 Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Area: 1,127,000 sq km (439,530 sq mi)
Population: 55 million
Capital city: Addis Ababa (pop 3 million)
People: Oromo (40%), Amhara and Tigrean (32%), Sidamo (9%), Shankella (6%),
Somali (6%), Afar (4%), Gurage (2%)
Language:Amharic, Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English
Religion: Muslim, Ethiopian Orthodox, animist
Government: Federal republic
President: Negasso Gidada
 Environment
Ethiopia sits landlocked on the eastern side of the continent, the Horn of Africa. To its west is Sudan, to the north Eritrea, to the west the tiny country of Djibouti and Somalia, which also stretches around the southern border, and to the south Kenya. Ethiopia covers about 1,127,000 sq km (439,530 sq mi), and is dominated by a high central plateau, cut by deep gorges including the Great Rift Valley. Only around 12% of Ethiopia is used for agriculture - mainly around the flood plains of the Blue Nile, in the west of the country, and in the highlands - and most of this is subsistence growing.
Ethiopia's forests are declining alarmingly. Because of the demands for fuel, construction and fencing, at least 77% of the country's tree cover has been cut down in the last 25 years. In the late 19th century, Australian eucalypts were introduced to reverse the deforestation trend, but the fast-growing plants have actually made things worse - local animals don't like them, and nothing grows around their roots, so eucalypt forests are highly prone to soil erosion. Ethiopian wildlife isn't doing to well either, so if you're after a safari you'll be better off elsewhere in Africa. There are plenty of antelope species and a couple of monkey and baboon species. But if its birds you're after, you've come to the right place - there are more than 20 endemic species in the country, and you won't have to travel far afield to find them.
Although Ethiopia is relatively close to the equator, the central plateau has a temperate climate, with an average annual temperature of 16°C (60°F). Only in the east, towards the Red Sea, and west, near Sudan, does it get very hot. The kremt, or main rainy season, occurs between mid-June and mid-September, and there's also a bit of light rain in March and April.
 History
Ethiopia has been around for a very long time. The country's Rift Valley is known as the cradle of humanity - fossils of the oldest known upright hominid, the 3.5 million year old 'Lucy', were found here in 1974. Ethiopians have a record of their rulers that stretches back 5000 years, and although this is not supported by other records, you can find Biblical passages which record Ethiopian episodes around 1000 BC. The son of the Queen of Sheba, Menelik I, is regarded as the first emperor of Ethiopia - his dynasty ended with Haile Selassie, who ruled from 1930 until 1974.
According to local tradition, ancient Ethiopians were Jews, and a community of Ethiopian Jews lived in the country until the late 1980s, when the last of them moved to Israel. Christianity was brought to the then Kindom of Axum by St Frumentius, who was consecrated as the first bishop in 330AD. Axum was slap-bang in the path of the armies of Islam, which set out from Mecca on a holy war of conversion in 632AD, and although the Christian kingdom was cut off from the rest of Christendom, Islam never really took hold.
Over the next thousand years, the kingdom came under attack from various forces - pagan tribes forced the Ethiopian emperors to abandon their cities and become nomads for a time, Muslims moved into the east of the country in the 12th and 14th centures, and in the 16th century the Islamic kingdoms gained the support of the Ottoman Empire, seriously threatening the power of the Kingdom of Axum.
After a remarkable life span, the Axum empire broke down into its constituent provinces in the 18th century, triggering 100 years of warfare between rival warlords. The shattered empire was eventually reunified by Ras Kassa, who crowned himself emperor Tewodros in 1855, but later shot himself when his fortress was beseiged by a British military expedition. Subsequent emperors invested the privy purse in European arms and expanded the empire. In 1936 the country was overrun by Mussolini's Italian troops, who hung around until 1941, when Italy surrendered to the Allies and Ethiopia regained its independence.
In 1962 emperor Haile Selassie annexed Eritrea, sparking a guerilla fightback by the disgruntled Eritreans which would last 30 years. Although Haile Selassie was seen as a national hero, opinion turned against him as nobility and the church filled their pockets while millions of landless peasants went hungry. In 1974, as students, workers, peasants and the army rose against him, Selassie was deposed and a military dictatorship took over. Under the leadership of Mengistu Haile Mariam, the new government, the Derg, threw out Americans, jailed trade union leaders, banned the church and turned to the USSR for economic aid. Upheaval was the last thing the already unstable country needed, and the Eritreans and invading Somalis took full advantage of the chaos. Soviet and Cuban troops intervened to fight back both forces, but did not succeed in defeating the Eritrean guerillas.
Mengistu tried to tighten his grip on the country by instituting conscription, curfews, population transfers - a disastrous initiative which herded people around the countryside in an effort to avoid famines - and people's committees, a sinister form of neighbourhood watch. But it was all to no avail - the Eritreans took Ethiopia's main port, the Tigray People's Liberation Front joined in the fighting, the Soviets pulled out, coffee prices fell and a major famine ravaged the country. In May 1991 Mengistu fled and a rebel coalition under Tigrayan Meles Zenawi took over. They inherited six million people facing famine, a shattered economy and moribund industrial and agricultural sectors, but decided to make moves toward democracy anyway.
A new constitution was ratified in 1994, notably allowing any of Ethiopia's nine regions to become independent if they wish to. The country's first parliamentary elections were held in 1995, with the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front winning 98% of the vote - all the major opposition parties boycotted the poll. Meles Zenawi became prime minister and appointed a predominantly Tigrayan cabinet. The government's priorities include expanding the private sector and improving food security. Relations with Eritrea have again deteriorated in recent years and in June 1988 armed conflict broke out and borders were closed. Fighting has continued and intensified, making border areas extremely dangerous.
 Economic Profile
GDP: US$242 billion
GDP per head: US$400
Inflation: 10%
Major industries: Agriculture, forestry, agricultural processing
Major trading partners: USA, Germany, Japan, Italy
 Culture
There are almost as many languages as there are peoples in Ethiopia, about 80 in all. The languages come from a variety of families - Semitic, Hamitic, Nilotic and Omotic. Amharic, spoken in the country's heartland, is Ethiopia's official language, but Tigrinya, spoken in the north, and Orominya, spoken in the south, have semi-official status. The Oromos are the largest ethnic group in the country, and are made up of a muddle of Christians, Muslims and traditional animists. Amharic and Tigrinya use the Ge'ez script, with an understated 231 letters - keep an eye out for fabulously complex Amharic typewriters. Kids are taught English from junior high onward, and many people can speak a smattering or more.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has dominated religious life in the country since the fourth century, when two brothers from Tyre began evangelizing with the blessing of the king. The church is part of the Coptic Church, which has its headquarters in Alexandria. Ethiopian Orthodoxy has a strong monastic tradition, and until the Marxist revolution, there were Orthodox clergy in almost every town in the country. Orthodoxy combines more standard Christian beliefs in God, Catholic saints and Jesus (although there is more emphasis on the Old Testament than in many western churches), with traditional African beliefs about spirits and devils - church services often include dancing, astrology and fortune telling. Believers fast every Wednesday and Friday, avoiding meat, dairy and sometimes fish.
Ethiopian literature is traditionally Christian, with the earliest writings in Ge'ez being translations of Greek Christian works. Ge'ez literary production really took off in the 13th century, when a stack of Coptic, Syriac and Greek religious works were translated from Arabic. About 200 years later, Ge'ez writers branched out into original works, beginning with the lives of saints and moving onto apocalyptic books such as the Elucidation of Jesus and the Mystery of Heaven and Earth. Amharic took over from Ge'ez around the 16th century, and again, writers concentrated mainly on translations of religious works. It wasn't until the end of World War 2 that Amharic writers really began writing about other issues - Makonnen Endalkaches, Kebede Mikael and Tekle Tsodeq Makuria are notable post-war writers who addressed moral and patriotic themes.
Injera is the mainstay of the Ethiopian diet. This phenomenally bouncy bread is made from the peculiarly Ethiopian teff cereal. The other ubiquitous food is wat, the sauce in which meat and vegetables are cooked - wat comes in a fiery, kay format, or as the milder alicha. The southern region of Kefa claims to be the original home of coffee, and the bean has been grown in Ethiopia since 1000AD - you can certainly find decent cappuccinos and even macchiatos in Addis Ababa. T'ella is the local home brew, a beer made from barley or maize - it's supplemented with t'ej, made from honey, and arakie, a killer grain spirit.
 Events
On 19 January, Ethiopian Christians celebrate Christ's baptism at the festival of Timkat. During the festival, which runs for three days, priests remove the symbolic Ark of the Covenant from every church and parade it to a nearby consecrated pool. Giant Masses are held, accompanied by late night picnics. Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash is celebrated on 11 September, which is also the feast of John the Baptist. Enkutatash is spring festival, with kiddies dancing in the streets, handing out flowers and miniature paintings, bonfires and plenty of singing and dancing. On 27 September another Christian festival, Maskal, commemorates the finding of the True Cross on which Christ was crucified. Town squares are filled with huge piles of maskal, or 'cross', daisies, which later become giant bonfires. Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January.
 Facts for the Traveller
Visas:Everyone except Kenyan nationals needs a visa. Visas are single entry.
Health risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis), contaminated drinking water, AIDS, malaria, parasites, land mines. Yellow fever vaccinations are compulsory.
Time: GMT/UTC +3 hours
Electricity: 220V or 240V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric (see conversion table)
 Money & Costs
Currency: Birr
Relative costs:
- Budget meal: US$1-2
- Moderate restaurant meal: US$3-5
- Top-end restaurant meal: US$6-15
- Budget room: US$2-5
- Moderate hotel: US$10-20
- Top-end hotel: US$30-40
If you want to live like a local, Ethiopia goes very easy on the wallet. If you're staying in small hotels, eating street food and travelling by bus, you can get by on about US$12 a day. Doubling that budget will allow you to stay in slightly classier hotels and eat in restaurants, but you'll still be restricted to bus travel. If you're willing to pay around US$70 a day you can stay in quite upmarket hotels, jet between towns, eat whatever you want and hire a guide.
US dollars travellers cheques should do the trick just about anywhere in Ethiopia, although it's sensible to keep a bit of cash on hand to cover you in really out-of-the-way places. There's really no point taking a credit card with you.
If you use a guide while visiting one of Ethiopia's historic sites, they'll expect a tip - about US$1 an hour seems to be the going rate. Tips aren't expected in restaurants, but they will be happily received. Bargaining with taxi drivers and souvenir-sellers for a better price is quite acceptable.
 When to Go
Ethiopia is pretty pleasant all year round, with temperatures in Addis Ababa averaging around 20°C (68°F) no matter what season it is. Fairly heavy rain falls in the middle of the year, so it's probably best to avoid June and July.
 Attractions
Addis Ababa
There's plenty of people in the Ethiopian capital - of the 3 million bodies who live here, 1 million have arrived since the 1991 revolution. The city was only founded in 1887, and was nearly abandoned due to lack of fuel wood until the introduction of eucalypts to the area. It's a huge, sprawling place, with very few street signs, although the main shopping strip, Churchill Ave, is labelled.
The city's Ethnographic Museum is well worth the price of admission. Its two main sections on local crafts and on regions and peoples make it an ideal place to start learning about Ethiopia's rich ethnic diversity. It also has an impressive array of religious crosses, triptychs and murals, as well as Haile Selassies's bedroom and bathroom. The National Museum is much smaller, but it does have the fossils of 3.5 million year old 'Lucy', perhaps our earliest ancestor.
Africa Hall is the headquarters of the United Nations Ecomonic commission for Africa, and was designed as a monument to African independence. Its huge, richly-coloured stained glass windows, by Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle, portray the history and diversity of Africas peoples. If you'd like to see more of Tekle's work, visit the Giorgis Cathedral, built in 1896 to commemorate Ethiopia's victory over the invading Italians. Addis Ababa's Mercato is one of the largest markets in Africa. It's a sprawling mess of open-air stalls, where you can buy everything from vegetables to gold jewellery - keep an eye out for pickpockets.
Many cheap hotels in Addis Ababa are a combination of noisy street bar, brothel and a few double rooms, though some are suprisingly well kept. Expect to pay two to four times the local rate. Most hotels are around the Piazza, where you'll also find a bunch of cheap cafes and bars. Although the Italians were only here five years, you'll find good Italian eateries all over the city.
Axum
Axum is the holiest city in Ethiopia. According to the Orthodox Church, the original Ark of the Covenant, which holds the ten commandments, is somewhere around here. This is also the place where Christianity was declared the national religion in the 4th century. The Ark is supposed to live somewhere in the grounds of the 17th century St Mary of Zion church, but of course no one is allowed to look at it. The church's museum has a small but impressive collection of bibles, crosses and crowns. Just past the museum is Axum's ancient stele field, all that remains of the city's past glory. Steles are huge, carved pillars made from single blocks of granite - the highest of those remaining at Axum is 23m (75ft) tall.
If you take a walk outside the town, you can have a look at the ruins of King Kaleb's Palace, and if you keep going up the hill you'll end up at the Pentaleon Monastery - women aren't allowed in, but the views from here are lovely. The ruins of the Palace of Sheba are also outside the town, although archaeological investigation suggests they are 1300 rather than 2000 years old.
Axum is about 500km (310mi) north of Addis Ababa. You can fly from the capital, or catch a bus from Gondar, Adwa, Adigrat or Mekele.
Bahar Dar
Bahar Dar sits on the southern shore of the 3600 sq km (1404 sq mi) Lake Tana. Nothing much happens in Bahar itself, apart from a bustling Saturday market, but there's plenty to see in the surrounding area.
Lake Tana is scattered with islands, many of which are home to monasteries. Some of these monasteries were built as long ago as the 11th century, and most were built before the 16th century. The most popular monasteries are Kidene Mehret, Kebran Gabriel (where women are banned) and Debre Maryam. Travelling between the islands can be pretty expensive unless you're in a group.
The Blue Nile Falls are about 45 minutes by tour bus (pretty much the only way to get there) from Bahar Dar. Known locally as Tis Isat, the falls are about 400m (1312ft) wide and 50m (164ft) deep. They're pretty impressive any time of year, but at their best from October to December.
Bahar Dar is about 300km (186mi) north-west of Addis Ababa. There are a few pleasant hotels and eateries in town. You can get to Bahar by plane from Addis Ababa, or you can take the bus through the spectacular Blue Nile Gorge. There's also a bus from Gondar.
Rift Valley Lakes
The seven lakes of the Rift Valley sit in a wide, fertile valley which runs between Addis Ababa and the Kenyan border. This is one of the best parts of Ethiopia for bird watching. Lakes Lagano, Abiyata and Shala are perhaps the most popular of the seven - one lake is blue, one silver and one brown. Abiyata and Shala are designated national parks, but this doesn't mean much in practice. Lake Abiyata is shallow, with heaps of birds, while Lake Shala sits at the bottom of a 250m (820ft) deep crater. Lagano is the only lake in Ethiopia which is bilharzia-free, so take a dip while you have the chance. It's also the only one of the three lakes with accommodation. You can also swim at the hot springs at Wondo Genet, south of the three lakes. Towards the Kenyan border, Lakes Abaya and Chamo are thronging with wildlife, especially crocodiles.
 Off the Beaten Track
Gondar
Although only 50km (32mi) south of Bata, the trip to Mbini involves a mini-bus and a ferry, and can take some time. The ferry, which runs hourly, carries only four vehicles, so expect a wait. Mbini is a pleasant small town at the mouth of the Rio Benito. A popular spot for swimming, it's also an ideal place to meet locals in a low key environment.
Lalibela
People come to Lalibela to see its amazing 12th century rock churches, hewn straight out of the bedrock. The city is named after the 12th century King Lalibela, who established his capital there after God came to him in a dream and told him to. All 11 rock churches were built within a century, apparently with the help of angels who popped in during the night and did a bit of divine stonemasonry. The churches have been kept alive by generations of priest who guard their treasures of ornamented crosses, illuminated bibles and illustrated manuscripts. You'll be hassled by potential guides the whole time you're here; if you want to escape, take a wander up to the Asheton Maryam Monastery.
There are quite a few hotels in Lalibela, and plenty of places to eat, though most only have Amharic menus. You can fly to Lalibela from Addis Ababa or Gondar, or take the bus from Addis Ababa.
Simien Mountains National Park
This park is excellent for trekking, with spectacular views and a large variety of wildlife, incluuding baboons, ibex, Simien fox and birds of prey such as the rare lammergeyer, a huge vulture. The park is made up of a rocky massif which slopes down to grasslands - the massif is cut by streams and gorges. Treks run from three to ten days, and you can either slog it out on foot or let a mule do the walking for you. The treks build up to an ascent of Africa's fourth highest peak, Ras Dashen. Treks start at Debark, which is about 100km (60mi) north of Gondar - you can get between the two by bus.
 Activities
With its spectacular bird life, Ethiopia has plenty to keep even the most discerning twitcher busy - the Rift Valley lakes are among the best spots for bird watching. There aren't many places to get away from it all in this populous country, but Entoto National Park, near Addis Ababa, has some lovely walks. There's also trekking and mule-treks in Bale Mountains National Park and Simien Mountains National Park. If you're visiting Bahar Dar, on Lake Tana, hire a bike in town and take a ride around the water's edge. Lake Langano is the only bilharzia-free lake in the country, so if you want to swim, this is the place to do it.
 Getting There & Away
Ethiopian Airlines is one of Africa's largest and best airlines, with an extensive network of flights throughout Africa, as well as to Djibouti and Yemen. Departure tax is $10.
You can get to Ethiopia from Djibouti by road, but it's pretty exhausting - a bus-train combination tends to work better. Buses run between Addis Ababa and Nairobi, but the trip can be slow as you often have to wait for a convoy to assemble - its necessary to travel in convoy through the more dangerous areas.
 Getting Around
Ethiopian Airlines has a strong internal network and its prices are reasonable. There's also a good network of dirt-cheap, dead-slow buses along all major roads. In the bigger towns, you need to buy your ticket a day beforehand or you'll have to pay double to the scalpers who buy up all available seats. The only train line runs between Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, but it's a long, slow, dull haul.
 Recommended Reading
- The somewhat self-absorbed Haile Selassie's My Life and Ethiopia's Progress tells the story of the country's most famous emperor.
- For a general overview of the country's history, try HG Marcus' A History of Ethiopia.
- The ever-resourceful Dervla Murphy goes non-automated again in In Ethiopia with a Mule - classic travel lit.
 Lonely Planet Guides
 Travellers' Reports
 On-line Info
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