Brief information
About 80 different nationalities live in Ethiopia, as well as many religious and linguistic groups of people, which speaks of the very colorful nature of this country. Ethiopia is a combination of poverty and wealth, urbanization and nature. In this country, you can see rock temples, the largest African market, unique nature and no less unique wildlife.
Geography
Ethiopia is located in East Africa. It borders Eritrea to the north, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Sudan and South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south. There is no access to the sea. The total area of this state is 1,104,300 sq. km., and the total length of the state border is 5,328 km.
Most of Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa, which is the easternmost part of the African continent. The territory of this African country is very diverse – there are not only lowlands, steppes, deserts and semi-deserts, but also mountains, as well as tropical forests. In general, about 70% of the country’s territory is occupied by the Ethiopian highlands. The highest local peak is Mount Ras Dashen, whose height reaches 4,620 meters.
Ethiopian capital
According to allpubliclibraries.com, Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. The population of this city is now more than 3 million people. Addis Ababa was founded in 1886 by the Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II.
Official language of Ethiopia
The official language is Amharic, belonging to the Ethiopian group of the South Semitic branch of the Semitic language family.
Religion
About 62 residents are Christians (Ethiopian Eastern Christian Church and Protestants), about 32% are Muslims, and about 2.6% consider themselves supporters of traditional African religious cults.
State structure
According to cancermatters.net, Ethiopia is a federal democratic republic headed by a President elected for 6 years.
The bicameral Ethiopian parliament is called the Federal Parliamentary Assembly, it consists of the Federation Council (110 people) and the Council of People’s Representatives (547 deputies).
The main political parties are the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front, the Somali Democratic Party and the Benishangul-Gumuz Peoples’ Democratic Party.
Administratively, the country is divided into 9 states and two self-governing cities (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa).
Climate and weather
Ethiopia has three climatic zones, depending on the altitude. It is cooler in the highlands and hot in the lowlands. Kolla (tropical zone) – the average annual air temperature is +27C, and the average annual rainfall is 510 mm. Woina dega (subtropical zone) – the average annual air temperature is + 22C, and the average annual rainfall is from 510 to 1,530 mm. Dega (cold zone) – the average annual air temperature is +16C, and the average annual rainfall is 1,270 mm.
The rainy season starts in June and ends in September. The dry season is from October to May (this is the best time to visit Ethiopia).
Rivers and lakes
The most full-flowing Ethiopian rivers flow in the west of the country. This is, first of all, the Blue Nile River, whose length reaches 1,600 kilometers. To the north is Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile.
Culture
Ethiopia is home to over 80 ethnic groups of people, each with their own language, culture and traditions. In this country, men and women have clearly defined roles in society. Traditionally, men are responsible for representing the family outside the home, while women are responsible for all housework and for the children.
Ethiopian parents are often more strict with their daughters than with their sons. In general, men have more freedom than women. However, over time, the roles of men and women, even in such a traditional society as the Ethiopian, are gradually changing.
In Ethiopia, you can still find tribes that do not wear any clothes at all. People in these tribes simply decorate their bodies with tattoos.
Kitchen
Ethiopian cuisine is unique even for Africa, it has developed in isolation from the culinary traditions of other African countries. It should be noted that Ethiopians do not eat pork for religious reasons.
A traditional Ethiopian dish is “wat”, which is a hot spicy stew with a large thin pancake (flat cake) “injera”. There are many varieties of “wat” (chicken, lamb, beef, vegetables, lentils, peas). Often this dish is served with hot spices called “berbere”.
Berbere is made from dried hot red peppers, herbs, spices, dried onions, garlic and salt. Usually “wat” is placed on “berbere”. This dish, however, like many others, is eaten by Ethiopians with their hands.
We also recommend trying Asa wat (fish stew), Doro wat (chicken stew), Enkulal (omelette with peppers and tomatoes), Kai wat (very spicy beef, or goat or sheep meat), Messer “(lentil curry), “Shiro” (mashed chickpeas), “Tere sega” (raw meat, considered a delicacy), “Tibs” (fried lamb with garlic and vegetables).
The traditional soft drink is “bunna” (coffee) The preparation of “bunna” in Ethiopia is very unique and hence the process is called the “coffee ceremony”.
Traditional alcoholic beverages are tella (Ethiopian barley beer), tej (honey-fermented alcoholic beverage), and kaitaka (strong alcoholic grain beverage).
Ethiopia Attractions
Ethiopia has many interesting sights. It can even be said that a trip to any attraction is even more interesting than it in itself.
In Addis Ababa, we recommend that you definitely visit the National Museum, which has a huge collection of objects that tell about the centuries-old history of Ethiopia. Also, do not forget to see the largest African market “Merkato” in the Ethiopian capital, the palace of Emperor Menelik II, the Archaeological Museum and the Coptic Church of St. George, built in 1896 in honor of the victory over the Italian colonialists.
Of great interest to tourists is the medieval city of Lalibela, in which 11 rock temples have survived to this day.
In the north of the country there is a huge granite obelisk of Aksum, built in the 3rd century AD. Its weight is 160 tons. In the late 1930s, the Italians removed this historical monument from Ethiopia, and returned it only at the beginning of the 20th century.
Cities and resorts
The largest cities are Addis Ababa (more than 3 million people), Dire Dawa (more than 355 thousand people), Nazreet (more than 300 thousand people), Gondar (250 thousand people) and Mekele (220 thousand people).
Most tourists come to Ethiopia to see the sights of this country, look at its cities, get acquainted with the customs of the locals and the unique local nature.
Souvenirs/Shopping
As souvenirs, handicrafts, embroidered soft toys (most often rhinos and camels), traditional Ethiopian knives with leather sheaths, jewelry, Ethiopian coffee beans are brought from Ethiopia.
Office Hours
Banks:
Mon-Thu: 08:00-15:00
Fri: 08:00-11:00 and 13:30-15:00
Sat: 08:30-11:00
Shops:
Mon-Fri: 08:00-13:00 and 14:00-20:00
Sat: 09:00-13:00, 15:00-19:00
Visa
Ukrainians need to apply for a visa to visit Ethiopia.
Ethiopian currency
The Ethiopian birr is the official currency in Ethiopia. Its international designation is ETB. One birr = 100 cents. Credit cards are not common. Only Diners Club and MasterCard accept some establishments.
Customs restrictions
Foreign currency can be imported without restrictions, but it must be included in the declaration. You can take out as much foreign currency as was declared upon entry. It is prohibited to take local currency out of the country.
You do not need to obtain permission to export antique items (for example, swords, bibles). It is forbidden to export ivory and products from it, skins of wild animals, etc. A veterinary certificate is required for the importation of dogs and cats.
Useful phone numbers and addresses
The interests of Ethiopia in Ukraine are represented by the Embassy of Ethiopia in Russia:
Postcode: 129041, Moscow, Orlovo-Davidovsky pereulok, 6
T: (495) 680-16-16
El. email: [email protected]
Embassy of Ukraine in Ethiopia:
Bole District, Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia
Woreda 17, Kebele 3, House 2116
Phone: (8 10 251 11) 661 16
98 mail: [email protected]
Emergency numbers
939 – All emergencies
997 – Police (in Addis Ababa – 991)
Time
From the Kyiv time is not far behind. Those. if, for example, in Kyiv it is 13:00, then in Addis Ababa it is also 13:00.
Tips
Tipping in Ethiopia is common in hotels, restaurants and bars (10% of the bill). Taxi drivers don’t expect tips.
The medicine
Doctors recommend tourists before traveling to Ethiopia to be vaccinated against yellow fever, typhoid, malaria, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis A and B.
Security
Ethiopia is not a very safe country for tourists, so it is better to travel to this country as part of an organized group. No need to visit areas near the border with South Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.
Severe floods occur in the country every year from June to September, sometimes accompanied by loss of life.
