Economic Infrastructure

Highways:
total 36,469 km (paved 6,980 km and unpaved 29,489 km) (2004)

Airports:
120 total, 84 usable

Railway:
778-km railway line from Addis Ababa to Djibouti

Communication and Transport

Despite its geographical complexities, the country has a well-developed system of transport and communications. An extensive road network connects the capital, Addis Ababa, with various regional and urban centers. There is also a highway from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. A railway system links Addis Ababa with the port cities of Djibouti, while Ethiopian Airlines links Ethiopia to most major countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Telecommunication services in major urban centers are served through a microwave system. There is an open-wire relay system to Sudan and Djibouti and microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti. Excellent international communications are also maintained through two satellite earth stations—(1) Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and (2) Pacific Ocean INTELSAT.

There are four AM broadcast stations and 1 television station. Most of the Ethiopian people listen to radios for information, although almost every village has a television in the community center, where the villagers can gather to watch television programs.  There are several foreign-language newspapers published in Ethiopia, including the daily Ethiopian Herald, printed in English, and the Arabic weekly newspaper Al-Alem.

Energy

There is substantial hydroelectric and thermal power potential in Ethiopia.  Its hydropower potential has been estimated at about 650 billion kilowatt hours (kWh).  To date, the aggregate electricity generated is more than 2.294 billion kWh, which is much less than one percent of the potential.

Electricity

Distribution stations: 
114

Electricity production:
2.294 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption: 
2.133 billion kWh (2004)

Production by source:
Hydro ('%):  99.2
Others (%):  0.8

Banking

Efficient facilities for banking and insurance are available in the country. The National Bank of Ethiopia is the central bank and its responsibilities include conducting implementation of monetary policy and exchange rate policy as well as regulation and supervision of banks and other financial institutions.  Currently there are eight commercial banks and one development bank with 267 branches, nine insurance companies with 91 branches and 16 micro-finance institutions.