Introduction
Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a country completely surrounded by land, and positioned in the northeast region of Africa. Formally known as Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, it is the second most populated country in Africa. As of 2009 the population is estimated to be greater than 79.2 million people, and ranked the tenth largest by area with 1,100,000 km per square inch. Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Kenya are located on the outskirts of Ethiopia. There are eighty different languages used in Ethiopia. Afar, Berta, Oromo, and Somali are the main languages used in this country, but Amharic is the language most spoken in Ethiopia (Britannica, 2010).
The climate in Ethiopia is tropical with periods of heavy rainfall to dry desert weather. Higher terrains have a temperature of 60 degrees and below while the low terrains are approximately 80 degrees. Addis Ababa, the capital, has a yearly temperature of 60.8 degrees Fahrenheit. During the night the temperature drops to 44-50 degrees Fahrenheit, so a light coat may be needed. Ethiopia has three seasons. The dry season, called bega, is from September to February, although the coolest weather is in December or January. Next is a brief period of rain known as belg, which is from March to April. May is mostly arid then precedes a lengthy rain period during June, July, and August called the kremt (Britannica, 2010).
Ethiopia is called a third world country because of its poverty rate. The economy relies on agriculture which makes up 45% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 85% of their employment. Farmers deal with repeated droughts that affect their farming. Coffee was sold oversees in 2006 for $350 million so it is an important export, but with the decreased p...
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... lower death rate in Adidas Ababa is a prime example of health resources made more readily available in the city. A major concern is lower respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, and diarrheal diseases which are on the rise. Although HIV prevalence is lower in Ethiopia when compared to other African countries, it is above the world’s average. Most of the HIV is seen in cities and in younger women (Britannica, 2010).
Although the economy of Ethiopia has grown a lot, hunger and poverty still remains prevalent. Many of the people have no supply of clean water, education, or healthcare. Organizations like UNICEF, Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET), Medecins San Frontieres (MSF), and other organizations have been a great help to this country. With donations and medical assistance from these organizations Ethiopia can make its way out of being a third world country.
Unlike North America, Summer in Ethiopia is cold, rainy and foggy. On the other side, the Winter is where we get to have our, what they North American would call, Summer Vacation.
The landlocked country of Ethiopia is located in east Africa, just west of Somalia, and is roughly twice the size of Texas . Ethiopia’s natural resources include platinum, copper, and small reserves of gold. Only .65% of the land is suitable and allotted for permanent crops. Ethiopia is currently facing several environmental concerns including deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, and water shortages due to poor management of water-intensive farming. Ethiopia’s population is in excess of 66 million. Ethiopia is home to numerous ethnic groups, the largest being Oromo, which accounts for 40% of the population. About half of the Ethiopian population is Muslim, with the majority of the other half practicing Ethiopian Orthodox. Ethiopia’s government is a federal republic which grants its citizens voting rights at 18 years of age. Currently, Ethiopia faces the problem of attempting to control the illicit drugs that come through the country, as it acts as a hub for the transportation of heroin and cocaine.
There have been many famines that have greatly impacted Ethiopia. One of the famine that is very famous in Ethiopian history and World history is known as the Great Famine. Due to the lack of the support of the government and other organizations, about one million people died of starvation. The conditions of Ethiopia in the beginning of 1984 were not well. “The Ethiopian government predicted that the agricultural yield of the nation was going to be considerably lower in at the beginning of 1984 because there had been less rainfall than expected. However, preventive measures were not taken by either the government or the rest of the world to prevent the mass starva...
Somalia is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries (Campbell). Because of the Civil War, which broke out in 1991, much of Somalia’s economy has been devastated. The war left many homeless and drove them to raise livestock as a means of survival. The economy used to be based on exports of cattle, goats, and bananas but as of early 1992 much of the economic trade had come to a halt. Now the economy is primarily based on the raising of livestock, which accounts for 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Alhaus). Due to overgrazing, soil erosion, and the clearing away of many trees, Somalia has very few natural resources, which have not been exploited.
Nearly 50,000 people, including 30,000 children, die each day due to poverty-related problems and preventable disease in underdeveloped Countries. That doesn’t include the other millions of people who are infected with AIDS and other incurable diseases. Especially those living in Sub-Saharan Africa (70%), or “the Third-World,” and while we fight to finish our homework, children in Africa fight to survive without food, or clean water. During the next few paragraphs I will give proof that poverty and disease are the two greatest challenges facing under developed countries.
Freedom of expression, association, and assembly are all taken for granted in America, but in Ethiopia, these basic rights are denied and restricted; and the end result of trying to fight for it is arbitrary arrests, detentions, and beatings from the Ethiopian authorities. Almost all of the human rights groups have been removed and a number of organizations have been closed entirely. More journalists have fled Ethiopia than any other country due to the threats and intimidation. This violation of basic human rights should not be tolerated and is important because it is causing innocent people to receive beatings and be arrested, for having their own thoughts; they are also fleeing the country just due to fear. I believe people should not be scared to speak their mind or state their opinion without concern of being targeted.
About one third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the rainy monsoon season, causing for bad economic development. Bangladesh has three main seasons; tropical, mild winter that lasts from October to March, a hot humid summer that goes from March to June, and a humid, warm monsoon season that brings them back to October. The terrain of the country is mostly flat plains across the country and hilly on the southeast side. Bangladesh shares many cultural and geographical features with nearby West Bengal. The country has come so far in the last few decades by gaining their independence.
When comes to Economic aspect, coffee is the second most traded product in the world after petroleum. As the country’s economy is dependent on agriculture, which accounts for about 45 percent of the GDP, 90 percent of exports and 80 percent of total employment, coffee is one of the most important commodities to the Ethiopian economy. It has always been the country’s most important cash crop and largest export commodity. (Zelalem Tesera p
Kenya has a humid type of climate with little temperature variation from month to month. The average annual temperature along the coast is 27 degrees celcius, but in Kenya Highlands it is only 14 degrees celcius. About three-fourths of Kenya recieves less than 500ml of rain a year. Most rain fall occurs during the “long rains” from March to May.
Ofcansky, Thomas, and LaVerle Berry. 2011. A Country Study: Ethiopia. Washington D.C.: The Library of Congress. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/ettoc.html.
Two common products that are Fair Trade Certified are Cocoa and Coffee, each of which contains problems that producers face but gain benefits from Fair Trade. Fairtrade International states that cocoa is grown in tropical regions of more than 30 developing countries, such as West Africa and Latin America, providing an estimate of 14 million people with livelihood. Fair Trade Standards for cocoa includes no forced labor of any kind - including child labor and environmental standards restricts the use of chemicals and encourage sustainability. A problem cocoa producers face is the lack of access to markets and financing. Since cocoa is a seasonal crop, producers need loans to meet the needs for planting and cultivating their crop. With this in mind,...
...ile the pandemic will absolutely leverage the rate of financial development, structural alterations are furthermore expected to be one of the prime economic hallmarks of the AIDS pandemic (Arndt 427-449). The effect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic can be visualized by the overwhelming change in mortality rate of South Africans. The yearly number of mortalities from HIV increased distinctly between the years 1997, when about 316,559 people died, and 2006 when an estimated 607,184 people died ("HIV AIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA"). Those who are currently assuming the burden of the increase in mortality rate are adolescents and young adults. Virtually one-in-three females of ages 25-29, and over 25% of males aged 30-34, are currently living with HIV in South Africa (UNAIDS). The good news, thanks to better supply of ARV treatment, is that life-expectancy has risen vastly since 2005.
The majority of the continent of Africa has not been as economically progressive as the other continents in today’s world. However, over the past few years, it has been rapidly growing. Although there have been multiple countries in Africa that have reflected a strong growing economy, such as South Africa and Botswana, there are many other countries that are still corrupt and are still struggling to grow as a nation. There are many challenges that are facing Africa currently. Some of these major challenges being, corrupt governments, vicious cycles of aid, and poverty traps. However, among these challenges, there still lies to be great opportunities for Africa within their technology and business sectors.
... diseases such as AIDS are also becoming a problem in places like Africa. Knowledge of how to prevent these diseases is not widely known, so an increasing number of people are infected. More attention needs to be placed on adequate health care and technology in these countries. While these third world societies may not have the resources with which to implement these changes, more advanced societies certainly do.