Ethiopian Facts, News and Information

Many towns in Ethiopia seem to be bursting with too many young people

2009-08-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

Many towns in Ethiopia seem to be bursting with too many young people. Mekelle is one of them, but it is not the only town by any stretch of the imagination. Shashemene, Hawassa and Bahir Dar are in the same league. Those of us, who had lived in any of the places at one time or another, find it nostalgically disconcerting that nobody seems to know us any more.

On the other hand, everything is not black and white and this is one of them. In Japan the demographics is so skewed towords an aging population that most people are made to stay on and work. The boomer population in the United States, who are in their sixties are into retirement that innumerable studies are being conducted to cater to their well being, thanks they have the money. In Ethiopia, mandatory retirement ages change from government to government. The reasons mostly had to do with politics, ideology and perhaps, BPR too.

Adama town is a crowded place, at least the main streets are. Like other crowded towns across the nation, the population bulge is supposed to being caused by constant immigration both from near and far.

Ingera

2005-02-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

Ingera is made from a cereal grain that is unique known as Tef. Though tef is unique to Ethiopia it is diverse in colour and habitat. Tef is a member of the grass genus Eragrostis or lovegrass. Tef will grow in many areas, even if it is not an easy crop to farm. One problem in particular is that the weight of the grain bends the stem to the ground.

Ingera, is the staple food of the Ethiopian. Tef is nutritional miracle food. It contains two to three times the iron of wheat or barley. The calcium, potassium and other essential minerals are also many times what would be found in an equal amount of other grains. Tef has 14% protein, 3% fat and 81% complex carbohydrate.
Tef is the only grain to have symbiotic yeast. Like grapes, the yeast is on the grain so no yeast is added in the preparation of ingera.

Tef is milled to flour and made into batter. The batter is allowed to sit so the yeast can become active. When the batter is ready it is poured on a large flat oven and allowed to cook. This process is much harder than it sounds and it is recommended buying from an Ethiopian Market or Restaurant.

ETHIOPIA: Cereal food prices to rise despite good harvest

2005-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

ADDIS ABABA, 25 Jan 2005 (IRIN) - Poor families in Ethiopia could be hit by unusually high cereal prices, according to a report by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS Net).

Current high prices could be pushed up even further by local purchase of food aid that is planned for this year, the USAID-funded FEWS Net said on 20 January. The high prices, it added, had come as a surprise to many aid organisations because it comes on the heels of reports of a bumper harvest in the country.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), this year's harvest is expected to be 10 percent higher than last year's.

FAO and WFP are predicting a harvest in the area of 14 million mt of cereals - close to a 23 percent increase from the past five-year average - and following last year's robust harvest.

Traditionally, the price of cereals - the main food supply in Ethiopia - drops at this time of year because it is the main harvest period. However, current maize prices are around US $170 per mt - compared with previous years of $105 per mt.

"If these higher level stable prices persist, the on-going local purchase of food aid activities may further increase prices and, hence, there will be an obvious disadvantage for poor households, with limited means to access food in the market," said FEWS Net.

The government and donor organisations had been looking at local purchases of food for the safety-net programme, aimed at supporting five million people. It is estimated more than 200,000 mt of food aid may be purchased locally this year as part of the safety-net programme.

In December, the government appealed for 387,000 mt of emergency food aid to feed 2.2 million people. Aid organisations and donors, like the European Union, often argue that local purchases of food aid are far better than shipping in food aid, as it stimulates the local economy.

The FAO said they were unaware of what was keeping prices high.

"The price increase is positive for the farmers," said Luciano Mosele, the emergency head with the FAO in Addis Ababa. "Unless prices keep relatively high, people are not compensated for their work and production will never increase."

Production levels had been hit in recent years because prices plummeted after bumper harvests and farmers lost money and cut production the following year.

Plan launched to help orphans

2005-01-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

ADDIS ABABA, 14 Dec 2004 (IRIN) - One Ethiopian child out of 10 is an orphan, a report by the UN, the government and the NGO, Save the Children, said. The HIV/AIDS pandemic, appalling poverty and dire health conditions had left 4.6 million youngsters without parents, it added.

"Ethiopia is facing a crisis of orphans," Bjorn Ljungqvist, head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ethiopia, said at the launch of a national action plan to help children who have been orphaned and better protect them from HIV/AIDS.

Hassen Abdella, minister of Labour and Social Affairs, said the scale of the orphan crisis was "tearing at the very fabric of childhood".

According to government statistics, 315 people die each day from AIDS-related illnesses. Some 1.5 million people are living with the virus. Save the Children estimates one in 14 women in Ethiopia will die during birth compared to developed countries where one in 2,800 women die during birth.

The government said it needed US $115 million a month – almost equal to the country’s annual health budget of around $140 million - to help look after all the orphaned children in the impoverished country, providing them with such necessities as clothes, food or financial support.

"Orphans and vulnerable children are very vulnerable to all forms of abuse and exploitation," the plan states. "They face a loss of inheritance rights, loss of opportunities for education, basic health care, normal growth sand development and shelter. They are also at risk to the future waves of HIV infection."

Dawit Yohannes, speaker of parliament, said new laws were being introduced to help prevent further exploitation of children. "Children are the most vulnerable segment of a society who need special care and protection," he said at the launch. "Owing to their age they can neither take care of themselves nor guard themselves from hazards."

Plan launched to help orphans

2005-01-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

Coping with increasing orphan numbers through adoption

2005-01-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

ADDIS ABABA, 10 Jan 2005 (IRIN) - Wrapped in a bundle of warm blankets and lucky to be alive, four-month-old Thomas Bekele still faces a precarious future.

Orphaned three weeks ago when his mother died from tuberculosis, he is one of the almost five million orphans in Ethiopia - a mushrooming crisis that the government warned was "tearing apart the social fabric" of the country.

The rising number of orphans has, however, raised the demand for adoptions to a record high. Some 1,400 children made new homes abroad last year, more than double from the previous year.

Adoption agencies also doubled to 30 in the capital Addis Ababa in the last year, a highly lucrative market with some agencies charging parents fees of up to US $20,000 per child.

Bulti Gutema, who heads the country's adoption authority, says adoption of orphans poses many moral quandaries to his government. He blames the growing number of orphans and the increasing numbers of adoptions on poverty.

"We would prefer these children to remain in Ethiopia because it is their country," he says. "Adoption is the last resort because it doesn't help alleviate poverty in Ethiopia."

Bulti, however, admits that the $115 million a month needed to care for orphans in Ethiopia is simply out of the question, when compared to the country's annual health budget of $140 million. It means, for some children, overseas adoption is the only option, he says.

In a move to help stem the growing orphan crisis in Ethiopia, the US government announced a $20 million project in December to help the 530,000 HIV/AIDS orphans.

"We can't afford to look after every orphan," Bulti adds. "That is why adoption is one of our existing alternative child-care programmes, although it really solves the problems of just a few children."

Ethiopia has strict adoption laws, but the process can be pushed through in 10-15 days if the paperwork is in order, according to Balti.

An international convention, established in 1993, exists to protect children who are adopted overseas. It has been approved by 66 nations, although the Ethiopian government has not signed it yet.

Most orphaned children from Ethiopia go to France, Australia, the US and Ireland. Couples are turning abroad because of the huge delays - four or five years sometimes - to adopt within their own country.

"Parents adopt from Ethiopia because of the poverty and the children are beautiful and attractive," said Tsegaye Berhe of Horizon Homes, a halfway house where children from orphanages wait until they are selected by parents from the US.

"It is not difficult to adopt here, the Ethiopian government has few restrictions for adoptive parents. Organisations like his will pay orphanages a small amount for upkeep of a child.

"This should not be seen as though we are purchasing a child," says Tsegaye. "We are just refunding the costs incurred by the orphanages."

Most adoption agencies are non-profit. His organisation, which opened last year, received around $6,000 a month to cover the expense of looking after the 32 children it sent to America. Next year, they hope to send more than 50 children.

For accountant Russell Giles, 33, and his wife Vivian, 30, who have four of their own children, they expect to be in Ethiopia for three weeks while they adopt brother and sister Philimon, 5, and Bersable, 6.

"The government here has been very open and willing," said the couple from Salt Lake City, Utah, who are adopting privately from an orphanage, rather than through an agency. "Other countries appear very open, but clamp up once the process has started."

While they meet Philimon and Bersable for the first time in a nervous encounter, just a few metres away, 15-year-old Genet Girma was trying to give her two children up.

"I have nothing to give them," she said of the two tiny eight-week old twins strapped to her front and back. "I am too poor."

Most mothers will simply abandon their children near a police station or church rather than turn up at orphanages, where by law, they must be turned away. Any children that turn out to be HIV-positive cannot be put up for adoption.

Daniel, a three-year-old, bright-eyed boy who is HIV-positive, sits and stares each day as new prospective parents walks around the orphanage, often crying when they leave.

"It is very hard for him to see children leave with new moms and dads because he never leaves and he doesn't understand why," says Sister Camilla, who has worked in the country for more than 30 years.

ETHIOPIA-ERITREA: No sign of military build-up, says UNMEE

2005-01-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

ADDIS ABABA, 6 Jan 2005 (IRIN) - The UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) deputy head, Sissel Ekaas, said on Thursday there was no sign of a military build-up in the Horn of Africa.

Eritrean president, Isayas Afeworki, had claimed in his New Year address that Ethiopia was making unexplained military preparations. However, Ekaas said recent Ethiopian troop movements were known in advance and occurred at least 15 km away from the demilitarised zone that separates the two countries.

"As we know - on both sides the rhetoric has always been very strong and at times it reaches fever pitch," Ekaas told a video-linked press conference between Asmara and Addis Ababa held at UNMEE headquarters.

"There have been a lot of accusations and counter accusations about a build-up and of course, UNMEE, despite the holiday period, has continued its monitoring in all sectors," she added. "This statement by President Isayas is his analysis and his interpretation. He sees this as, perhaps, preparations for war."

Ekaas said UNMEE monitoring and observation did not "give any ground or evidence to say that there is mass mobilisation - that there are offensive, aggressive positioning of troops".

"We cannot find any evidence of that," she told reporters.

Isayas told state-run Eritrean Radio on 1 January that Ethiopia must withdraw from territory along the frontier, which it says they are illegally occupying. "The military preparation in Ethiopia has not been seen before as it is now," he said.

The two countries fought a bloody war over their border that was sparked in May 1998. In November, Ethiopia accepted "in principle" a ruling on its shared border with Eritrea that was made as a part of a peace deal ending the two-and-a-half-year war. The ruling that marks their border was made in April 2002 by an internationally appointed commission, but was initially rejected by Ethiopia.

Ethiopia still rejects key elements of the ruling and, in particular, the decision by the commission to award Badme - the border town where the war flared up - to Eritrea.

UNMEE said last week it carried out 606 ground and 27 air reconnaissance patrols in and around the 1,000-km-long border region. Ekkas added that the UN force commander was "on the ground" verifying that recent Ethiopian troop movements were a "reconfiguration of their defences" as stated.

She also urged the international community not to lose sight of the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace process, given the demands of the tsunami catastrophe that struck in December.

Farmers to receive certificates giving the right to use land

2005-01-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

ADDIS ABABA, 11 Jan 2005 (IRIN) - Ten million farmers will receive certificates guaranteeing land rights, deflecting criticism over Ethiopia's controversial tenure system, officials said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has pledged that all the farmers would receive the certificates over the next three years.

Critics of the government's land policy argue that state ownership in a rural-based economy prevents farmers from investing more heavily in their land to boost harvests. However, Mulugeta Debalkew, spokesman for the ministry, told IRIN that the new strategy would boost agricultural productivity by creating greater security for farmers.

Raising agricultural productivity in Ethiopia is crucial to the government's poverty alleviation strategy as part of their agricultural development led industrialisation. Currently, 85 percent of the population are subsistence farmers.

"Certification is in favour of the poor and it empowers women by legally guaranteeing their right to use land," Mulugeta said.

Although a pilot land certification scheme had been underway since 2003, the programme is now being expanded across the country. Mulugeta said Ethiopia's largest region - Oromiya, which has a population of 30 million people - was expected to begin issuing certificates this week.

He added that new legal frameworks, mapping and delineation of the land have been underway in the country in preparation for the certification scheme. The ministry was also looking at issuing land-use rights to the country's seven million pastoralists.

The certificates also allow farmers to sell the use right of the land to banks to raise collateral, although they cannot sell the land itself as it still remains under state ownership. Farmers can also transfer use rights to their children although the minimum plot size when divided up among families is half a hectare.

However, analysts expressed caution over the three-year timeframe and argued that by falling short of ownership, farmers will still be reluctant to invest in their land.

Dessalegn Rahmato, who heads the Ethiopian-based Forum for Social Studies, a social policy think tank, cast doubt on the projects' aims of boosting productivity.

"The farmers will not get a title deed to the land because they are not the owner," he told IRIN. "The government still has the option of getting rid of the use rights, depending on circumstances."

Mulugeta said the certificates meant farmers would be paid compensation if their land was taken by the state, saying that any dispute between state and farmer would be resolved through the courts.

Statistics

2005-01-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

Population: 72.4 million (UN, 2004)
Capital: Addis Ababa
Area: 1.13m sq km (437,794 sq miles)
Major languages: Amharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, Somali
Major religions: Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy: 45 years (men), 46 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Birr = 100 cents
Main exports: Coffee, hides, oilseeds, beeswax, sugarcane
GNI per capita: US $90 (World Bank, 2003)
Internet domain: .et
International dialling code: +251

Recreation

2005-01-05T13:44:00.000-08:00

Recreation

Leisure time is generally spent at home. Individual games of skill such as board games and races are the most popular forms of recreation. Soccer is the most popular sport.

Calendar

2004-12-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Calendar

Ethiopia traditionally follows the Coptic calendar, although business is conducted using Western time and calendar standards. There is a seven-year difference separating the Coptic and the Gregorian, or Western, calendars; for example, 1998 is 1991 in Ethiopia. Also, the 24-hour day begins at sunrise, not midnight.

Holidays

2004-12-29T10:34:00.000-08:00

Holidays

Christmas begins, and does not end, the year—it falls on 7 January. On Christmas, a special game is played by some Ethiopians that is not played at any other time of the year. Similar to field hockey, it is said to derive from an old story that shepherds, brimming with joy to hear of the birth of Jesus Christ, spontaneously used their hooked staffs to make up a game that expressed their happiness. It is called Ganna.
The Epiphany, or Visit of the Three Magi, is celebrated on 19 January. Victory Day is on 6 March, and Patriots’ Victory Day on 6 April. Good Friday, the Friday preceding Easter, is a holiday in Ethiopia, and Easter, called Fasika, is the most important holiday of the year.

Wild Live

2004-12-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

Wild Live:

The larger species of African wildlife are native to most parts of the country. These include the giraffe, leopard, hippopotamus, lion, elephant, antelope, and rhinoceros. The caracal, jackal, hyena, and various species of monkey are common. The country is home to 813 bird species. Birds of prey include the eagle, hawk, and vulture. Heron, parrot, and such game birds as the snipe, partridge, teal, pigeon, and bustard are found in abundance. Among the many varieties of insects are the locust and tsetse fly.

Currency and Banking

2004-12-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Currency and Banking:

Ethiopia's unit of currency, the birr, is issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia (8.66 birr equal U.S.$1; or 11,50 birr equals 1 euros, average late 2004). To change money it is better to change it in Addis Ababa, many times you will find difficult to change money in smaller towns and the rate is not so fair.

To receive money from Western Union is quite easy, even in small towns, you will find a Bank which works with Western Union, and it never takes more than 30 minutes.

Visa

2004-12-25T13:56:00.000-08:00

Visa:

If you go to Ethiopia with a Tourist Visa, which normally is for a month, you can renew it in Addis Ababa in the Emigration Department, you just say to any bus or taxi, “emigration”, every one knows were it is. To renew is 105 birr per month, you must renew it every month and they don’t renew it for more than 6 months, then it is necessary to go out and start again, out means you can go for a short visit to Djibouti, or Kenya, Djibouti is expensive and Kenya is slightly out of the way.

Population Characteristics

2004-12-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

Population Characteristics:

The population of Ethiopia (2003 estimate) is 66,557,553 estimate, yielding an overall density of 59 persons per sq km (152 per sq mi). The Amhara, who founded the original nation, and the related Tigreans, both of which are highland peoples of partly Semitic origin, constitute about 32 percent of the total population. They occupy the northwestern Ethiopian highlands and the area north of Addis Ababa. The Oromo, a pastoral and agricultural people who live mainly in central and southwestern Ethiopia, constitute about 40 percent of the population. The Shankella, a people in the western part of the country from the border of Eritrea to Lake Turkana, constitute about 6 percent of the population. The Somali, who live in the east and southeast, notably in the Ogadēn region, are about equal in number to the Shangalla. The Denakil inhabit the semi desert plains east of the highlands. The non indigenous population includes Yemenis, Indians, Armenians, and Greeks

Geography

2004-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Geography:

Ethiopia covers an area of 1,133,380 sq km (437,600 sq mi). The heart of the country is a high tableland, known as the Ethiopian Plateau, that covers more than half the total area of the country. The plateau is split diagonally by the Great Rift Valley. Although the average elevation of the plateau is about 1,680 m (about 5,500 ft), it is cut by many rivers and deep valleys, some of which are 600 m (2,000 ft) below the level of the plateau.
The area is capped by mountains, the highest of which is Ras Dashen (4,620 m/15,157 ft). These heights and indentations occur in northern Ethiopia, in the region surrounding Lake T’ana (the lake in which the Blue Nile rises). The northeastern edges of the plateau are marked by steep escarpments, which drop some 1,200 m (about 4,000 ft) or more to the Denakil Desert.

Aksum

2004-12-13T08:02:00.000-08:00

Aksum
Aksum is the holiest city in Ethiopia. According to the Orthodox Church, the original Ark of the Covenant, which holds the Ten Commandments, is somewhere around here. This is also the place where Christianity was declared the national religion in the 4th century. The Ark is supposed to live somewhere in the grounds of the 17th-century St Mary of Zion church, but of course no one is allowed to look at it. The church's museum has a small but impressive collection of bibles, crosses and crowns. Just past the museum is Aksum's ancient stelee field all that remains of the city's past glory. Stelae are huge, carved pillars made from single blocks of granite - the highest of those still standing at Aksum is 24m (79ft) tall.
If you take a walk outside the town, you can have a look at the ruins of King Kaleb's Tomb, and if you keep going up the hill you'll end up at the Pentalewon Monastery - women aren't allowed in, but the views from here are lovely. The ruins of the Queen of Sheba's Palace are also outside the town, although archaeological investigation suggests they are 1500 rather than 2500 years old.
Aksum is about 500km (310mi) north of Addis Ababa. You can fly from the capital, or catch a bus from Gonder, Adwa, Adigrat or Mekele.

Hotels

2004-12-12T13:50:00.000-08:00

You can get a room for twenty birr, 2 euros in Adis Abeba, specially in Mercato area but obviously it not not very confortable, toilet outside the room use by other 25 people, I really do not recomend, but you can get a good hotel for about 75 birr, 7,50 euros for example Debre Damo Hotel, I think it is the cheapest of the hotels in Adis which is mentioned in the international guides, I have sleep there many times it is not bad, any way the telephone is 251-1-612630, the price I mentioned perhaps is a bit outdated, check.

Another hotel which I like is Ras Hotel, it is a chain of hotels, in Ethiopia, Government run, used mostly by upper middle class Ethiopians, the personnel is more polite then the very touristic hotels...

The price is about 125 birr, although I pay 95, not because I write this but because I have residence, and Ethiopians and foreigners with residence get a discount, actually before I had residence I thought this policy rather stupid!

The advantage of Ras Hotel is that it is in the very centre of Addis Ababa. With telecommunications 100 meters to the right and a supermarket 100 meters to the left.

Outside Addis there is not so much choice, but most of the time you can find a place to stay, and you find most of the time a Ras Hotel, ras means duke.

Travel

2004-12-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Travel:

International airports are Bole in Addis and in Dire Dawa, but you can go to Bar Dar and Mekele by airplane, the Ethiopian Airways are quite reliable, and safe for what I know they the Ethiopian Pilots even train other African Pilots.

But it is quite expensive, for example a ticket between Addis an Dire Dawa return is about 70 euros, 700 birr.

Cheap is the long distance buses between Addis and the rest of the country, example Addis-Harar, is about 6 euros, 60 birr, sometimes they have problem on the road and then you have to sleep in a road side hotel, which is not so comfortable, although they are very cheap, a night costs max.: 2 euros, 20 birr.
The problem is that this buses are quite uncomfortable, specially if your legs are long, and the Ethiopians like to travel with all the windows closed!

Criminality and Farengis

2004-12-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Criminality and Farengis:

There is no criminality in Ethiopia you can walk about the country at 3.00 am without any fear, the only place were you will find pickpockets is in Merkato, Addis Ababa, and they never are aggressive.
But the other side of the coin is that anything you buy or pay, the price is raised because you are a “farengi”, you will get used to this word, anyone of white colour is a farengi, do not be put down, by this, even if it annoying, for the Ethiopians differently from other African countries there is no hate for the white man, perhaps because they were not colonized, the farengi is for them pure, good, rich, (that is why they raise the price), and the solution for every problem, of course this after a while is rather annoying.

Religion

2004-12-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

Religion:

About 40 percent of the people of Ethiopia are Christians, and Christianity is predominant in the north. All the southern regions have Muslim majorities, who represent about 45 percent of the country’s population. The south also contains considerable numbers of animists. A sect known as Beta Israel or Falashas, who practice a type of Judaism that probably dates back to contact with early Arabian Jews, were airlifted to Israel in 1991 during Ethiopia’s civil war.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Union church, an autonomous Christian sect headed by a patriarch and closely related to the Coptic church of Egypt, was the state church of Ethiopia until 1974.
The main difference between the Ethiopian Orthodox and the western Christianity, is that The Ethiopians believe that Jesus had only one nature, he was God at all time, while the western Christianity, believes that Jesus was both Man and God.

Socializing

2004-12-12T13:45:00.000-08:00

Socializing

The Amhara place great emphasis on formal but very courteous greetings to both friends and strangers. Shaking hands with one or both hands is common between members of the same sex. Friends often embrace each other formally but warmly. There is no physical contact when members of opposite sexes greet each other.

The Amharic home is generally a highly private and personal domain, and it is not usual to visit without an invitation. When visiting a home for the first time, a small gift is in order. Visitors are expected to accept any refreshments or food offered.

Ethiopian Food

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The Ethiopian diet generally includes lamb, goat, and fowl. Ethiopians do not usually eat pork, turkey, or ham. Common foods include injera, a fermented bread made of teff flour (a native grain), and wat, a spicy stew made with beef or chicken. Strict religious dietary and fasting customs, especially for Muslims, also influence the diet. Many people survive on grains alone.

Marriage and Family

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Marriage and Family

Because marriage represents the union of two families, the choice of spouse is usually arranged by the families, although individuals have some say in the decision. Divorce is not common.

The Amharic family is strongly patriarchal, a pattern typical throughout Ethiopia. Sons usually bring their brides to live with or near their father’s family, and three or more generations in the male line frequently live under one roof. Age is highly respected in Ethiopia, and the elderly are cared for by their children. Women’s duties and privileges are clearly defined both within the home and elsewhere, and most women lead sheltered lives. Families tend to be very private.

Addis Ababa

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Addis Ababa
There are plenty of people in the Ethiopian capital - of the 5 million bodies who live here, 3 million have arrived since the 1991 revolution. The city was only founded in 1887, and was nearly abandoned due to lack of fuel wood until the introduction of eucalypts to the area. It's a huge, sprawling place, with very few street signs, although the main shopping strip, Churchill Ave, is labelled.
The city's Ethnographic Museum is well worth the price of admission. Its two main sections on local crafts and on regions and peoples make it an ideal place to start learning about Ethiopia's rich ethnic diversity. It also has an impressive array of religious crosses, triptychs and murals, as well as Haile Selassies's bedroom and bathroom. The National Museum is much smaller, but it does have the fossils of 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', perhaps our earliest ancestor. It is ranked among the most important sub-Saharan museums in Africa.
Africa Hall is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and was designed as a monument to African independence. Its huge, richly coloured stained-glass windows, by Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle, portray the history and diversity of Africa's peoples. If you'd like to see more of Tekle's work, visit the Giorgis Cathedral, built in 1896 to commemorate Ethiopia's victory over the invading Italians. Addis Ababa's Mercato is the largest market in East Africa. It's a sprawling mess of open-air stalls, where you can buy everything from vegetables to gold jewellery - keep an eye out for pickpockets.
Many cheap hotels in Addis Ababa are a combination of noisy street bar, brothel and a few double rooms, though some are surprisingly well kept. Expect to pay two to four times the local rate. Most hotels are around the Piazza, where you'll also find a bunch of cheap cafes and bars. Although the Italians were only here five years, you'll find good Italian eateries all over the city.

Our objective

2004-10-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

Our objective

In this pages you will read about Ethiopia, known in history as Abyssinia, you will find all kinds of information, and photos and some pictures by Afewerk Tekle, a famous Ethiopian painter, his women paintings are very expressive.

I have tried to make it as rich and useful as I could, I mention Ethiopian traditions which by itself is a very rich subject, and a mere web site would not suffice, but I tried, Ethiopian Hotels, in Addis Ababa and outside the capital city, one page is just about the Ethiopian History, in another I explain about Ethiopian food, and I took some photos of my wife making Injera the Ethiopian bread, made by a cereal called teff, I mention the exchange rate of Birr, the Ethiopian money,

I mention the Ethiopian marriage and Ethiopian customs I thought fascinating, in the page about Ethiopian facts, I write about the Ethiopian climate, and all kind of facts I think important to a foreign who travels in Ethiopia.

There are some photos of Harar, Lalibela, Aksum, and other places which make it Ethiopian what it is.

Certainly in all of Africa, Ethiopia stands as a unique place, these pages obviously are not to be used as an Ethiopian guide, I have put only a simple Ethiopian map, without much detail, but I hope that overall these pages can be useful to the person who see them.

Paulo Santos

Ethiopia

2004-09-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

This web page, about Ethiopia, is made by people who love Ethiopia, for people who likewise love Ethiopia.
In the following page you will find all kinds of information, history, facts, places to go, etc, obviously this is not a complete guide, it is not our intention, but we hope that it may be helpful to anyone who intends to visit Ethiopia and even for people who already know the country. We hope that anyone who sees this pages and feels he can give any input not hesitate and post a comment all will be welcome.