Ethiopia: Introduction

This introductory report by the Institute for Security Studies provides a geographic, climatic, and socio-political overview of Ethiopia, detailing its landlocked status, diverse ethnic landscape, and ongoing internal conflicts.

• Ethiopia is a landlocked, low-income country in the Horn of Africa. It became landlocked in 1993 following the secession of Eritrea. The country is a member of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA).
• Ethiopia's climate is characterized by three rainfall seasons: Kiremt (mid-June to mid-September), Belg (February to May), and Bega (October to December). Mean annual temperatures are projected to rise by 0.44-1.47°C by 2030. To adapt to climate changes, such as increased Bega rainfall which can cause crop loss, strategies include identifying short-maturing crops and implementing early planting dates during the Kiremt season.
• The country is ethnically and linguistically diverse, with between 45 and 86 spoken languages. While Amharic is the official language, Oromo is the most widely spoken primary language, used by over a third of the population. Tigrinya and Afar are the primary languages for over 95% of the population in Tigray and over 89% in the Afar region, respectively.
• Ethiopia operates under a federal system based on ethnic identities established by the 1995 constitution. The political environment is marked by instability, including a conflict between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) that ended with a November 2022 peace agreement, and ongoing clashes throughout 2024 between government forces and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), particularly in the Guji Zone of South Oromia.

APA

Chipanda, B. (2026). Ethiopia: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ET&topic=01-introduction

Chicago

Chipanda, Blessing. Ethiopia: Introduction. Institute for Security Studies, 2026. https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ET&topic=01-introduction.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chipanda |first1=Blessing |title=Ethiopia: Introduction |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=31 May 2026 |url=https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ET&topic=01-introduction |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chipanda2026ethiopia, author = {Chipanda, Blessing}, title = {{Ethiopia: Introduction}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2026}, month = may, url = {https://futures.issafrica.org/geographic/guide.pdf?geography=ET&topic=01-introduction}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }