How does Ethiopia make you 7 years younger?
In 1582 when the rest of the Christian world adopted the Gregorian calendar, Ethiopia stayed with the Julian calendar. With the passage of time, seven and a half years have somehow dissolved in the intervening centuries. While we can not guarantee the whole 7 years or any permanent effects, traveling with Travel Ethiopia and the combination of our special knowledge and skills and fascinating land will be a tonic for those who feel enriched in experiencing Ethiopia's range of human and natural diversity. You will certainly feel younger at the end of your trip.
Which religions are present in Ethiopia?
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the oldest Christian church in Africa. Christianity became the state religion in the Axumite empire in 330 AD., even before Rome. Muslim refugees were given asylum in Ethiopia, established
communities and were free to worship before Islam triumphed in its birthplace Arabia.
What is Ethiopia's political history amidst the European colonial history?
When the European powers were scrambling to carve up Africa between them, Ethiopia retained its independence. The defeat inflicted by the Ethiopian army under Emperor Menelik II on invading Italian forces at Adwa in 1896 was the heaviest suffered by any European army in Africa, and reverberated throughout the world at the time. The occupation of Ethiopia by Mussolini’s forces from 1935-41 was met with strong and continuous resistance, and left no permanent stamp on the character of the country or the psyche of its people. Ethiopia is now a Federal Republic made up of 14 regions, mainly based on ethnicity. (In southern Ethiopia, 5 regions have combined to form the Southern Region.) The present government was elected in 1995 for a 5-year term.
How big is Ethiopia, and what is the environment like?
With an area of 1, 112, 000 square kilometers, Ethiopia is as large as France and Spain combined. From the north and running down the center are the Abyssinian highlands, to the west of the chain the land drops to the grasslands of Sudan, to the east the deserts of the Afar and the Red Sea. South of Addis Ababa, the land is dominated by the Rift Valley Lakes.
How many people live in Ethiopia?
The current population is about 80 million, making it the third most populated country in Africa.
What are some of the key economic drivers?
85% of the population get their livelihood from the land. Coffee (the word originates from the name of the province Kaffa, in the south west of Ethiopia) provides 65% of foreign currency earnings. The opening up of the economy since the overthrow of the previous government in 1991 has created more favorable grounds for development of Ethiopia's resources. Ethiopia is the "water tower" of the region (the Blue Nile contributes to 85% of the main Nile flow) and plans are now in progress to better exploit the country’s water resources both to boost agricultural production and for power generation. Mineral exploration and mining has stepped up in recent years-there are reserves of natural gas, coal, Gold, copper, tantalum, potash, zinc, iron ore, marble, precious and semi-precious stones. The export of livestock, skins and hides (Ethiopia has the largest domestic livestock population in Africa) oilseeds, pulses and animal feed makes up the rest of Ethiopia’s foreign currency earnings, with tourism set to make an increasingly important contribution.
