Ethiopia's population of some eighty million is made up from
people of many ethnic backgrounds with over eighty languages
being spoken. Bordered on the east by by Somalia and Djibouti,
to the west by Sudan, to the north by Eritrea (to which is was
temporarily annexed by the Italians for a short period) and to
the south by Kenya, it is perhaps best known in the UK by the
shocking images that led to the Live Aid concert organised by
Bob Geldof and others. However today, although chronic food shortages and droughts still occur, Ethiopia has one of the fasting growing economies in the
world and is the largest economy in the East of Africa.
As this video shows Ethiopia is a much more diverse
country that generally perceived with high mountain ranges and the source of the Blue
Nile that rises in the north-west of the country at a small
covered spring at Gish Abbai (left). Explore the lowlands of south west Ethiopia, the Bale Mountains National Park
(below right) with its unique blend of wildlife including Ethiopia's
largest pack of wolves and
the Simien Mountains National Park for trekking opportunities. Ethiopia, itself, is about the size of the UK and France
combined with about 12% of its land arable. The land itself is
rich in deposits of gold, platinum, copper, and natural gas
however is facing increasing desertification
through deforestation, overgrazing and soil erosion.
Okay, some interesting facts about Ethiopia! In no particular
order, the area of Addis Ababa is the cradle of human life on
earth and it is from there that Homo Sapiens set off the
explore the world. The northern area of Dallol is the hottest
place all year round on earth and Ethiopia is the birthplace of
the coffee bean!
Ethiopia has its own time system and is 3 hours ahead of
Greenwich Mean Time, and a calendar that runs seven to eight
years behind the Gregorian Calendar, so you really can step back
in time! Ethiopia is also one of the few African countries to
have its own alphabet. Nearly one in five Ethiopians live on
less that 60p a day and three quarters of poor families share
their living and sleeping quarters with their livestock. The
average family size in Ethiopia is about six or seven normally
living in a 5m x 6m mud hut with thatched roof.
Our Ethiopian pictures show pictures of Ethiopia together with Ethiopia video images of Ethiopian children, Ethiopian music and other photos of Ethiopia. This video gives a realistic look and feel about Ethiopia and
where the country is at today; better than the past, with
prospects for the future.