The total area Ethiopia occupies is 1.1 million square kilometers in the Horn of Africa (MOE:2005a). With an estimated population of over 70 million people, Ethiopia is the second largest nation in Sub-Sahara Africa next to Nigeria. The proportion of males and females is almost the same with males comprising 50.1% and females 49.9%. The primary school age is 7-14 years, and there were 14.3 million children of this age in the nation in 2004/05. Out of this 11.4 million were enrolled in formal primary schools (55.9% males and 44.1% females) for the same year (MOE:2005a). It is estimated that the total population will reach 81.3 million in 2009/10 (CSA: 2005). Ethiopia is a diverse nation in culture, languages and topography. About 85% of the population depends on   rain-fed agriculture and lives in rural areas. Agriculture provides about 42.1% of the GDP and the urban population is only 15%. The nation is one of the poorest in the world with per capita income of around 100 USD. Ethiopia has a long political history as a nation, and it was a monarchy until 1974. From this time onwards, a socialist oriented Military Government ruled for about two decades until 1991. Since this period up until today, a Federal Government is in power. Currently the country is divided into nine regional states and two city administrations. The Ethiopian Birr is the national currency and the exchange rate at current value is US$1=8.70 birr.