ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a short account of the unique geography of Ethiopia and a history of the Ethiopian people with special reference to kinship, culture, social structure and immigration. The next two sections focus on mental disorders and the services available, both native and modern. The fourth section deals with systems issues such as policy, service development and research. Finally, I give some concluding thoughts. The major cultures and people are described in relative detail, as it is impossible to cover all ethnicities in the chapter. As there are also many languages in Ethiopia, the text refers to Amharic speakers throughout the chapter, unless it is stated otherwise.
