The US is facing backlash after it erroneously ranked Ethiopia as "Africa’s second-largest economy" while praising the partnership between the two countries under the Trump administration's "America First" foreign policy.

The US Department of State's Bureau of African Affairs said in a social media post on Monday, 24 August, that the ''partnership will lead to more U.S. investment and greater returns for Americans and Ethiopians in Africa’s second-largest economy."

Social media users quickly picked holes in the labelling of Ethiopia as the second-largest economy on the continent, with some saying the information was misleading, and others saying it suggests that US officials lack adequate knowledge about the continent.

Ethiopia is Africa's ninth-largest economy based on GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) World Economic Outlook data. South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria represent Africa's three largest economies, according to the global lender.

The latest blunder comes weeks after the US muddled the map of Africa, mislabelling several countries during a major global conference in Brazil, sparking outrage.