Ethiopia

From World travel guide

Ethiopia is a landlocked country in Eastern Africa that is surrounded by Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, and Sudan to the west.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 6.1 By plane 6.2 By train 6.3 By bus 6.4 By car 6.5 By bicycle 7 Talk 8 Time and calendar 9 Buy 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Sleep 13 Learn 14 Work 15 Stay safe 16 Stay healthy 17 Respect 17.1 Dining 17.2 Dress 18 Contact 18.1 Telephone 18.2 Internet 19 External links 20 Geography 21 People 22 Government 23 Economy 24 Communications 25 Transportation 26 Military 27 Transnational Issues

Regions

Administrative divisions 

9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Addis Ababa*, Afar, Amhara, Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples)

Cities

• Adama - Capital of Oromiya region and popular weekend destination; also known as Nazareth (Nazret)
• Addis Ababa - Capital of Ethiopia
• Axum - home of ancient tombs and stelea fields, near Eritrea
• Bahir Dar - Near the source of the Blue Nile
• Gondar - Some of East Africa's only castles
• Lalibela - Home to 11 rock-hewn churches
• Moyale - Border town for trucks going to Kenya

Other destinations

• Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park
• Awash National Park
• Bale Mountains National Park
• Mago National Park
• Neshisar National Park
• Omo National Park
• Simien National Park
• Sodere - Spa resort
• Yangudi National Park

See also African National Parks

Understand

Climate

Tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation. The weather can be chilly in Addis and other areas where the elevation is high.

Terrain

High plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley

Elevation extremes 

lowest point: Denakil Depression -125 m
highest point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m

Natural hazards 

geologically active Great Rift Valley susceptible to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions; frequent droughts

Geography - note 

landlocked - entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean

History

Independence 

Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years

Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, one exception being the Italian occupation of 1936-41. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), in 1991.

National holiday 

National Day (defeat of MENGISTU regime), 28 May (1991)

Constitution 

ratified December 1994; effective 22 August 1995

A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000.

Get in

All visitors to Ethiopia (except for Kenyan and Djiboutian nationals) are required to obtain an entry visa. Since 2002, tourists from 33 countries (listed here) are able to obtain entry visas upon their arrival at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, and at the airport in Dire Dawa.

By plane

Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa is the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines and also hosts Lufthansa, Sudan Airways, British Airways, and KLM. A new runway and international terminal opened in 2003.

Arriving without a major currency such as Euros or American dollars is not recommended, especially if one has not obtained a visa prior to arrival. There is no ATM. One may be able to change traveller's cheques.

Major hotels send vans to pick up pre-booked guests from the airport.

There is also an international airport in Dire Dawa.

By train

A railroad links Addis Ababa with Djibouti. According to the U.S. State Department, "travel in Ethiopia via rail is strongly discouraged due to episodes of derailment, sabotage, and bombings as recently as February 2003."

By car

One way to get in from Sudan is via the border village of Metema. One way to get in from Kenya is via the border town of Moyale.

By bus

By boat

Ethiopia is landlocked and currently uses the seaport in Djibouti.

Get around

By plane

Ethiopian Airlines is reasonably priced and has fairly comprehensive domestic services.

By train

There is a (slow) train between Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.

By bus

There is a comprehensive network of cheap buses along the major roads, although these are slow and basic. Buses generally leave whenever they have filled up with passengers (in practice, these means once an hour or so). Buses do not travel at night; they will stop before sundown in a town or village with accommodation for the passengers. Between some cities (e.g. Adama and Addis Ababa), minibuses will run after the larger buses have stopped for the night.

By car

A good way to tour Ethiopia is by car. You can take small airplanes to expedite your tour, but you will take in more of scenery if you travel by car. Two reasonable touring companies are NTO and Focus Tours Ethiopia. They can take you off the beaten track so you can see the beauty and attractions of Ethiopia.

By bicycle

Road conditions vary considerably around Ethiopia; many roads are smoothly sealed while others consist mostly of large stones. Accommodation is cheap and available in almost every village (although these "hotels" usually double as bars and brothels). Food and drink are also easily available. You will attract considerable attention (it is not uncommon for whole schools to empty out as the children chase you).

Talk

Languages 

Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)

Time and calendar

In Ethiopia, the 12-hour clock cycles do not begin at midnight and noon, but instead are offset six hours. Thus, Ethiopians refer to midnight (or noon) as 6 o'clock.

The Ethiopian calendar starts on September 11 according to the Gregorian calendar. One year consists of twelve months, each lasting thirty days, plus a thirteenth month of five or six days (hence the "Thirteen Months of Sunshine" tourism slogan). The year number is eight years less than the year on the Gregorian calendar until September 10 or 11, after which it is seven years less. For example, for most of 2005, it will be 1997 in Ethiopia. On September 11, 2005, Ethiopia will celebrate New Year's Day (Enkutatesh) for 1998.

Note that airline timetables are based on the 24-hour clock and use the Gregorian calendar.

Buy

Eat

Injera is Ethiopia's national dish. Injera is a spongy, tangy tasting bread made from the grain teff, which grows in the highlands of Ethiopia. It is eaten with wot (or wat), the traditional stews made with spices and meat or legumes.

The injera sits directly on a large round plate or tray and is covered with wot placed symmetrically around a central item. The various wots are eaten with other pieces of injera, which are served on a side plate. Injera is eaten with the right hand - rip a large piece of injera from the side plate and use it to pick up one of the various flavors of wat on the main platter.

Drink

The coffee ceremony involves drinking a minimum of three cups of coffee and eating popcorn. It is a special honour, or mark of respect to be invited into somebody's home for the coffee ceremony.

In preparation for the ceremony the coffee beans are roasted in a flat pan over charcoal. The beans are then ground using pestle and mortar. The coffee is brewed with water in a clay coffee pot and is considered ready when it starts to boil. Coffee in Ethiopia is served black with sugar.

Sleep

There is a wide range of accommodation in Ethiopia. There is a Sheraton hotel in Addis Ababa, but nothing more than small insect-infested rooms with no running water in the border town of Moyale.

Staying in tourist areas generally results in a broader range of choices, however overall the pickings are slim.

Basic accommodation (essentially brothels with a bar) can be found in almost every village.

This information is not strictly correct. As from November 2004 when I visited, there were two hotels in Addis, the Sheration, referred to by expats as "The Sheza' and the Hilton. Both are enormous and really lovely from a western point of view. And expensive, from an Aussie point of view, because all is charged in Yankee dollars. Both have swimming pools,good restaurants, souvenir shops and patiseries: the rooms are comfortable. If you cannot afford these two hotels, visit them and chat up the expats around the pools (especially at lunch time when they take their break by the pool) and if your accommodation needs to be improved, they might be able to help out.

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Respect

Dining

Food is eaten using one's right hand. When visiting someone's home, guests will invariably be offered something to eat, and are expected to accept the offer.

Dress

Western-style clothing is common in larger cities. Clothing in general tends to be modest, moreso in predominantly Muslim areas. When visiting churches, women should cover their hair with a cloth (shash), and both men and women should wear clothing that completely covers the legs and the shoulders (in spite of depictions on the Amazing Race television program). A natella, a large cloth wrapped about the shoulders, is recommended for anyone visiting a church.

Contact

Telephone

The country code for calling Ethiopia is 251. The Ethiopian dialing plan changed on September 17, 2005, such that the two-digit city code changed to three digits (or, from outside the country, one to two digits) and six-digit telephone numbers changed to seven digits. The city code for Addis Ababa, as of Sept. 17, 2005, is 011 (or 11 from outside Ethiopia). An on-line telephone number converter, which will convert an old number to the new number, is available here.

Internet

There are numerous internet cafes in Addis Ababa and other cities, though internet access is often made using a dial-up connection. Within Addis Ababa, dial-up speeds are more than adequate for performing tasks such as checking one's e-mail. In Adama, dial-up speeds are slow enough to make internet usage impracticable. As of 2005, the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation is expanding broadband internet access throughout the country.

External links

• Ethiopian Tourism Commission
• Ethiopian Embassy in Canada
• Ethiopia Embassy in Egypt
• Ethiopian Embassy in Israel
• Ethiopian Embassy in Sweden
• Ethiopian Embassy in the UK
• Ethiopian Embassy in the USA
• Consular Information Sheet for Ethiopia - U.S. Department of State

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Geography

Geographic coordinates 

8 00 N, 38 00 E

Area 

total: 1,127,127 sq km
water: 7,444 sq km
land: 1,119,683 sq km

Area - comparative 

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Maritime claims 

none (landlocked)

Natural resources 

small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

Land use 

arable land: 9.9%
permanent crops: 0.65%
other: 89.45% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 

1,900 sq km (1998 est.)

Environment - current issues 

deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management

Environment - international agreements 

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

People

Population 

67,673,031
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate 

2.64% (2002 est.)

Net migration rate 

0.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: repatriation of Ethiopians who fled to Sudan for refuge from war and famine in earlier years is expected to continue for several years; some Sudanese and Somali refugees, who fled to Ethiopia from the fighting or famine in their own countries, continue to return to their homes (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth 

total population: 44.21 years
female: 45.09 years (2002 est.)
male: 43.36 years

Nationality 

noun: Ethiopian(s)
adjective: Ethiopian

Ethnic groups 

Oromo 40%, Amhara and Tigre 32%, Sidamo 9%, Shankella 6%, Somali 6%, Afar 4%, Gurage 2%, other 1%

Religions 

Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%

Literacy 

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.5%
male: 45.5%
female: 25.3% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name 

conventional long form: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
conventional short form: Ethiopia
local short form: Ityop'iya
former: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa
local long form: Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik
abbreviation: FDRE

Government type 

federal republic

Legal system 

currently transitional mix of national and regional courts

Judicial branch 

Federal Supreme Court (the president and vice president of the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council)

Diplomatic representation in the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador KASSAHUN Ayele
chancery: 3506 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s): New York
FAX: [1] (202) 686-9551
telephone: [1] (202) 364-1200

Diplomatic representation from the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador Aurelia A. BRAZEAL
embassy: Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
mailing address: P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
telephone: [251] (1) 550666
FAX: [251] (1) 551328

Flag description 

three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red with a yellow pentagram and single yellow rays emanating from the angles between the points on a light blue disk centered on the three bands; Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, and the three main colors of her flag were so often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became known as the pan-African colors

Economy

Economy - overview 

Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for half of GDP, 85% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices, and as many as 4.6 million people need food assistance annually. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $260 million in 2000. Other important exports include qat, live animals, hides, and gold. The war with Eritrea in 1999-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001 Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Despite this limitation, strong growth is expected to continue in the near term as good rainfall, the cessation of hostilities, and renewed foreign aid and debt relief push the economy forward.

GDP - composition by sector 

agriculture: 52%
industry: 11%
services: 37% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line 

64% (1996)

Labor force - by occupation 

agriculture and animal husbandry 80%, government and services 12%, industry and construction 8% (1985) (1985)

Industries 

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Electricity - production by source 

fossil fuel: 2%
hydro: 98% (2000)

Agriculture - products 

cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle, sheep, goats

Exports - commodities 

coffee, qat, gold, leather products, oilseeds

Exports - partners 

Germany 18%, Japan 11%, Djibouti 11%, Saudi Arabia 8% (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities 

food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles

Imports - partners 

Saudi Arabia 25%, US 9%, Italy 7%, Russia 4% (2000 est.)

Currency 

birr (ETB)

Currency code 

ETB

Exchange rates 

birr per US dollar (end of period) - 8.455 (December 2001), 8.3140 (December 2000), 8.3140 (2000), 8.1340 (1999), 7.5030 (1998), 6.8640 (1997)
note: since 24 October 2001 exchange rates are determined on a daily basis via interbank transactions regulated by the Central Bank

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

231,900 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

17,800 (2000)

Telephone system 

general assessment: open wire and microwave radio relay system; adequate for government use
domestic: open wire; microwave radio relay; radio communication in the HF, VHF, and UHF frequencies; two domestic satellites provide the national trunk service
international: open wire to Sudan and Djibouti; microwave radio relay to Kenya and Djibouti; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 8, FM 0, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios 

15.2 million (2002)

Television broadcast stations 

1 plus 24 repeaters (2002)

Televisions 

682,000 (2002)

Internet country code 

.et

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

1 (2002)

Internet users 

20,000 (2002)

Transportation

Railways 

total: 681 km (Ethiopian segment of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad)
narrow gauge: 681 km 1.000-m gauge
note: in 1998, Djibouti and Ethiopia announced plans to revitalize the century-old railroad that links their capitals and since then Ethiopia has expended considerable effort to repair and maintain the lines; in 2001, Ethiopia and Sudan agreed to build a line from Ethiopia to Port Sudan (2000 est.)

Highways 

total: 24,145 km
paved: 3,290 km
unpaved: 20,855 km (1998)

Ports and harbors 

none; Ethiopia is landlocked and was by agreement with Eritrea using the ports of Assab and Massawa; since the border dispute with Eritrea flared, Ethiopia has used the port of Djibouti for nearly all of its imports

Merchant marine 

total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 81,933 GRT/101,287 DWT
ships by type: cargo 5, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 (2002 est.)

Airports 

86 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways 

total: 14
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways 

total: 69
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 21 (2002)

Military

Military branches 

Ethiopian National Defense Force (Ground Forces, Air Force, militia, police)
note: Ethiopia is landlocked and has no navy; following the secession of Eritrea, Ethiopian naval facilities remained in Eritrean possession

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international 

most of the southern half of the boundary with Somalia in the Ogaden region is a provisional administrative line; in the Ogaden, regional states have established a variety of conflicting relationships with the Somali Transitional National Government in Mogadishu, feuding factions in Puntland region, and the economically stable break-away "Somaliland" region; Ethiopia agreeed in 2002 to demarcate its entire boundary with Sudan; Eritrea and Ethiopia have expressed general approval of the April 2002 arbitration commission ruling re-delimiting the boundary, the focus of their 1998-2000 war; United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) will monitor activities within the 25-km wide temporary security zone in Eritrea until demarcation and de-mining are complete

Illicit drugs 

transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe and North America as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center

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