COUNTRY: ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country and, with the exception of a five-year occupation by Mussolini's Italy, has never been colonised.
But it has become better known for its periodic droughts and famines, and for its long civil war and subsequent border war with Eritrea.
FACTS
Population: 70.7 million (UN, 2003)
Capital: Addis Ababa
Area: 1.13m sq km (437,794 sq miles)
Major Language: Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali
Major Religions: Christianity, Islam
Life Expectancy: 45 years (men), 46 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Birr = 100 cents
Main exports: Coffee, hides, oilseeds, beeswax, sugarcane
Internet domain: .et
International dialling code: +251
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