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Ethiopia, officially called Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is an East African state located in the Horn of Africa, with a population of about 117 million and with Addis Ababa as its capital.
It borders Eritrea to the north, Djibouti and the disputed territory of Somaliland to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Sudan and South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south. Landlocked, it occupies a total area of more than 1,100,000 square kilometres but with a low population density.
Its vastness, complex history and multiple ethnic and cultural identities make Ethiopia a leading country with enormous potential and at the same time represent its most fragile elements. In the name of the principle of self-determination, to which all communities in the country can potentially appeal, the government of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (Eprdf) has led a process of radical social and institutional change, inspired by an ethnic-based federal model. Ethiopia today consists of nine ethnic regions (Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Benishangul-Gumuz, Region of Nations, Southern Nationalities and Peoples, Gambela and Harar). The cities of Addis Ababa and Diredaua were granted special autonomy status.
The Ethiopian population consists of more than 70 ethnic groups speaking more than 200 languages and dialects. Among the largest groups are the Oromos and Somalis, who speak Cushitic languages, while the Amhara and Tigrinya-speaking groups are linguistically Semitic. At least half of the population speaks Amharic as a first or second language. Oromo and Somali have gained increasing importance in the western and southern provinces. In higher education, English has largely replaced French and Italian.
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