A Closer Look at Ethiopia
Ethiopia Flag

Ethiopia Formation Date
May 5, 1991
Ethiopia Capital Name
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia Neighbours
Exploring Ethiopia
Origin of Ethiopia
The Ethiopian region has been populated since at least the 4th millennium BCE and has a long and diverse cultural history. Its various cultures have interacted with those of the Nile Valley and East Africa, with the Axumites from northern Ethiopia dominating Eritrea and parts of Yemen for centuries. Its peoples are believed to be among the earliest responsible for the domestication of animals and the cultivation of grains, such as millet and sorghum. The Horn of Africa region is generally accepted as the birthplace of modern humans who are believed to have left Ethiopia between 400 and 50,000 years ago in search of greener pastures. Roman and Greek authors during the first and second centuries CE referred to the region as “Ethiopia”. The kingdom of Aksum emerged by the first century CE and was the first major power in the area after Alexander the Great left. Arelst religious figure who brought Christianity to the region was Frumentius, a Roman slave who was sent to Axum in 328 CE by the king of the Kushite Kingdom of Meroe. Christianity emerged as the dominant culture and the language of the royal court was Ge’ez, the basis of the languages spoken in Ethiopia and Eritrea today.Culture
Ethiopia’s culture is highly influenced by its many groups as it boasts over 80 different ethnic groups and more than 200 different languages spoken. This means that a variety of cultures exist within the country, from the Muslim and Christian beliefs of the Amhara and Tigrigna to the animist Bantu beliefs of the Oromo. Traditional clothing is a key part of Ethiopian culture, with bright colours representing different regions and religions. Shield-dancing is the national dance, with drums and elaborate clothing to dazzle the crowds. Traditional music incorporates a range of instruments including the Masenqo, Harp, and Wassi. Food is also a vitally important aspect of Ethiopian culture. Injera is a spongy bread made of Teff and is eaten with a wide variety of spicy sauces and stews known as Wats. Coffee is a central part of the culture, first brought to the country by the missionaries in the 16th century.Sport
Football, athletics, cyclo-cross, tennis and basketball are the most popular sports in Ethiopia. Football in Ethiopia is particularly popular and widely played. One of the most renowned footballers to have come from Ethiopia is Salhadin Said, who currently plays for Thury-Acharnais in the French Ligue 2. International competition in athletics and cross-country running has brought Ethiopia great success. Its athletes have had notable success in international competitions such as the Olympics, World Championships and African Championships. The country has produced world-renowned runners such as Haile Gebrselassie, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and world-record holder.Religion
The majority of people in Ethiopia (62.8%) follow the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, a branch of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, which dates back to the 5th century CE. Other major religions in the country include Sunni Islam (33.9%) and Protestantism (2.6%). There is also a small population of Catholics, Bahá’í and animist followers.Languages
Amharic and Tigrinya are the two official languages of Ethiopia. Amharic is spoken by the majority of the population, while the Tigrinya language is spoken by the Tigrayan people in the north of the country. Other indigenous languages spoken include Oromo, Sidamo, Gurage, Hadiyya, Somali and Afar. English is the primary language of instruction in universities, secondary schools, and some primary schools. In addition, many major regional languages are taught in primary and lower secondary grades.Education
Education in Ethiopia is provided by both the state and private institutions. The majority of children attend elementary school from ages 5 to 14 and are expected to finish primary school before the age of 12. Primary schools typically offer a six-year basic education, beginning in the 4th grade and culminating in the 9th grade, with an additional three years of secondary school. In 2018, the government announced the introduction of free secondary education for all students. This includes free textbooks and uniforms for kids enrolling in secondary schools. The majority of degree programs are four-year programs, offered in universities and other higher education institutes such as teacher training colleges and polytechnic colleges. The University of Addis Ababa is the oldest university in Ethiopia.Demographics
As of 2020, Ethiopia has a population of over 114 million people, making it the 15th most populous country in the world. The nation has one of the highest population growth rates in the world, with an annual growth rate of 2.6%. The median age of the population is 17.7 years, making it one of the youngest populations in the world. The nation’s capital, Addis Ababa, has the largest population with a population of over 3.6 million people. One major language group in Ethiopia is the Oromo, which accounts for 34.4% of the population, followed by the Amhara (30.6%) and Tigray (6.05%).Commerce
Ethiopia is a major producer of commodities such as coffee, oilseeds, pulses, and khat. Agriculture accounts for about half of the GDP and is the largest component of exports. Other major industries in Ethiopia include textiles and manufacturing. Trade is an important part of the Ethiopian economy and the Ethiopian government has sought to liberalise the economy through reforms such as the introduction of free-trade zones and the privatisation of state-owned enterprises. In 2019, exports were estimated to be worth $7.4 billion and imports $11.6 billion. The main export partners are Saudi Arabia, India, and China.Weather
Most of Ethiopia experiences a subtropical climate. In Addis Ababa, the average temperature is 19 degrees Celsius with the majority of the precipitation occurring in the summer months. The country experiences heavy rain in October and November due to the combined effects of the Indian and African monsoons. This rainy season is also accompanied by cooler temperatures, making it the best time of year to visit the country.Borders
Ethiopia is bordered to the North by Eritrea and Sudan, to the South by Kenya and Somalia, to the East by Djibouti and Somalia, and to the West by South Sudan and Sudan. This landlocked country covers 1,100,000 sq km making it the 27th largest country in the world.Ethiopia Highest Point Name
The highest point in Ethiopia is Mount Ras Dejen, located in the Simien Mountains National Park. The mountain reaches an elevation of 4,550 meters (14,928 feet) above sea level.
Ethiopia Capital Longitude
The capital city of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa, and its longitude is 38.7469° N
Ethiopia Capital Latitude
The capital city of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa, and its latitude is 9.0333° N
Ethiopia Official Languages
The official languages of Ethiopia are Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, and Somali. Additional languages may also be officially acknowledged.
Ethiopia Ethnic Groups
Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic nation with at least 80 distinct ethnic groups among its 99.4 million people. This includes the Oromo, the Amhara, the Somali, the Tigray, the Gurage, the Afar and the Sidama which together make up approximately 84 percent of the population. The remaining 16 percent is composed of more than 80 minority ethnic groups, including the Argobba, the Hadiya, the Konso, the Wolaitta, the Silt’e, the Gamo, the Keffa, the Dawro, the Gedeo, the Bambassi and the Bilen. Consequently, Ethiopia is one of the most culturally rich and diverse countries in Africa, with each ethnic group of the country possessing its own language, religion, culture, customs, and way of life.
Ethiopia Religions
In Ethiopia, the predominant religion is Christianity, particularly Ethiopian Orthodoxy, which accounts for approximately 62% of the population.Islam is also practiced and is the predominant religion among the sizable Oromo and Somali communities, accounting for 35% of the population. Traditional religions exist within smaller communities, including the animism of the Afro-Asiatic-speaking people living in the southwest highlands. About 1% of the population practices Judaism. There is a very small Baháʼí community in Ethiopia, which was introduced in 1952, and a few thousand adherents to Islam's Ahmadiyya movement arrived from Pakistan in the 1930s.
Ethiopia Total Area
:1, 104,300 square kilometers (424,345 square miles)
Ethiopia Land Area
The total land area of Ethiopia is 1,104,300 square kilometers (426,372 square miles).
Ethiopia Water Area
Ethiopia has an estimated water area of 13,700 square kilometers (5,300 square miles). Ethiopia's water area is largely comprised of reservoirs, dams, and Lakes, including the Great Rift Valley Lakes of Abaya, Chamo, and Hayq. The capital Addis Ababa is located at the center of the Great Rift Valley Lakes.
Ethiopia Total Population
As of 2019, Ethiopia's total population was estimated to be approximately 115 million people.
Ethiopia Currency Name
The currency of Ethiopia is the Ethiopian birr (ETB).
Ethiopia Currency Code
The currency code for Ethiopia is ETB.
Ethiopia Currency Symbol
ETB
Ethiopia Time Zones
- UTC+03:00
Ethiopia is on East Africa Time (EAT) and is five hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC/GMT +3). There is no daylight saving time observed in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia Calling Code
+251
Ethiopia Internet TLD
www.aveholidays.et
How to Say "Ethiopia" In Different Languages?
- Bulgarian
- Етиопия (bg-BG)
- Mandarin
- 埃塞俄比亚 (zh-CN)
- Croatian
- Etiopija (hr-HR)
- Arabic
- مصروفيا (ar-EG)
- German
- Äthiopien (de-DE)
- Greek
- Αιθιοπία (el-GR)
- Hindi
- इथियोपिया (hi-IN)
- Indonesian
- Ethiopia (id-ID)
- Japanese
- エチオピア (ja-JP)
- Korean
- 에티오피아 (ko-KR)
- Latvian
- Etiopija (lv-LV)
- Luxembourgish
- Ethiopien (lb-LU)
- Dutch
- Ethiopië (nl-NL)
- Portuguese
- Etiópia (pt-PT)
- Russian
- Эфиопия (ru-RU)
- Spanish
- Etiopía (es-ES)
- Thai
- เอธิโอเปีย (th-TH)
- Turkish
- Etiyopya (tr-TR)
- Ukrainian
- Ефіопія (uk-UA)
- Vietnamese
- Ɛtiopiayê (vi-VN)
Ethiopia Popular Holidays
- Eid al-Fitr
- 1 Shawwal (4 Shawwal)
- New Years Day
- 1 January
- Gregorian New Year
- 1 January
- Epiphany Day
- 6 January
- Genna (Feast of Shepherds)
- 7 January
- Hedar
- 14 January (16 January)
- Timket
- 19 January (21 January)
- Epiphany
- 19 January
- Timkat (Feast of Epiphany)
- 19 January
- Yakatit (Feast of the Redemption)
- 13 February
- Tikimt (Feast of the Presentation of Jesus)
- 15 February
- The Day of Mourning
- 18 February
- Victory of Adwa
- 2 March
- Negarit (Feast of Patriots)
- 7 March
- Feast of the Annunciation
- 25 March
- Ethiopian Victory Day
- 2 April
- Good Friday
- 3 April
- Raserametta (Festival of the Resurrection)
- 4 April
- Himamat (Feast of Dedication)
- 4 April
- Patriots' Victory Day
- 5 April
- Gurar adno (Feast of the Year)
- 8 April
- Mathet (Feast of Redemption)
- 11 April
- Easter Monday
- 12 April
- Timkat of Josama (Feast of Temptation)
- 19 April (21 April)
- Gesthemene (Feast of Success)
- 26 April
- Labour Day
- 1 May
- St. George's feast day
- 6 May
- Hasab (Feast of Judgment)
- 21 May
- African Unity Day
- 25 May
- Ginbot (Victory Day)
- 27 May
- Revolution Day
- 28 May
- Lenta Bair Etchefola (Circumcision)
- 31 May
- Martyrs Day
- 20 June
- St. Mary's feast day
- 27 June
- Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul
- 29 June
- Implementation of the Ethiopian Constitution Day
- 1 July
- Eid al-Adha
- 30 July (3 August)
- Taste of Endibir
- 1 August
- Tekletsion (Feast of Transfiguration)
- 4 August
- Lidet (Feast of Nativity)
- 6 August
- Hidar Tsion Mariam (Feast of Mary)
- 6 August
- Eve of the Assumption
- 14 August
- Marqubor (Feast of Angels)
- 15 August
- Feast of the Virgin Mary
- 15 August
- Coptic New Year
- 11 September
- Amharic New Year
- 11 September
- Enkutatash (New Year's Day)
- 11 September
- Masqal (Feast of the Cross)
- 14 September
- Meskel (Feast of the Finding of the True Cross)
- 27 September
- Feast of the Cross
- 27 September
- Meskel
- 27 September (28 September)
- Demera (Festival of Lights)
- 27 September
- Mikaelmas (Feast of St. Michael)
- 29 September
- Irreecha (Feast of Thanks)
- 2 October
- Flag Day
- 6 October
- Tanik Day (Feast of Orphans)
- 6 October
- Sibket (Feast of Assembly)
- 6 October
- Remembrance Day
- 9 October
- Arbaeen (Guest Welcoming Festival)
- 26 October
- Mahlet (Feast of Mercy)
- 12 November
- St. Gabriel's feast day
- 29 November
- Mother's Day
- 2 December
- Tahisas (Feast of the Immaculate Conception)
- 8 December
- Christmas Eve
- 24 December
- Genna (Feast of Lights)
- 25 December
- Genna
- 25 December (31 December)
- Christmas Day
- 25 December