Ethiopia -- Collective Harvest 1

Welcome to Ethiopia! This East African country has a population of almost 120,000,000, with various different ethnic groups and different regions (1). The main ethnic groups are the Oromos, at 34.4% of the population, the Amharas at 27%, the Tigrays and Somalians at 6% and the Gurages at 2.5% (2). Relative to this, the official language of the county is Amharic, but many, based on their region, speak Oromo and/or Somali (3). There are slightly more women than men in the country, not by a significant amount, but the number increases as various age groups go up. In terms of age distribution, 40% of the population is between 0 and 14, 20% is between 15 and 24, 33% is between 25 and 54, 4% is between 55 and 64%, and 3% are 65 years or older (4).

It borders Somalia, Eritrea, Kenya, Sudan, and South Sudan, right by the Horn of Africa. It is 426,000 square miles, or approximately 1/9 the size of the United States (5), with 290 people per square mile. Approximately 21% of the population lives in urban areas, while the other 79% live in rural areas (6). There are three main climate groups in Ethiopia. These are the dry climate, the warm temperate rainy climate, and the tropical rainy climate. The extreme diversity in temperature, from having the hottest place on Earth to lush rainforests is one of my favorite things about the country (7).

In terms of its history, Ethiopia is one of two African countries that has never been colonized. While it was temporarily occupied by Italy during a battle on October 3, 1935. However, in the Battle of Adwa, Ethiopia defeated Italy! This was a victory not only for Ethiopia but for all of Africa. It sent a signal that the imperialists of Europe were not undefeatable, and could be stood up against and beat. As such, Emperor Menelik, who led Ethiopia to victory became not only an Ethiopian, but African icon.

In terms of economic development, inequality, and basic human rights, I analyzed these through the lens of education and the effect that it had. Education might not be a literal human need the same way food and water are, but it is included in the definition for what constitutes a high standard of living. This includes other resources like access to clean water and health care, something Ethiopia struggles with, especially in rural areas. The lack of education makes economic development very difficult, as there is a lack in human capital which is necessary for productivity and growth.

Works Cited

1. “Ethiopia Population (LIVE).” Worldometer, srv1.worldometers.info/world-population/ethiopia-population/.
2. “Ethiopia Population 2021 (Live).” Ethiopia Population 2021 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs), worldpopulationreview.com/countries/ethiopia-population.
3. “Ethnic Groups and Languages.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/place/Ethiopia/Ethnic-groups-and-languages.
4. "Ethiopia Age Structure.” Ethiopia Age Structure - Demographics, www.indexmundi.com/ethiopia/age\_structure.html.
5. “Ethiopia Age Structure.” Ethiopia Age Structure - Demographics, www.indexmundi.com/ethiopia/age\_structure.html.
6. “Ethiopia Demographics.” Worldometer, www.worldometers.info/demographics/ethiopia-demographics/.
7. “What Is the Weather, Climate and Geography like in Ethiopia.” World Travel Guide, 26 May 2019, www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/ethiopia/weather-climate-geography/