Population Characteristics

Population Characteristics:

The population of Ethiopia (2003 estimate) is 66,557,553 estimate, yielding an overall density of 59 persons per sq km (152 per sq mi). The Amhara, who founded the original nation, and the related Tigreans, both of which are highland peoples of partly Semitic origin, constitute about 32 percent of the total population. They occupy the northwestern Ethiopian highlands and the area north of Addis Ababa. The Oromo, a pastoral and agricultural people who live mainly in central and southwestern Ethiopia, constitute about 40 percent of the population. The Shankella, a people in the western part of the country from the border of Eritrea to Lake Turkana, constitute about 6 percent of the population. The Somali, who live in the east and southeast, notably in the Ogadēn region, are about equal in number to the Shangalla. The Denakil inhabit the semi desert plains east of the highlands. The non indigenous population includes Yemenis, Indians, Armenians, and Greeks