Abyssinian lion (traditional), yellow pentagram with five rays of light on a blue field (promoted by current government); national colors: green, yellow, red.
Title | "Whedefit Gesgeshi Woud Enat Ethiopia" (March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia) |
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Lyric/music | DEREJE Melaku Mengesha/SOLOMON Lulu |
Date of Independence | oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years (may be traced to the Aksumite Kingdom, which coalesced in the first century B.C.) |
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National holiday | Derg Downfall Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991) |
Legal system | civil law system |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
Constitution | |
History | Several previous; latest drafted June 1994, adopted 8 December 1994, entered into force 21 August 1995 |
Amendments | Proposals submitted for discussion require two-thirds majority approval in either house of Parliament or majority approval of one-third of the State Councils; passage of amendments other than constitutional articles on fundamental rights and freedoms and the initiation and amendment of the constitution requires two-thirds majority vote in a joint session of Parliament and majority vote by two thirds of the State Councils; passage of amendments affecting rights and freedoms and amendment procedures requires two-thirds majority vote in each house of Parliament and majority vote by all the State Councils |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Ethiopia |
Dual citizenship recognized | no |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 4 years |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President TAYE Atske Selassie (since 7 October 2024) |
Head of government | Prime Minister ABIY Ahmed Ali (since April 2018) |
Cabinet | Council of Ministers selected by the prime minister and approved by the House of People's Representatives |
Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by both chambers of Parliament for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election held on 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 (the scheduled 29 August 2020 election was postponed by Prime Minister ABIY due to the COVID-19 pandemic); prime minister designated by the majority party following legislative elections |
Election results | 2021: SAHLE-WORK Zewde reelected president during joint session of Parliament, vote - 659 (unanimous); ABIY confirmed Prime Minister by House of Peoples' Representatives (4 October 2021) 2018: SAHLE-WORK Zewde elected president during joint session of Parliament, vote - 659 (unanimous); note - snap election held on 25 October 2018 due to resignation of President MULATA Teshome |
Legislative branch | |
Description | Bicameral Parliament consists of: House of Federation or Yefedereshein Mikir Bete (153 seats maximum; 144 seats current; members indirectly elected by state assemblies to serve 5-year terms) House of People's Representatives or Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete (547 seats maximum; 470 seats current; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; 22 seats reserved for minorities; all members serve 5-year terms) |
Elections | House of Federation - last held 4 October 2021 (next expected in October 2026) House of People's Representatives - last held in two parts on 21 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 (next expected in June 2026) |
Election results | House of Federation - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - NA; composition - men 102, women 43, percentage women 29.7% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - NA; seats by party/coalition - Prosperity Party 454, NAMA 5, EZEMA 4, Gedeo People's Democratic organization 2, Kucha People Democratic Party 1, independent 4; composition - men 275, women 195, percentage women 41.3%; note - total Parliament percentage women 38.9% |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Federal Supreme Court (consists of 11 judges); note - the House of Federation has jurisdiction for all constitutional issues |
Judge selection and term of office | President and vice president of Federal Supreme Court recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; other Supreme Court judges nominated by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council (a 10-member body chaired by the president of the Federal Supreme Court) and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; judges serve until retirement at age 60 |
Subordinate courts | Federal high courts and federal courts of first instance; state court systems (mirror structure of federal system); sharia courts and customary and traditional courts |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Aster Mamo ANA (since 31 July 2024) |
Chancery | 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
Telephone | [1] (202) 364-1200 |
FAX | [1] (202) 587-0195 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://ethiopianembassy.org/ |
Consulate(s) general | Los Angeles, St. Paul (MN) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Ervin MASSINGA (since 4 October 2023) |
Embassy | Entoto Street, P.O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa |
Mailing address | 2030 Addis Ababa Place, Washington DC 20521-2030 |
Telephone | [251] 111-30-60-00 |
FAX | [251] 111-24-24-01 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://et.usembassy.gov/ |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 11 (9 cultural, 2 natural) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela (c); Simien National Park (n); Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region (c); Axum (c); Lower Valley of the Awash (c); Lower Valley of the Omo (c); Tiya (c); Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town (c); Konso Cultural Landscape (c); Gedeo Cultural Landscape (c) |
Want to know more about Ethiopia? Check all different factbooks for Ethiopia below.