Eritrea and Ethiopia have Africa's largest Army sizes.

[FreedomOfSpeech-]

Eritrea: Country and Ethiopia Top Africa in Army Sizes


New Vision (Kampala)

December 28, 2006
Posted to the web December 29, 2006

Vision Reporter
Kampala

Eritrea and Ethiopia have the biggest armies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The data, contained in the latest UNDP Human Development Report, are raising more concerns about the situation in the Horn of Africa.

Both countries have troops in Somalia, fighting on opposite sides.

Both in percentage and in numbers, Eritrea tops the list. Of a population of 4.2 million, 202,000 are in the armed forces. One in every 20 Eritreans is a soldier.

Ethiopia holds the second position. It has an army of 183,000 for a population of 75 million.

Other countries with large armies include Angola (108,000 troops), Sudan (105,000 troops), Nigeria (79,000) and the Democratic Republic of Congo with 65,000 troops.

Rwanda, with a population of 8.9 million, has an army of 51,000, which is larger than Uganda's 45,000, with a population of 27.8 million.

Gambia and Equatorial Guinea have the smallest armies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Their armed forces count only 1,000 soldiers.

Down on the ladder are also Lesotho (2,000) and Central African republic (3,000), while Niger, Malawi, Benin and Gabon each have 5,000 soldiers.

Interestingly, the number of soldiers does not correspond with military expenditure.

Botswana and Namibia, though having only 9,000 soldiers each, are spending a high percentage of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, 3.8% and 3.1% respectively.

Though many Sub-Saharan countries have not submitted their figures, from the data available Burundi has the highest military expenditure as compared to GDP (6.3%), followed by Angola (4.2%) and the DR Congo (3%).

Uganda, which has been criticised by donors over its defence budget, spends 2.3% of GDP on the military. This is a slight increase compared to previous years but significantly less than in 1990, when military expenditure stood at 3.1% of GDP.

With 2.2 million soldiers, China has the largest army in the world, followed by the US (1.5 million), India (1.3 million) and Russia (1 million).

In terms of military expenditure in relation to GDP, Middle East countries

Oman spends 12% of its GDP on defence, followed by Israel (8.7%), Saudi Arabia (8.3%), Jordan (8.2%) and Kuwait (7.9%).

In absolute terms, however, US military expenditure, currently at 4% of GDP, is likely to top because of the size of its economy.

Five countries in the world have no army at all. They are Iceland, Panama, Haiti, Mauritius and Costa Rica.

[Gedo_Boy]

Oman spends 12% of its GDP on defence, followed by Israel (8.7%), Saudi Arabia (8.3%), Jordan (8.2%) and Kuwait (7.9%).

[gurey25]

the figures do not include reserves.

Eritrea can put something like 300,000 + on the field

the Same with ethiopia.

[FreedomOfSpeech-]

The thing about Eritrea is they NEED that size or else Ethiopia will attempt to invade them yet again.


The average Eritrean fighters is far better trained than the average 'human wave body' Ethiopian soldier. The thing Eritrea dosen't have is the funding of the US, British, Israel, Russia..ETC..ETC....all this military aid to fight off "tiny Eritrea"....Never will i give respect to them, how can a nation of 70 people, not be able to beat up 3 people in a fist fight?


Madmac, i'm curious, do you think CHina is capable of defeating America in a war? They got size, they got nukes, they also got ok training....

[gurey25]

Freedom you dont get it.

Meles first objective was not to conquer Eritrea.
He knew he couldnt.

He wanted to distract the Amahara officers in the army, keep them entertained, while exhasting the oromo nation of its young men,
while weakening Eritrea at the same time.

Very few Tigray millitia fought or died in that war.
the Only tigray that died in great numbers were the Eritrean Tigray.


Its a Tigray Family fued.

the only differance is that Meles was using the resources of the Ethiopian Empire, while Isias had only the tough Eritrean people.

[fagash_killer]

Madmac, i'm curious, do you think CHina is capable of defeating America in a war? They got size, they got nukes, they also got ok training....

no unlike china got america some other countries in their pants japan and south korea belonges to the us. taiwan got also a powerfull army they could use divide and rule strategy just like they did to vietnamese. have you guys ever noticed that the us was never invaded.

[gurey25]

Faqash it depends on what kind of war, and when.

if you mean Taiwan.. right now NO.
Taiwan with US navy support will win decisivley.

in 20 years.

Im betting on China..

and for the Chinese 20 years is too soon, they are already planning 2100.

[Gedo_Boy]

If China made a move on Taiwan,

The US would send Taiwan a 'Get Well' card.

Perhaps, consumer electronics would suffer a bit too

[gurey25]

Gedo Boy.

Right now Taiwan can take care of itself.
and Consumer Electronics wont suffer, becuase Taiwanese companies moved most production to Fujian in china anyways.

[Gedo_Boy]

gurey25,

www.alibaba.com

[gurey25]

nice site.

and if you look you can see, most electronic components are Taiwanese companese based in China proper.

[fagash_killer]

[quote="gurey25"]Faqash it depends on what kind of war, and when.

if you mean Taiwan.. right now NO.
Taiwan with US navy support will win decisivley.

in 20 years.

Im betting on China..

and for the Chinese 20 years is too soon, they are already planning 2100.[/quote]

i agree with you. america needs china to achieve many of its most basic goals:

-AmericaÂ’s prosperity depends on expanding the economic interaction with China, with which AmericaÂ’s economy is intertwined like no others.

-Thwarting a global pandemic that might kill as many as 2 million Americans will require far-reaching cooperation with China to halt the spread of a deadly disease once it were to occur.

-Stemming the spread of nuclear weapons requires BeijingÂ’s diplomatic and technical cooperation to prevent the transfer of technologies and put pressure on countries like Iran and North Korea to reverse course.

-Preventing global warming requires America and China, the two leading producers of greenhouse gasses, to cooperate in developing clean technologies that meet their growing energy needs.


The issue for China and the United States is therefore not whether they need to engage — but how and to what end. The ends of cooperation are easy to state, if more difficult to accomplish. They are to ensure the security, prosperity, liberty, and well-being of the Chinese and American people. thats why i believe that their wont be a war between the us and and china

[FreedomOfSpeech-]

Guery: Meles told his troops to capture Asmara or atleast Assab. And the Amhara tribe will forget about everything that is going on in their country just to settle the scores with Eritrea. They never approved of Eritrea becoming her own country and they feel assab is their port, which i don't get because, historically, no Amhara or Tigray lived in Assab, just Afars.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9auLKEI ... ed&search= <====Confessions of captured Ethiopian troops of the border war..

Eritrean Tigrinya, speak a slight different language than the Tigrays of northern Ethiopia. Every thing else is similar though. Tigray have close relationship with Amhara tribes, while Eritrean Tigrinyas have closer ties with their Muslim Tigre (not Tigray of Ethiopia, no relation). Eritreans will tell you that north of the merb river has always devided Eritreans and Ethopians, and "tigray" Eritreans don't claim to be Tigray, that's why they changed their name to Tigrinya Eritreans.



Gurey, the war EThiopia started on Eritrea was over money and TIGRAY Ethiopians were known as Eritrean puppets. The tigrays wanted to prove to the Amharas that they weren't their puppets, and wanted to prove to them their "Ethiopianism" by invading the country that created their liberation struggle.


Everything you said is also what happened too. The funny thing about this war is Ethiopia used Russian generals, Russian jet fighters, Israel and US satilte and human waves just to fight a tiny nation.


It is rumored that Ethiopia lost half her deployed military in the two year border war with ERitrea. While eritrea's one time "fastest growing economy" was shattered.

[biko]

and now they have africa's bigest dabadhilifs.

[fagash_killer]

[quote="biko"]and now they have africa's bigest dabadhilifs.[/quote]


Oh Meles the mesmerizing and muscle breaking leader of Ethiopia,
You are the powerful, patriotic and nationalist son of Ethiopia
Known for brave, bold and bargaining leadership on Somalia.
Oh Meles passionate, compassionate and powerful leader of Africa
Africans are proud, of your penetrating pundit of Oromia.
Oh Meles the Tough Tigre keeping in check your foe
You are brilliant, bold, and brave, to whom all us bestow
To control, to lead and destroy enemies of the Diaspora
With your mental boxing and bullying strength of the millennia!