along northern, western, and eastern peripheries; northeastern
coastline of about 960 kilometers formed by Red Sea. Great terrain
diversity determines wide variations in climate, soils, natural veg-
etation, and settlement patterns.

Climate: Elevation and geographic location produce three cli-
matic zones: cool zone above 2,400 meters where temperatures
range from 16°C to near freezing; temperate zone at elevations of
1,500 to 2,400 meters with temperatures from 16°C to 29°C; hot
zone below 1,500 meters with both tropical and arid conditions
and temperatures from 27°C to 50°C. Normal rainy season from
mid-June to mid-September preceded by intermittent showers
from February or March; remainder of year generally dry.

Boundaries: Delimited and demarcated except for large section of
southeastern border with Somalia that is represented by pro-
visional administrative line defined by Ethiopian-British agree-
ment of 1950.

Population: Comprehensive census has never been taken; mid-
1980 estimate, based on government samples, totaled about 32.6
million; annual growth rate, 2.5 percent. Nearly 86 percent of
people live in rural areas. In 1980 at least 1.5 million Ethiopians
resided in neighboring countries as refugees from long-term war
and persistent drought conditions.

Ethnic Groups and Languages: Distinguishable ethnolinguistic
entities, some speaking same language, estimated at more than
100; at least seventy languages -- many marked by dialect
variation -- spoken as mother tongues. Largest group is Oromo
(Galla), about 40 percent of total population, whose native lan-
guage is Oromo. Roughly 30 percent of total consists of Amhara,
whose native language -- Amharie -- also spoken by additional 20
percent of population as second tongue; formerly country's official
language. Tigray, speaking Tigrinya, constitute 12 to 15 percent
of total. Large number of smaller groups include Somali, Gurage,
Borana, Awi, Afar, Wolayta (Welamo), Sadama, and Beja; largest
has no more than 500,000 members.

Religion: About 50 percent of population adheres to Christian
belief and follows doctrine of Ethiopian Orthodox Church,
identified mainly with Amhara and Tigray peoples but accepted
by others; roughly 40 percent subscribes to Islam as Muslims;
about 2 percent adheres to Protestant and Roman Catholic faiths
of foreign mission churches; remainder of population practices
various indigenous religious beliefs.

Health: Malaria and tuberculosis are major endemic diseases;
health problems from parasitic and gastroenteritic infections, lep-
rosy, venereal diseases, typhus, typhoid, trachoma, conjunctivitis,

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