woldegiorgis
elected president; percent of vote by the House
of People's Representatives - 100% |
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Legislative
branch of Ethiopia:
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bicameral Parliament
consists of the House of Federation or upper
chamber (108 seats; members are chosen by state
assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the
House of People's Representatives or lower
chamber (547 seats; members are directly elected
by popular vote from single-member districts to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to
be held in 2010)
election results: percent of vote - NA%;
seats by party - EPRDF 327, CUD 109, UEDF 52,
SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent
1, others 6, undeclared 2
note: irregularities at some polling
stations necessitated the rescheduling of voting
in certain constituencies |
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Judicial
branch of Ethiopia:
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Federal Supreme
Court (the president and vice president of the
Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the
prime minister and appointed by the House of
People's Representatives; for other federal
judges, the prime minister submits to the House
of People's Representatives for appointment
candidates selected by the Federal Judicial
Administrative Council) |
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Political
parties and leaders in of Ethiopians:
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Afar National
Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz
People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem
BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democracy or CUD
[HAILU Shawel]; Ethiopian People's Revolutionary
Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an
alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement
or ANDM, Oromo People's Democratic Organization
or OPDO, the South Ethiopean People's Democratic
Front or SEPDF, and TigrAyan Peoples' Liberation
Front or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic
Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist Democratic
Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Somali
People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United
Ethopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE
Petros]; dozens of small parties |
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Political
pressure groups and leaders:
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Afar Revolutionary
Democratic Union Front or ARDUF; Oromo
Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa]; Oromo
National Liberation Front or ONLF |
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International
organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, AU,
COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO,
ITU, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
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Diplomatic
representation of Ethiopians in the USA:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200
FAX: [1] (202) 587-0195
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles
consulate(s): New York |
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Diplomatic
representation from the US in Ethiopia:
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chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Vicki
HUDDLESTON
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis
Ababa
telephone: [251] (1) 517-4000
FAX: [251] (1) 517-4888 |
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Ethiopia Flag
description:
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three equal
horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red
with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays
emanating from the angles between the points on
a light blue disk centered on the three bands;
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in
Africa, and the three main colors of her flag
were so often adopted by other African countries
upon independence that they became known as the
pan-African colors |
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