Ethiopia is in east-central Africa, bordered on the west by the Sudan, the east by Somalia and Djibouti, the south by Kenya, and the northeast by Eritrea. Ethiopia is a landlocked country and is known as the Horn of Africa. The country has a high central plateau, with some mountains reaching more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet).
Facts about Ethiopia
1. The capital of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa, which means “new flower” in Amharic. The altitude is 2,355m (7,726 ft), making it the 3rd highest capital city in the world. It is also the diplomatic capital of Africa.
2. Ethiopia’s national dish is called “wat.” Ethiopians prefer to eat this spicy stew with injera, a flat, spongy bread. Meals are enjoyed by tearing off a piece of injera and using it to scoop up a big bite of wat. Wat can be made with chicken (doro wat), beef (sega wat), lamb, vegetables and seasoned with berbere, a combination of spices, and niter kibbeh, a clarified butter. It may also be topped off with hardboiled eggs!
3. Ethiopians measure time from when the sun rises and count time on the opposite side of the clock. When the sun rises at 6 o’clock it is said to be 12 o’clock – the start of the day in Ethiopia.
4. More than 70% of Africa’s mountains are found in Ethiopia. Probably due to the high altitude in the country, Ethiopians are famous for being great long distance runners.
5. There are more than 80 different ethnic groups in Ethiopia with just as many languages and over 200 dialects are spoken throughout the country.
6. Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar consisting of 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of 5 or 6 days. It is roughly 7 and a half years behind the Gregorian calendar. The Ethiopian fiscal year begins on 8 July and the Ethiopian new year begins on 11 September (12 September in leap years). Ethiopians will ring in the year 2005 on 11 September, 2012.
7. Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. It has never been under colonial control.
8. Islam is very strong in many parts of Ethiopia, frequently existing peaceably alongside Christianity.
9. The country’s official language is Amharic.
10. The oldest fossil skeleton of a human was discovered in Ethiopia. So too was coffee, making Ethiopia the home of mankind and mankind’s favourite wake-up drink.
