• The landlocked nation of Ethiopia, officially known as the Federal Democratic Replublic of Ethiopia, is located in the Horn of Africa and borders five neighboring African countries: Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia, and Djibouti.

• Fast Facts:

  1. Capital: Addis Ababa
  2. Historical name: Abyssinia
  3. Government: Federal Parliamentary Republic
  4. Population: 75, 067,000
  5. Currency: Birr (ETB)
  6. Exchange Rate: 9.0900
  7. Official Language: Amharic
  8. The coffee bean was first harvested in Ethiopia before spreading across the globe
  9. Coffee is Ethiopia's number on export

• Background and History

  Many scientists believe that Ethiopia is the cradle of human civilization, as the earliest known fossils of modern day homo sapiens have been found in the country. The Ethiopian state claims a continuous lineage stretching back to the first millennia B.C., and is the oldest nation to adopt Christianity on Earth, after Armenia. Historically known as Abyssinia, in the 20th century, Ethiopia was invaded by Fascist Italy in 1936. From 1930 to 1974 the nation was ruled by Haile Selassie, who is revered as a prophet by adherents to Rastafarianism. In 1991, after decades of strife, Eritrea declared its independence from Ethiopia. Ethiopia's population is approximately 62% Christian and 32% Muslim.

Categories