Ethiopia
An Unparalleled Opportunity!
Ethiopia, located in northeast Africa and bordered by Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti, is about twice the size of Fance. It is one of the most ancient countries in the world. Sometimes called the “roof of Africa”, Ethiopia is a land of discovery, a country of contrasts and extremes with its rich history, culture and majestic landscapes. About 65% of the land is arable and the country has strategic land, agricultural and livestock resources.
Ethiopia is emerging as a major force in African power generation due to its hydro, geothermal, natural gas, solar and wind potential. Recent geological studies have confirmed Ethiopia’s mineral wealth, with deposits of metallic, industrial, chemical minerals and petroleum being identified. |
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Most recent discoveries have confirmed that East Africa is the cradle of civilization.
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| Genetic analysis suggests we all share a common family tree with roots that trace back through our parents and their parents’ parents back 150,000 years to East Africa, where our most ancient grandmother “Dinknesh”, which means you are wonderful in Amharic, lived; probably in Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley. “Lucy” is the name used by her discoverer, Donald Johanson, in 1974. “Dinknesh” is at least 3.2 million years old and is considered the first human. |
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| Ethiopia is where the practice of Christianity is thought to be amongst the oldest. |
| The country's rich history is woven with legends of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and the Ark of the Covenant that is said to rest in Axum. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the oldest in Africa – Christianity was made the state religion in the Axumite Empire in 330 AD. Muslim communities were established in Ethiopia before the triumph of Islam in its birth place, the Arabian peninsula. It is also the home of the Black Jews, also known as the Felashas. |
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| Ethiopia is the only African nation that was not colonized by European colonial forces. It was briefly occupied by the Italians between 1936 and 1941. |
| In recent history, between 1889 and 1913, Emperor Menelik II reigned, fending off the encroachments of European powers. Italy posted the greatest threat, having begun to colonize part of what would become its future colony of Eritrea in the mid 1880s. In 1896, Ethiopia’s stunning defeat over Italy at Adwa, brought peace and stability to the region, along with recognition and prestige for Menelik and his Ethiopian army , which was considered the first victory of an African nation over a European colonial power. |
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| Ethiopia is the custodian of global agro-biodiversity and is endowed with domesticated animal and plant stocks, as well as microbial genetic resources. |
| The Ethiopian region has been recognized as one of the world's most important centers of origin/diversity for several important economic plants: wheat, barley, rape seeds, safflower, coffee, and sesame to name a few. The country's extensive reserves of traditional seed varieties are being appropriated, genetically manipulated and patented by the agribusiness conglomerates. Coffee originates in Ethiopia from a region called Kaffa. A rare variety of naturally decaffeinated coffee has recently been found. |
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When a virulent strain of stem rust wheat disease devastated wheat crops in Canada in 1950, scientists turned to Ethiopia for their ancient durham wheat seed variety which was rust-resistant.
Teff is an ancient grain thought to originate from Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 BC. |
| Teff is rich in calcium, phosphorous, iron, copper, aluminum, barium and thiamin, and is a good source of protein, amino acids (especially lysine), carbohydrates and fibre. It is higher in calcium and iron than wheat, rice, millet, or oats, and because it contains no gluten, it is a perfect grain for those who are gluten intolerant. |
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| Ethiopia is the epitome of the entire sub-Saharan ecosystem where rare indigenous animals roam free, bird life abounds and colorful wild flowers and native plants carpet the land. |
| The natural beauty of Ethiopia amazes the first-time visitor. Ethiopia is a land of rugged mountains, broad savannah, lakes, and rivers. The unique Rift Valley is a remarkable region of volcanic lakes with a collection of bird life, great escarpments, and stunning vistas. |
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| Ethiopia was multicultural before multicultural was cool. It is a nation comprised of more than 80 different ethnic groups; the heritage of each, blending to form a unique and colorful mosaic. |
| It is a very diverse country, with as many as 80 nationalities speaking 80 languages, with Christian and Muslim communities living together in peace. Harar is the fourth holiest Moslem city in the world. The historical city of Harar, its unique buildings, its great encircling wall, and its well fashioned gates, received international recognition in 1989 when the city won a UNESCO award for being the City of Peace. |
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| Modern Addis Ababa, also known as the capital city of Africa, is Africa’s undisputed diplomatic capital. |
| It is the headquarters of a number of international and regional organizations including the African Union, the Economic Commission for Africa, International Labor Organization, as well as many other multi-national bodies. Nearly all countries have an embassy or consulate located in Addis Ababa. |
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| Ethiopia is the only country in Africa with its own language that can be expressed both in spoken and written form - Amharic. |
| And a different church /religious language (Ge'ez) that can also be expressed both in spoken and written form indicating that the country was one of the most civilized ancient nation in the time of the Greeks. |
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| Ethiopia is famous in rock art. |
| The single tallest monument ever raised by humanity in the BCs is found in the country. Especially in the northern part, many churches are not built , they are carved out of a mountain of rock. The famous Lalibela , which consists of about eleven rock churches networked with each other, is believed to be the 8th world wonder |
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| Almost more than 70% of Africa's mountains are found in Ethiopia. |
| Probably due to the high altitude of the country, Ethiopians are famous for being great long distance runners. |
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| Ethiopia is believed to be the water tower of Africa, because many rivers that flow in to other African countries originate in Ethiopia. |
| It is believed that 50% of Ethiopian soil has crossed its boundaries. The source of the great Blue Nile river is Lake Tana, and Ethiopia contributes more than 85 % of the water to the Nile. |
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| The Great Rift valley, which is the only geographical feature of planet earth visible from the moon, cuts Ethiopia into two, crossing the country from top to bottom. |
| Ert'ale (north eastern part of Ethiopia) is one of the few places on earth where one can see active, live, continued and dramatic volcanic eruption/movement. This same region is known to be one of the lowest and the hottest points of the earth. |
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| About seven places in Ethiopia are registered by UNESCO as world heritage sites. And this includes the famous Semien mountains national park. |
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