ETHIOPIA FROM INSIDE: ETHIOPIA FROM INSIDE: - Inside Travel

ETHIOPIA FROM INSIDE: DISCOVER. LEARN. PARTICIPATE

INFORMATION BOOKLET For preparation of a trip to Ethiopia

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON ETHIOPIA

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thiopia is located in the Horn of Africa. Its proximity to the Middle East and Europe, together with its easy access to the major ports of the region, favoured international trade.

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• Area approximately 1.14 million square kilometres (or France, Germany and Italy together). • Borders with Sudan and South-Sudan to the west, Somalia, Somaliland and Djibouti to the east, Eritrea to the north and Kenya to the South. • Although Ethiopia lies within 15 degrees north of the equator, the central highlands generally enjoy a temperate and pleasant climate, with average temperatures rarely exceeding 20°C. • The sparsely populated low lands typically have sub-tropical and tropical climates. • At approximately 850mm, the average annual rainfall for the whole country is considered to be moderate by global standards. In most of the highlands, rainfall occurs in two distinct seasons: the "small" rains during February and March and the "high” rains from May/June to September.

The People

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ith a population of about 90 million, Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic and language composition of its Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic and Nilotic peoples. The Ethiopian people comprise about 78 nationalities of which the Amhara and the Oromo constitute the majority, with about 60 percent of the total population. Approximately 85% of the population live in rural areas. The annual population growth rate is 3.2 percent (on average 6 children per woman, tendency downwards), children below 14 years account for about 45% of the total population.

History

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he history of Ethiopia, known to many as Abyssinia, is rich, ancient, and still in part unknown. The first recorded account of the region dates back to almost 5,000 years ago during the time of the Egyptian pharaohs, Anthropologists believe that East when the ancient Egyptians sent Africa's Great Rift Valley is the expeditions down the Red Sea in site of the origin of humankind. quest of gold, ivory, incense, and slaves. It is in the Afar region of Ethiopia where scientists discovered the remains of "Lucy" or Dinkenesh, meaning "thou art wonderful," as

Ethiopia from Inside: Discover. Learn. Participate

Historic provinces of Ethiopia

she is known to the Ethiopians. "Lucy" lived more than three million years ago, and her bones now rest in the Ethiopian National Museum. The country's rich history is woven with legends of King Solomon and Queen of Sheba; the Ark of the Covenant that is said to rest in Axum; the great Axumite kingdom and the birth of Christianity; the rise of Islam; and the story of King Lalibela, who is believed to have constructed eleven rock-hewn churches, still standing today and considered the eighth wonder of the world. Ethiopia is the only African country, which was not colonized by European colonial forces. It was briefly occupied by the Italians between 1936 and 1941. In recent history, between 1889 and 1913 Emperor Menelik II reigned, fending off the encroachments of European powers. Italy posed the greatest threat, having begun to colonize part of what would become its future colony of Eritrea in the mid 1880s. In 1896, Ethiopia defeated Italy at The Battle of Adwa, which was considered the first victory of any African nation over a European colonial power. Menelik's successor, Haile Selassie I (reigned 1930-74) was left with the task of dealing Italy's resurgent expansionism. In the early years of World War II, Ethiopia was liberated from the Italians by the joint forces of the Resistance Movement and British army. After being restored to power, Emperor Haile Selassie attempted to implement reforms and modernize the state. However, increasing internal pressures, including conflict with Eritrea and severe famine placed strains on Ethiopian society that contributed in a large part to the 1974 military rebellion that ended the Haile Selassie regime. He was replaced by a self-proclaimed Marxist junta led by Mengistu Haile Mariam under which many thousands of opponents were purged or killed, property was confiscated and defence spending spiralled. Drought, famine, war and ill-conceived policies brought millions to the brink of starvation in the 1970s and 1980s. The overthrow of the junta in 1991 saw political and economic conditions stabilise, but not enough to restore investors' confidence. Eritrea gained independence in 1993 following a referendum. Disputes about border demarcation developed into military conflicts and full-

Politics and Government

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n 1994, a new constitution was written, setting up a bicameral legislative branch and a judicial system, and guaranteeing equal right and freedom of expression to all citizens of Ethiopia. In May 1995 people's representatives to the Parliament were elected. The ruling coalition of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the former opponents of the communist DERG regime, is ruling the country without interruption since 1991. The results of the elections 2005 were questioned by some of the opposition parties and there were unrests in major cities where almost 200 people were killed. During the last elections in 2010, the ruling party won all except 2 of the 547 seats of the house of people’s representatives. The election system (majority rule) and the disaccord of the opposition were the main reasons for this landslide victory. Foreign observers considered the election as peaceful and free, yet the opposition states that people were threatened and that freedom of press is questionable.


scale war in the late 1990s in which tens of thousands of people were killed. A fragile truce has held, but the UN says ongoing disputes over the demarcation of the border threaten peace. Many Ethiopians depend on food aid from abroad. In 2004 the government began a drive to move more than two million people away from the arid highlands of the east in an attempt to provide a lasting solution to food shortages. At the end of 2006 Ethiopia sent between 5,000 and 10,000 troops into Somalia to support forces of the weak transitional government there and helped to oust the Islamists who had controlled southern Somalia for six months. But, despite Agriculture accounts for almost 41% of initial successes, the Ethiopians the gross domestic product (GDP), 80% were unable to break the of exports, and 80% of the labour force. power of the Islamists, who gradually began to win back lost territory. Ethiopia's presence in Somalia ended in early 2009, when it pulled its troops under an agreement between the transitional Somali government and moderate Islamists.

In August 2012, the country’s strong man and long time Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died in a hospital in Brussels. As he hadn’t appeared in public or on the screens for several months, there already were rumours in summer 2012 about the death or severe illness of the leader. On 20th of August 2012, the ruling party who had always insisted on the soon come-back of the Prime Minister (the official reasons for his absence varied between a minor operation in a hospital to holidays abroad due to over-work) communicated the death of Meles Zenawi. Vice Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn took over the function of head of the government. However, as the official inauguration was delayed by several weeks there where rumours about power struggles behind the scenes. Nevertheless, on September 21 Hailemariam Desalegn, who is from the south and therefore not part of the classic inner circle of the ruling party, who’s members initially mostly came from the north, was sworn in as the new Prime Minister. Politics is a sensitive topic in Ethiopia. Most of the people will not openly declare their opinion about the current situation.

Economy

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thiopia is one of Africa's poorest states. The economy revolves around agriculture: The country is one of the leading coffee and flowers producers. Agriculture accounts for almost 41% of the gross domestic product (GDP), 80% of exports, and 80% of the labour force. Many other economic activities depend on agriculture, including marketing, processing, and export of agricultural products. Production is overwhelmingly by small-scale farmers and enterprises and a large part of commodity exports are provided by the small agricultural cash-crop sector. Principal crops include coffee, pulses (e.g., beans), oilseeds, cereals, potatoes, sugarcane, and vegetables. Ethiopia is often referred to as the "water tower" of Eastern Africa because of the many (14 major) rivers that pour off the high tableland. It also has the greatest water reserves in Africa, but few irrigation systems in place to use it. Just 1% is used for power production and 1.5% for irrigation. New dam projects lead to political tensions with Sudan and Egypt.

Religion

Language thiopia is a multicultural country with about 84 different ethnic

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groups and languages. Amharic is one of the official languages of Ethiopia, as it was the language of primary school instruction, but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is the medium of instruction in secondary schools and universities.

Addis Ababa – the Capital ddis Ababa, the largest city, is the seat of the Federal Government of Ethiopia, and lies on the central plateau at an altitude of 2,300 meters, 9 degree north of the equator. Its average temperature is 16°C.

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thiopia has close historical ties to all three of the world's major Abrahamic religions. It was one of the first Christian countries in the world, having officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the 4th century. The Ethiopian Orthodox church is still very visible all over the country. Around one third of the population is Muslim (yet the exact number is often contested). Ethiopia is the site of the first hijra in Islamic history and the oldest Muslim settlement in Africa at Negash. The country is also the spiritual homeland of the Rastafari religious movement, which is influenced by Pan-Africanism and has globalized Ethiopian flag tricolors with the spread of Reggae music alongside Hip hop culture.

Addis Ababa was founded in 1887, and has a population of above 3 million. It is host to the African Union, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Several other international organizations have their headquarters and branch offices in the capital, which is also the centre of commerce and industry. Manufacturing plants for steel fabrication, wood, tanneries, textiles, cement, leather goods and breweries are among the activities located in and around Addis Ababa. Ethiopia's other important cities of trade and industries are: Awassa, Dire Dawa, Gondar, Dessie, Nazareth, Jimma, Harar, Bahir Dar, Mekele, Debere Markos and Nekemte. All these towns are connected to Addis Ababa by asphalt and gravel roads, and most of them have good infrastructural facilities, such as first class hotels and airports.

Local Time and Calendar

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thiopia is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. As there is no daylight saving time in Ethiopia, the difference varies according to the season. The local usage of time can be confusing to visitors. The first cycle starts with "one" at 7 A.M. and goes on to "twelve" at 6 P.M. The second cycle starts at 7 P.M. "one" and goes on to 6 A.M. "twelve". Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar, which consists of twelve months of thirty days each and a thirteenth month of five days (six days in a leap year). The calendar is about eight years behind the Western (Gregorian) calendar. The New Year is celebrated in September.

Major Tourist Attractions

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The Simien National Park The Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela Castles of Gondar and other monuments of Gonder Style Lower Valley of the Awash paleontological and prehistoric sites Tiya pre-historical and archaeological sites, central Tigray Axum historical and archaeological sites, central Tigray Valley of the Omo, palaentological and prehistoric sites

The natural beauty of Ethiopia amazes the first-time visitor. Ethiopia is a land of rugged mountains (some are over 4000 meters high), broad savannah, lakes and rivers. The unique Rift Valley is a remarkable region of volcanic lakes, with their famous collections of birdlife, great escarpments and stunning vistas. Tisisat, the Blue Nile falls, must rank as one of the greatest natural spectacles in Africa today. With 14 major wildlife reserves, Ethiopia provides a microcosm of the entire subsaharan eco-system. Birdlife abounds and indigenous species roam free. Ethiopia, after the rains, is a land decked with flowers and with many more native plants than most countries in Africa.

Climate thiopia has two seasons; the dry season prevailing from October till May, and the wet season from June to September.

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thiopia has a magnificent cultural heritage, seven of which are included in the world cultural heritage list:

Food and Restaurants

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he Ethiopian national dish consists of injera, a flat, circular pancake made of fermented dough. Various side dishes of meat, pulses and vegetables along with sauces, which are generally spiced, are also served with injera. The injera is either topped with these side servings or it can be torn off and used to pick up the sauces and fillings.

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Good to know if you consider travelling:

Visa A valid tourist visa is compulsory to enter Ethiopia. Single entry tourist visas are valid for 1 month. You can also purchase your visas at the Ethiopian embassies for Switzerland and Austria: http://www.ethiopianmission.ch/consularservice.htm For visitors travelling from countries where there is no Ethiopian embassy, arrangements can be made to collect a visa at the airport on arrival. More information about the Ethiopian Embassies: http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/Ethiopia#3489

Health Precautions It is recommended to visit your personal doctor/physician or a travel health clinic 4-8 weeks before departure. You can learn more on:

• http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/africa/ethiopia.php information about vaccinations and health care (in English) • www.safetravel.ch - medical preparation for trips to tropical countries (in German and French only)

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he national currency is called Birr. The exchange rates (October 2012) are as follows:

Informational sources about Ethiopia, used also for this brochure: • Newer facts & figures: CIA World Factbook - facts about Ethiopia: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ • All Africa: English newspaper articles from/about various African countries including Ethiopia: www.allafrica.com 1€ = 23 Birr • Wikipedia site about Ethiopia: 1 CHF = 19 Birr http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethi 100 Birr = 4,2 € = 5 CHF opia • BBC country profile of Ethiopia: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1072164.stm • Human Rights Watch: Current state of Ethiopia: http://www.hrw.org/africa/ethiopia • Background, History, Languages, Religions etc.: Ethiopian Embassy to the Benelux and the EU, with own adaptations (http://www.ethiopianembassy.be/ethiopianprofile.htm) • Tourism: Ethiopian Embassy to the Benelux and the EU (http://www.ethiopianembassy.be/tourism.htm) • Health information: MdTravelHealth (http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/africa/ethiopia.php) • Visa: Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: (http://www.mfa.gov.et/Consular_Affair_Diplomatic/Visa_Issuance.ph p?Page=Visa_Issuance_5.htm)


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Useful Books and Guides: • • • •

The Lonely Planet Guide to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti Reise Know-How Äthiopien Ethiopian Amharic Phrasebook – Lonely Planet Spectrum Guide to Ethiopia (English and German editions)