After the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie, who was in power from 1930 until 1974, the country was taken over by a Marxist junta. The junta was then overthrown in 1991 by Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels. In 1994, the new constitution, under which the country is currently governed, was written. Since then, Ethiopia has held four political elections in June 1995, May 2000, 2005and 2010, respectively.

In the aftermath of 1998-2000 border war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, relationship between the two countries remains tense and the border issue unresolved. After the two countries signed a peace agreement in December of 2000, a five member independent international commission, the Eritrean Ethiopia Boundary Commission, issued its decision in April of 2002. Thus far, the two countries have not agreed to final demarcation; therefore, peacekeepers under United Nations Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) continue to patrol a 25 kilometer wide Temporary Security Zone within Eritrea separating the two countries.

According to the 2011 UN Human Development Index, Ethiopia ranks 174th out of 187 countries. Even measured by African standards, Ethiopia has a very low income per capita and literacy rate. The country still heavily relies on international aid to feed its people. However, the current government believes food sufficiency is within reach and is working towards it.

Located in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia shares borders with Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and Kenya. As shown in the map below, it has 11 administrative regions, Oromia, Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Benishangul, Gambela, Harari, Somali, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Dire Dawa, and Addis Ababa. Ethiopia covers an area of 1.13 million square kilometers with an estimated population of 84 million people, it is Africa's second populous country. The capital city is Addis Ababa and has approximately 4 million inhabitants. The official national language is Amharic while other languages such as Oromiffa and Tigrinya are also widely spoken. It is an ethnically diverse country with Christianity and Islam as the two major religions. Its main exports are coffee, hides, oilseeds, beeswax, and sugarcane.

BASIC STATISTICS

Population: 84,975,600

Annual Population Growth: 3.9%

Population under age 15: 46.3 %

Life expectancy at birth: 59.3 years

Adult Literacy Total: 35.9%

Fertility Rate (Births/ Woman): 6.02

Annual GDP Per Capita: 991 USD

HIV Prevalence (% ages 15-49): 0.9-3.5

Infant Mortality Rate: 109 per 1,000 live births

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2011.