22 interesting facts about Ethiopia

22 interesting facts about Ethiopia

from huge volcanoes to glowing lakes we take a look at the most interesting facts about Ethiopia

Ethiopia's unique mix of fascinating history, deeply rooted identity, incredible natural wonders and rare wild animals makes it one of the most fascinating places on earth.

The country houses as different landscapes as deserts, volcanoes and highlands, an architecture that ranges from Felsenkirchen to castles in the medieval style, and an animal world that includes rare species such as the Gelada-Pavian, the Walia Steinbock and the Ethiopian Wolf.

We spent a month to explore the exciting “country of origin” and to learn many interesting facts about Ethiopia. Here we share the best of you.

interesting facts about Ethiopia

In 1978
1. Ethiopia had two sites on the original list of the 12 World Heritage Sites of the UNESCO: the Felsenkirchen von Lalibela and the Simien Mountains National Park. It now has a total of nine. (Source: UNESCO)

alt = "interesting facts about Ethiopia's monkeyberge"> Atlas & Boots The Simien-Mountains National Park in Ethiopia

1. Ethiopia was 980 BC. Founded and is Africa's oldest independent country. (Source: BBC)

2. Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa with a population of over 106 million that grows by 10 % annually. It is the second largest Nigeria population of over 193 million. (Source: CNN)

3. The churches of Lalibela carved in the rocks were not built from scratch, but instead set in volcanic stone. According to legend, the thousands of workers who worked on Lalibela's "new Jerusalem" during the day were replaced by angels who continued the work at night. (Source: CNN)

alt = "Interesting facts about Ethiopia Lalibela"> Atlas & Boots The Felsenkirchen from Lalibela are made of rocks

1. Ethiopier believes that the federal charging, the legendary relic, which is supposed to contain the 10 bids, is accommodated in a church in Ethiopia. Only a specially selected guard has access to the ark, and even he shouldn't look at her to make sure that she is actually there. Practical that. (Source: Lonely Planet)

2. Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa is the highest capital of Africa with 2,355 m (7,726 ft) above sea level. (Source: The Guardian)

3. Ethiopia is the home of the rarest dog in the world and the most threatened carnivore Africa: the Ethiopian wolf. Less than 500 remain in the wild. (Source: BBC)

alt = "Interesting facts about wolves in Ethiopia"> Atlas & Boots Less than 500 Ethiopian wolves still live in the wild

1. Ethiopia is the only country in Africa that was never officially colonized, although Italy occupied it twice: from 1895-96 and 1935-1941. (Source: BBC)

2. Rastafarianism, which was developed in Jamaica in the 1930s, uses the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie as a spiritual leader. Although Selassie (known as Jah known as Jah) in 1975, his death is not accepted and many believe that one day he will return. (Source: Telegraph)

3. Ethiopia is the home of Lake Tana, which flows into the Blue Nil, one of the two large tributaries of the Nile, the longest river in the world. (Source: Britannica)

alt = "Interesting facts about Ethiopia Blauer Nil falls"> Atlas & Boots The Blue Nile Falls near the Tana lake in Ethiopia

1. Ethiopia is the only country that uses a time system with a 12-hour clock that counts from sunrise to sunset and from sunset to sunrise. Thus 7:00 a.m. in Ethiopia 1:00 a.m. in daylight in Ethiopian local time. At noon is 6:00 a.m. This led too much confusion on our trip to Ethiopia - and to be honest, we are still a bit perplexed. (Source: Public Radio International)

2. lucy, the remains of the oldest petrified human skeleton, was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974. She lived 3.2 million years ago and was celebrated in a Google Doodle in 2015. (Source: Independent)

3. dallol in the Danakil-Senke in Ethiopia still holds the official record for the highest average temperature for an inhabited place on Earth. Recorded between 1960 and 1966, the average annual temperature was 35 ° C (95 ° F). (Source: Telegraph)

alt = "Interesting facts about Ethiopia dallol"> Atlas & Boots Dallol in the Danakil-Senke

1. The Vulkan Erta Ale in Ethiopia keeps the record for the longest existing Lava lake, which has existed since 1906. Deta ale, which means "smoking mountain" in the local Afar language, is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world. (Source: BBC)

2. The Ethiopian calendar has 13 months and is lying behind the Gregorian calendar for over seven years. As such, Ethiopia celebrated the new millennium on September 11, 2007. This is because the Ethiopians did not change their calendar when the Roman church changed its old calendar in 525 AD. (Source: The Guardian)

3. The Danakil-Senke of the Afar region in Ethiopia is due to the convergence of three tectonic plates, which are slowly pulled apart. When the earth separates and becomes thinner, the country sinks. (Source: New York Times)

alt = “interesting facts about the volcano era ale in Ethiopia”> Atlas & Boots The lava lake from Erta ale

1. One of the tragic facts about Ethiopia was that the country suffered from terrible famines in 1973 and 1984 when hundreds of thousands of people starved. The country still suffers regularly from droughts, which are caused by poor infrastructure, political instability and extremely dry climate. (Source: Washington Post)

2. Until 2017 Ethiopia had the fastest growing economy in the world. His GDP grew by 8.3 %in 2017 compared to a global rate of 2.7 %. (Source: World Economic Forum)

3. Despite its growth, Ethiopia is still very poor, about a third (33.5 %) of its population lived in poverty in 2011. (Source: World Bank)

alt = "interesting facts about the poor country of Ethiopia"> Atlas & Boots 2011 still lived around a third (33.5 %) of the population of Ethiopia in poverty

From 1974 to 1991
1. Ethiopia led a bloody and brutal 16-year civil war. After the war, thousands of people died during the so -called "red terror". (Source: BBC)

2. 1960 the Ethiopier Abbe Bikila was the first black African to win an Olympic gold medal. He won the marathon in Rome Barefoot after his only pair of running shoes was ruined and his replacement caused him bubbles. (Source: The Guardian)

3. For centuries, the Ethiopians have settled in the salt deposits in the Afar region. Today, workers cut salt plates and pack on camels and donkeys, where they are transported through the desert to be sold in markets. (Source: National Geographic)

alt = "Interesting facts about the Ethiopia salt factory"> Atlas & Boots A salt deposit in the Afar region in Ethiopia

LONELY PLANET ETHIOPIA is a comprehensive travel guide for the country, ideal for those who want to explore the most important sights and take less busy roads. If you prefer to travel on a tour, we recommend G Adventures and their Ethiopia tours in small groups.

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