Ethiopia is the cradle of humanity
Ethiopia was called the land of Kush They claim that the Biblical references of Kush apply to their own ancestor and civilization. In the Bible Kush is mentioned as one of the sons of Ham, the grandson of Noah the father.
Ethiopia, officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia – is the second most populous nation in Africa with more than 122 million people and more than 80 different ethnic groups, with the three largest being Oromo, Amhara & Tigre.
Ethiopia is one of the only few countries in the world, whose names are repeatedly mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. For instance, it is mentioned more than forty times in the Holy Bible. The name
'Habesha' is also indicated in the Quran and Hadith.
The country is as big as 1.127.127 square kilometres. It lies in the north-east corner of Africa, bordered in the west by Sudan, the north by Eritrea, the east by Djibouti and Somalia, and the south by Kenya.
With an altitude up to 3000 mtrs. The capital Addis Ababa is the third highest in the world with a large number of diplomatic missions, like the headquarters of African Union (AU), the United Nation Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and of more than 100 other diplomatic missions and embassies. Throughout the world the nation is known for its more than 3000 years old history.
Ethiopian As the only country in Africa never to have been fully colonized, Like many African nations, it has its own languages, but it is the only African country which also has its own unique alphabet. Ethiopia also has its own time (the daily clock starts at 6am, not midnight), and its own calendar, roughly seven years and nine months behind our own.
The Ethiopian People and Their Languages
Today, Ethiopia is a home of more than 80 million people speaking more than 80 languages and 200 dialects. It is the second populous county in Africa, next to Nigeria. Actually, the ethnic and laguistlo diversity is a sign of greater richness in socio-cultural
Major Geographical Features of Ethiopia
Ethiopia is loented in eastern Africa between the equator and the Hopei of cancer, in a region known as the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopia has become a landlocked country since 1991 due to its separation from Eritrea. It is bordered by five countries: on the north and north east by Eritrea, on the east by Djibouti and Somalia, on the south by Kenya, and on the west and northwest by the Sudan. Ethiopia is currently one of the largest country in Africa that is said to have a surface area of about I, 1006,000 Km'.
Topographically Ethiopia is a mountainous country and has a very beautiful landscape. The surface configuration of the country ranges from very high mountains like the Semien and Bale mountains to one of the lowest areas below the sea level in Africa, the Danakil depression. The highest peak in Ethiopia is Ras Dashen, which is about 4620m above sea level. While the lowest, the Danakil depression is about 120 meters below sea level.
Another major topographic feature in Ethiopia is the central plateau, which is bisected by the Great Rifl Valley into Northeast and South- West, The Great rift Valley extends from Mozambique to the Dead Sea and the Jordan valley, passing a South-North direction through Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is one of the few African countries that have a large number of lakes and rivers. That is why it is regarded by some as the Water Tower of North East Africa'. Most of the lakes are found in the Great Rift Valley and they are one of the major sites of tourist attraction. The most prominent Ethiopian lakes are Tana Abaya, Chamo, Ziway, Shala, Awassa, Abiata, Koka, Hayk Loga, And Ashenge lake.
Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia and is located in the highlands outside the Rift Valley. It is also the source of Blue Nile and is the third largest lake in Africa, next to Victoria and Tanganyika.
The major rivers of Ethiopia include Abbay, Wabeshebelle, Genale, Awash, Tekeze, Omo and Baro. Abbay is the largest river in Ethiopia.
It is also called the Blue Nile and is the longest river in the world. The Blue Nile Fall is locally known as "Tis Issat” about 37 kilometers from the town of Bahir Dar and Lake Tana. It is considered one of Ethiopia's best-known tourist attractions.
Like the topography. Ethiopia is an ecologically diverse country.
There are great varieties of vegetation ranging from desert lower plants to the high mountain forests. There are also a great number of endemic species, of flora and fauna. Altitude diversity in Ethiopia has resulted in dramatic climatic variation.
There are three climatic zones in the country according to their elevation namely, kola (tropical zone), Woina Dega (sub-tropical zone), and Dega (cold zone).
The climatic variation has also resulted in the existence of four seasons including Kirmet (summer), Tseday (spring), Bega (winter), and Belg (autumn). Ethiopia has a very suitable climate and many people know it as the “land of origin”
In general, the great and remarkable diversity in Ethiopia observed in ethnicity, language, climate, ecology, and topography makes the country very beautiful and highly attractive.
