Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Unique among African countries, Ethiopia is arguably the oldest independent country in Africa. It has rich tradition and a long history. However, Ethiopia is also one of the poorest countries in the world with a per capita income of 110$ a year. In recent years, Ethiopia has become synonymous with hunger and famine. Its poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture making the country extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. The image of famine and draught has long defined the world’s view of this country. As one of the third world countries, Ethiopia suffers from many social problems such as a lack of life’s basic needs. The two major social problems in this country that definitely hinder its social and economic development are the lack of proper nutrition and a poor health system. Without these basic needs, it would be impossible for Ethiopia to develop into a country that can sustain its people.

As mentioned beforehand, Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world with a per capita income of only 110$ per year (Axe 28). Agriculture accounts for half of the country’s GDP, 90% of exports and 80% of total employment (Axe 27). Often the agriculture sector suffers from draught and poor cultivation leaving over 5 million people in need of food assistance each year making malnutrition one of the major social problems in this Third World country. For many years, natural disasters have contributed to agricultural problems leading to a deterioration of the quality and quantity of the rations. Also, Ethiopia’s rapid population growth presents great problems as well for a nation struggling to be self-sufficient in food, making provisions even scarcer as years pass by. The population is said to increase some 3% every year which is a lot considering the current population is of 76 511 883 people (Prendergast 62). Also, sadly, UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report estimates that 300,000 children die in Ethiopia from malnutrition every year. In...

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