ECONOMY: AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND FISHING

The economy of Ethiopia is based on agriculture which occupies approx. 80% of the active population and contributes 43% to GDP production (2006). For domestic consumption, maize, barley, millet, sorghum and wheat are grown. Very common are legumes and various vegetables (onions, tomatoes, etc.) consumed locally such as potatoes, bananas, dates and other tropical fruit. The only crop, introduced in colonial times and of which the country is one of the leading world producers, continues to be coffee (260,000 t in 2005), widespread in two main areas, the southwestern one and even more the Harar.; the economy of the state is heavily dependent on this monoculture, so much so that the decreases in production caused by periods of drought produce heavy decreases in GDP. There is a significant decrease in the production of cotton, which comes mainly from the irrigated areas of the Rift Valley, where modern plantations exist. Among the main industrial crops, in addition to cotton, sugar cane, then sisalana agave, tobacco and, among oil plants, sesame, peanuts and castor are worthy of mention. Irrigation is not yet adequately exploited. § Forests, concentrated in the western part of the country and in the humid southern section, provide numerous varieties of wood. § Great importance for the Ethiopian economy has the cattle breeding, of ancient traditions and which exploits above all the vast spaces of the savannahs. Various modern slaughterhouses have been set up as a function of cattle breeding, located in the richest areas of Dessiè (Desē), Gonder (Gondar) etc. Sheep and goats are also widespread; widely used for transport are mules and donkeys, followed by horses and camels. The number of poultry is also very high. Despite the abundance of livestock, the livestock sector – which is the second most important after agriculture – does not make use of modern techniques to develop further but is limited only to the export of skins: a macroscopic example of the archaic forms of production. § After independence from Eritrea, Ethiopia no longer has outlets on the sea and fishing, once a sector with good opportunities given the fish richness of the Red Sea, is no longer a resource of the country.

ECONOMY: INDUSTRY AND MINERAL RESOURCES

Industries, eminently serving the internal market, are largely concentrated in Addis Ababa. According to allcountrylist, they basically concern the transformation of local agricultural products and therefore include sugar refineries, oil mills, breweries, pasta factories, food canning factories; there are also several textile factories that also process imported cotton, while the tobacconists use national products. A traditionally developed sector is that of leather processing, which however is divided into businesses at an artisanal level, as well as numerous other production activities (ceramics, glass, footwear, etc.). Overall, the situation of the industrial sector is no better than that of agriculture; the manufacturing industry remains in fact attested to extremely low values, and it is even more lacking in the basic sectors. § Ethiopia’s mineral resources are still poorly known. For some time, deposits of platinum and gold have been exploited and it seems that there are iron, copper, zinc and lead; Salmarino is obtained from Denakil. Lastly, the presence of oil and natural gas in the South-East of the country was detected, but so far the real numbers of the fields that are not exploited are not known. The water potential of Ethiopia is very considerable: however, the production of energy is always reduced; half of it is of thermal origin (which forces to import oil), even if some hydroelectric plants are active, of which the most important that has come into operation is that of Koka on the river For some time, deposits of platinum and gold have been exploited and it seems that there are iron, copper, zinc and lead; Salmarino is obtained from Denakil. Lastly, the presence of oil and natural gas in the South-East of the country was detected, but so far the real numbers of the fields that are not exploited are not known. The water potential of Ethiopia is very considerable: however, the production of energy is always reduced; half of it is of thermal origin (which forces to import oil), even if some hydroelectric plants are active, of which the most important that has come into operation is that of Koka on the river For some time, deposits of platinum and gold have been exploited and it seems that there are iron, copper, zinc and lead; Salmarino is obtained from Denakil. Lastly, the presence of oil and natural gas in the South-East of the country was detected, but so far the real numbers of the fields that are not exploited are not known. The water potential of Ethiopia is very considerable: however, the production of energy is always reduced; half of it is of thermal origin (which forces to import oil), even if some hydroelectric plants are active, of which the most important that has come into operation is that of Koka on the river but up to now the real consistencies of the deposits that are not exploited are not known. The water potential of Ethiopia is very considerable: however, the production of energy is always reduced; half of it is of thermal origin (which forces to import oil), even if some hydroelectric plants are active, of which the most important that has come into operation is that of Koka on the river but up to now the real consistencies of the deposits that are not exploited are not known. The water potential of Ethiopia is very considerable: however, the production of energy is always reduced; half of it is of thermal origin (which forces to import oil), even if some hydroelectric plants are active, of which the most important that has come into operation is that of Koka on the river Awash.