Issues Facing Ethiopia

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Introduction

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a country completely surrounded by land, and positioned in the northeast region of Africa. Formally known as Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, it is the second most populated country in Africa. As of 2009 the population is estimated to be greater than 79.2 million people, and ranked the tenth largest by area with 1,100,000 km per square inch. Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya are located on the outskirts of Ethiopia. There are eighty different languages used in Ethiopia. Afar, Berta, Oromo, and Somali are the main languages used in this country, but Amharic is the language most spoken in Ethiopia (Britannica, 2010).

The climate in Ethiopia is tropical with periods of heavy rainfall to dry desert weather. Higher terrains have a temperature of 60 degrees and below while the low terrains are approximately 80 degrees. Addis Ababa, the capital, has a yearly temperature of 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit. During the night the temperature drops to 44-50 degrees Fahrenheit, so a light coat may be needed. Ethiopia has three seasons. The dry season, called bega, is from September to February, although the coolest weather is in December or January. Next is a brief period of rain known as belg, which is from March to April. May is mostly arid then precedes a lengthy rain period during June, July, and August called the kremt (Britannica, 2010).

Ethiopia is called a third world country because of its poverty rate. The economy relies on agriculture which makes up 45% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 85% of their employment. Farmers deal with repeated droughts that affect their farming. Coffee was sold oversees in 2006 for $350 million so it is an important export, but with the decreased p...

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... lower death rate in Adidas Ababa is a prime example of health resources made more readily available in the city. A major concern is lower respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, and diarrheal diseases which are on the rise. Although HIV prevalence is lower in Ethiopia when compared to other African countries, it is above the world’s average. Most of the HIV is seen in cities and in younger women (Britannica, 2010).

Although the economy of Ethiopia has grown a lot, hunger and poverty still remains prevalent. Many of the people have no supply of clean water, education, or healthcare. Organizations like UNICEF, Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), Medecins San Frontieres (MSF), and other organizations have been a great help to this country. With donations and medical assistance from these organizations Ethiopia can make its way out of being a third world country.

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