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"...Where it all begins"
History and Geographical info
Ethiopia (formerly known as Abyssinia) is located in the East of Africa, commonly known as the Horn of Africa. It covers an area about twice the size of
France. According to a recent census the population is estimated to be approx. 90 million with 80 different ethnic groups. It is bounded in the Northeast by Eritrea and Djibouti, in the East and Southeast by Somalia, in the South by Kenya and in the West by Sudan. The Ethiopian landscape is dominated by a volcanic plateau with an average altitude of 2’000 meter above sea level decreasing towards the country’s borders on three sides.
The Great Rift Valley begins in Jordan at the Red Sea and traverses all the way through the Danakil depression, continuing towards the south of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and finally Mozambique. Ethiopia is also known as “Cradle of Humankind”. It is almost certain that human beings and their hominid ancestors evolved in the Eastern zone of the Rift Valley: Lucy, our most distant ancestor, who lived 3.5 million years ago, was found in the Ethiopian Rift Valley in a place called Hadar. Ethiopia has a very strong cultural identity, which has been preserved thanks to a very long period of independence lasting until present times
General Information
Official Name:
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE)
Political System:
Federal with multi-party system
Head of State:
President: Dr Mulatu Teshome
Head of Government:
Prime Minister: Hailemariam Dessalegn
Administrative Division:
There are nine regional states and two city administrations.
Main Cities:
Addis Ababa, Adama, Bahir Dar, Dessie, Gondar, Harar, Hawassa, Jimma, Mekele and Dire Dawa
Capital City:
Addis Ababa; which is also seat of the African Union (AU) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), among others
Area
1’14 million km2
Arable Land:
513’000 km2 (45%)
Irrigated Land:
34’200 km2 (3%)
Topography
Ethiopia has an elevated central plateau varying in height from 2’000 to 3’000 m above sea level. In the North and centre, there are some 25 mountains whose peaks reach over 4’000m.
The most famous river is the Blue Nile or Abay, which flows a distance of 1’450 km from its source to join the White Nile in Khartoum.
Location
Ethiopia is located at the northeastern part of Africa extending 3° to 15° north of the equator and 33° to 48° east of the Greenwich Meridian. Ethiopia enjoys a unique location between Africa, the Middle East and Asia
Climate
There are two major seasons encompassing dry and wet season. The dry season prevails from October to May. The wet season runs from June to September. Much of Ethiopia has a surprisingly cool climate by African standards due to its elevation
Population
Ethiopia’s population is estimated around 85 million, making it second most populated country in Africa. Ethiopia is composed of about 83 ethnic groups. Based on the their linguistics, they be divided into Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic and Nilotic Saharan.