About Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s splendid history is woven with captivating facts and legends: the often-told tale of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; the journey of the Ark of the Covenant; the growth of the ancient Axumite kingdom and the birth of Christianity; the later rise of Islam; the story of King Lalibela, who is reputed to have founded eleven rock-hewn churches, still in existence to this day and considered among the Wonders of the World.

This ancient history melds with the modern to make Ethiopia the unique and unforgettable country it is today. Go to Historical Ethiopia to learn more information on Ethiopia’s historical places and the famous Historic Route.

The people of Ethiopia are as diverse and contrasting as the country itself. Although nearly half of the population adheres to the deeply rooted Christian faith of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, a large percentage is Muslim, and there are some who practice ancient forms of Judaism. People’s livelihoods vary from hunter-gatherers, nomads, and agriculturalists to factory workers and professors. An astonishing eighty-three languages with 200 dialects are spoken, of which Amharic, the principal Semitic language of the north-western and center of the country, is the official language of the modern state, administration and much modern Ethiopian literature. Due to the difficulty in translating the languages and dialects of Ethiopia into Roman lettering, spellings of names, places and objects will vary. Learn more by going to Cultural Ethiopia.

Despite its proximity to the equator, Ethiopia’s high altitude, averaging some 2,400 meters (7,800 feet), ensures a temperate, moderate, even cool climate – certainly not tropical. The highest daytime temperatures rarely exceed 21 or 22ºC (70 or 71ºF). Temperatures at night frequently drop to a chilly 10ºC (50ºF) or less. There are two rainy seasons: the irregular short rains from late January to early March, and the long rains that stretch from June until mid-September. May is the warmest month and is usually a time of bright sunny days. June, July and August are gray, wet and cool.

Tourists generally avoid the heavy, long rains although this is when the Blue Nile Falls (or Tis Isat) are at their most spectacular. Especially interesting are the times of religious festivities. After the rains stop, beginning around Ethiopian New Year on September 11^th, yellow ‘meskal’ daisies carpet almost any open space, the world turns bright and sunny and ‘spring’ festivals abound. An important celebration is Meskal, or the Finding of the True Cross, which is celebrated on September 26^th.

January is the most important month from the point of view of religious festivities. Christmas is celebrated on January 7^th then the most colorful ceremony of the year, Timkat or Epiphany, on January 19^th. Timing your visit for the Timkat celebration is worthwhile and an experience to be remembered.

Ethiopia has its own ancient calendar. The Ethiopian Calendar has more in common with the Coptic Egyptian Calendar consisting of 13 months in a year, 365 days and 366 days in a leap year and it is influenced by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which follows its ancient rules and beliefs. The year starts on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar or on the 12^th in Gregorian leap years.

The Ethiopian Calendar differs from both the Coptic and the Julian calendars. The difference between the Ethiopian and Coptic is 276 years. In spite of this, the Ethiopian Calendar is closely associated with the rules and the different calculations influenced by the Coptic Church and the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Based upon the ancient Coptic Calendar, the Ethiopian Calendar is seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, owing to alternate calculations in determining the date of the annunciation of the birth of Jesus. The names of the months and their starting dates are as follows:

The Flag of Ethiopia was adopted on February 6, 1996. The three traditional colors (green, yellow and red) date back to Emperor Menelik (1889 – 1913) and were first used in a flag in 1895. The current flag and emblem were adopted after the defeat of the Marxist Mengistu regime (in power from 1974-1991). The three equal horizontal bands of green, yellow and read represent the fertility of the land, justice and harmony, and sacrifice and heroism in defense of the land. The blue of the disk represents peace, the star emblem is intended to represent both the diversity and the unity of the country and the sun’s rays symbolize prosperity.

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the Pan-African colors.

At 435,071 square miles (1,126,829 km2), Ethiopia is the world's 27th-largest country.

The major portion of Ethiopia lies on the Horn of Africa, which is the easternmost part of the African landmass. Bordering Ethiopia is Sudan to the west, Djibouti and Eritrea to the north, Somalia to the east, and Kenya to the south. Within Ethiopia is a vast highland complex of mountains and dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley, which runs generally southwest to northeast and is surrounded by lowlands, steppes, or semi-desert. The great diversity of terrain determines wide variations in climate, soils, natural vegetation, and settlement patterns.

The local currency is the Ethiopian birr, made up of 100 cents in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cent coins, and there are 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 birr notes. Despite a weekly auction determining exchange rates, the birr is one of Africa’s most stable currencies. At least that was still the case at the time of research, but there was much talk of devaluing the birr, which could lead to large fluctuations against hard currencies.

According to National Bank of Ethiopia regulations, all bills in Ethiopia must be paid in birr. But this isn’t enforced and Ethiopian Airlines, most major hotels, most travel agencies and even the Department of Immigration accept U.S.A. currency.

One regulation that’s strictly enforced is the conversion of birr to US dollars or euros; this transaction can only be done for people holding onward air tickets from Ethiopia. This means people leaving overland must budget accordingly. There are black-market traders around the borders, but rates are poor and it’s risky.

Los Angeles Times

Ethiopia’s rich culture, steeped in history
By Dean R. Owen
July 16, 2006

The New York Times

Ethiopia Opens its Doors, Slowly
By Joshua Hammer
September 17, 2006

The New York Times

Where the Dinner Table Is an Altar of Thanks
By Danielle Pergament
March 18, 2007