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Much of the fascination of this country
lies in its myriad historical sites, the obelisks and stele of
Axum, the churches and coptic monasteries in the Tigre, in the
Lake Tana isles and in the Lalibela: the African Jerusalem with
its monolithic churches. In Ethiopia there are also nine national
parks, two of which include the mountain groups of the Simien
and the Bale, while the others lie in the Rift Valley towards
Kenya. The unforeseeable wild landscapes are surely the main attraction
of these parks, where many of the animal species are protected,
and some of them are endemic to the area. The proximity of Ethiopia
to the Equator and the variety of its habitats make it one of
the richest countries in Africa in wild bird life.
History and nature are not the only attractions of this surprising
country. It is a unique experience to come into contact with its
people, so deeply rooted in their traditional culture, to participate
in religious rites in one of the many Coptic churches, to meet
native populations like the Hamer, the Mursi, the Caro and the
many others whose lifestyle is hard to imagine today, so far is
it from our modern life.
Historical and geographical notes
Ethiopia (Abyssinia) is located in the east of Africa, commonly
known as the Horn of Africa. It covers an area of 1,1 12,000kmq,
twice the territory of France, and has an estimated population
of 58,000,000 inhabitants with 80 ethnic groups. It is bounded
on the northeast by Eritrea and Djibouti , on the east and southeast
by Somalia, on the south by Kenya and on the west by Sudan.
The Ethiopian landscape is dominated by a volcanic plateau with
an average altitude of 2000 meters, which decreases towards the
country's borders on three sides. The Rift Valley begins at the
Red Sea and traverses the Danakil desert (which contains the lowest
point on the earth) continuing towards the south of Ethiopia and
Mozambique.
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 Awash Valley. Ethiopia has a very strong cultural identity,
which has been preserved thanks to a long period of independence,
lasting practically until present times. According to legend the
first Ethiopian king, Menelik, was the son of the biblical king
Solomon and the queen of Sheba.
According to history, the Ethiopian empire originates with the
pre-Christian reign of Axum, which lasted until the 10th century.
And it was in Axum that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church was founded
in the 4th century A.D. It is the oldest Christian Church in Africa.
Climate
Ethiopia has two main seasons, the dry season which lasts from
mid-September to the end of May, and the rainy season which goes
from June to September, with an average temperature of 25°
C.The best time to visit Ethiopia is from september to may.
Language
Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia, and English is widely
spoken.
Calendar
Ethiopia has a calendar of 13 months: it follows the Julian calendar
which is divided into 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month
of five or six days at the end of the year. The time difference
is +3 hours from Greenwich.
Religious celebrations
The Ethiopian New Year on september 11th, the Finding of the True
Cross (Meskel) on September 27th, the Ethiopian Christmas (Gena)
on January 7th, the Epiphany (Timket) on January 19 and Easter
are the most important festivities of Ethiopia.
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