Ethiopia in Brief
Diversified Ethnic groups comprised of mainly Oromo 34%, Amhara 26%, Somali 6%, Tigre 6% and total of other ethnic groups 27 %.
Ethiopia in Brief
Diversified Ethnic groups comprised of mainly Oromo 34%, Amhara 26%, Somali 6%, Tigre 6% and total of other ethnic groups 27 %.
Location
Ethiopia covering an area of 1.14 Million Square Kilometer and the tenth largest country in the northeast corner of Africa known as the Horn of Africa .It borders Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. Ethiopia is Landlocked and lies between 3 & 18 degree N and 33 & 48 degree E.
Population
About 96.96 Million (according to 2021 World Bank)
Capital City
Addis Ababa, is the world's third-highest capital city at 2,400 meters, and has worn its heart on its sleeve since it was founded by Ethiopian Emperor Menelik about 1892.
People
Diversified Ethnic groups comprised of mainly Oromo 34%, Amhara 26%, Somali 6%, Tigre 6% and total of other ethnic groups 27 %.
Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians 40% , Protestants 20% , Islam 35% , Traditional beliefs 3% , Catholic 0.8% and others 0.7% according to 2007 census.
Currency
Ethiopian Birr (ETB) 1 USD = 47ETB
Time Difference
From GMT +3 Hours
Internet, Email, and Wi-Fi
Widely available but slow.
Driving
On the Right
International Dialing Code
+251….
SIM Cards
Two passport size photos and copy of ID page to purchase a SIM Card. They are low cost and can be purchased from local stores.
Voltage
240, European two –pin plug.
Government
Federal Parliamentary Republic
Legislature
Federal parliamentary assembly, upper house – house of federation, Lower house – house of people’s representative.
Membership of International groups and organization
United Nations ( UN) , African Unions ( AU) , Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD),Common market for Eastern and Southern Africa ( COMESA).
Climate
the climate of Ethiopia is northern tropical as it lies between the equator and the tropic of cancer and highly influenced by diversified altitude. For most of Ethiopian regions the rainy season is from June – September and the dry season is mainly from October – May but there is also a short rainy season in March and April, especially towards southern Ethiopia and rain can happen any time of the year.
Calendar
: the Ethiopian calendar is based on the Julian calendar ,which consists of 12 months of 30 days each , and a 13th month of five or six (on a leap year) days. The calendar is 7 years behind the western or Gregorian calendar, with New Year’s Day will be falling in the Month of September 11.
Food & Drinks
There are two major things that stand out for the visitors to Ethiopia – Coffee is in the blood of Ethiopians culture and Injera is a main staple food especially in the Northern part of Ethiopia. This is large porous and circular flat bread, produced by fermenting the nutritious local grain “Teff”, which is highly rich in complex carbohydrates, proteins and gluten free and baking it in a special wood or electric stove made of clay exclusively for this purpose.
Language
Official Language is Amharic (having our own old script Amharic alphabets and we call it Fidel), Tigrinya, Oromifa, Somali and other local languages totaling about eighty three ,plus dialects .Arabic is spoken in some area and English ,is the major foreign language taught in schools.
Public Holidays
- 7 January – Genna, Ethiopian Christmas
- 19 January – Timket, Epiphany
- 2 March – Adwa Victory Day, Commemorates Ethiopian victory over Italy in 1896.
- Spring Variable Date – Siklet, Good Friday
- Spring, Variable Date – Fasika, Easter
- 5 May – Arbegnoch Ken, Patriots Day, commemorates patriot’s resistance to the Italian occupation 1936.
- 11 September – Enkutatash, New Year’s Day
- 27 September – Meskel, Finding of the True Cross.
- Variable Date – Ramadan
- Variable Date – Mawild, the Prophets Birth day
- Variable Date – Eid al –Fiter, Ramadan ends
- Variable Date – Eid al – Adha – Feast of Sacrifice
Come and enjoy this mythical country with NuMondo Tours