About 50% of Ethiopians are adherents of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It is the only African country where the main religion is Christianity. In total, Christians account for 60% of the believing population. Islam (mainly Sunnism) is practiced by about 33% of believers, local African beliefs, mainly anemism (belief in the animation of nature) – 6%. There are also small Jewish and Hindu communities in the country.
Transport in Ethiopia
There are no direct flights between Russia and Ethiopia. The country can be reached by plane with transfers in Istanbul (Turkey), Cairo (Egypt) and Dubai (UAE).
Inside the country for long distances, it is best to travel by plane. Local airlines connect about 40 cities, among which are the main tourist centers. Between localities in Ethiopia shuttle buses also run. Buses are mostly old. Tickets for them must be bought in advance at special ticket offices. Buses depart as they fill up. The inconvenience of local buses is complemented by the poor quality of the roads. There are no operating railways in the country.
Inside major cities, it is best to use taxi services. They are mainly represented by minibuses in blue and white coloring, which can accommodate up to 12 passengers. In Addis Ababa, there are also many taxis in the same blue and white color scheme, and there are more comfortable yellow taxis. Taxi drivers usually speak English. The cost of the trip should be negotiated in advance, as there are no meters in the cars. Local taxis can be rented for the whole day.
Car rentals are available only in Addis Ababa. Due to the poor quality of the roads, it is best to take SUVs. In order to rent a car, you must be over 18 years old and have an international driver’s license. It is worth remembering that tourists are not recommended to travel by car in Ethiopia and its cities at night.
Plant and Animal World in Ethiopia
In the mountainous regions of the country, forests, desert and steppe vegetation, and even alpine meadows are found at different heights. In the southwest of Ethiopia, tropical rainforests stretch, where wild coffee trees grow. These places are the birthplace of coffee. It is believed that the name of the drink was given by the local region of Kaffa. In the flat areas, where there is a small amount of precipitation, acacia savannahs and grassy vegetation are common.
The most common animal species in Ethiopia are jackals, hyenas and foxes. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, monkeys, hippos, hippos, rhinos and crocodiles are found in the savannas. Endemic Gverets monkeys (colobuses) live in mountainous areas. Of the birds in Ethiopia, the eagle, falcon, vulture, vulture, heron, partridge, duck, teal, guinea fowl, curlew are common. There are ostriches in the deserts, and endemic turaco in the mountains. Also, many insects live in Ethiopia, and the dangerous tsetse fly often flies into the southern regions of the country from other countries.
Minerals in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has minor deposits of gold, iron ore, common salt, copper, sulfur, potash, platinum, oil, marble, mica, cinnabar, and manganese.
Banks in Ethiopia
Banks are open from Monday to Thursday from 8:00 to 15:00, on Friday from 8:00 to 15:00 with a lunch break from 11:00 to 13:30, on Saturday from 8:30 to 11:00.
Money in Ethiopia
The official currency of Ethiopia is the birr. 1 birr is equal to 100 cents. There are banknotes in denominations of 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 birr and coins of 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents.
Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks and some hotels. When exchanging currency, you should keep all receipts, they will allow you to exchange birrs at the airport when leaving the country. It is better to take US dollars with you on a trip, they are accepted for payment by many hotels, shops and restaurants. Non-cash payment for services is practically not developed. ATMs can only be found in the capital, and traveler’s checks are exchanged at several banks in the capital, with checks in US dollars and pounds sterling being preferred.
Rate: 100 Ethiopian Birr (ETB) = 3.31 USD
Political State in Ethiopia
The official name of the country is the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. According to politicsezine, the head of state is the president. The president is elected by members of parliament for a 6-year term. Executive power is exercised by the president and the government. The head of government is the prime minister. The prime minister is appointed from the party that won the parliamentary elections. Legislative power is concentrated in the hands of a bicameral parliament, consisting of the House of People’s Representatives and the House of Federation.
Administratively, Ethiopia is divided into 9 regions organized along ethnic lines, and two city-regions (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa).
Population in Ethiopia
There are over 80 ethnic groups in Ethiopia. About 32% of the population are Oromo, 30% Amhara, 6% Tigrai, 6% Somali, 4% Guraga, 3% Sidama, 2% Uolaita, 2% Afar., 2% – to hadiya and 1% – to gamo. The peoples of Denakil, Yemenis, Indians, Armenians and Greeks also live in the country.
Language:
The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic, which belongs to the Semitic group of languages. In addition, 83 local languages are spoken in the country, among which the most common are Tigrinya and Oromo. The most common foreign language is English.
Cuisine in Ethiopia
Instead of cutlery in Ethiopia, “figs” are used – a traditional flatbread made from teff flour (teff is a cereal similar to millet).
A large number of spices are used in local cuisine: saffron, basil, coriander, mustard, cardamom, red pepper and thyme, garlic is also added to almost all dishes.
In Ethiopia, you will find a large selection of vegetarian dishes, as many of the inhabitants of the country are very religious and try to keep fasts. Meat dishes are prepared mainly from beef. The most popular meat dishes are “tybsy” (fried pieces of beef or lamb with spicy sauce), “bryndo” (raw fresh meat with a spicy sauce of pepper and mustard cabbage), “wot” (poultry stew with hard-boiled eggs in spicy sauce) and lentils with meat and pepper.
Ethiopians drink a lot of coffee, and sweet. Ethiopia is the birthplace of the coffee tree. The process of preparing and drinking coffee is a whole ceremony lasting several hours. From alcoholic beverages, the country produces beer “T’ella”, the national “mes” from honey, reminiscent of mead, as well as excellent dry wines.
