Facts about Ethiopia - The country with 13 months of sunshine

Ethiopiaa fascinating country in East Africa, transports visitors to a world rich in history, culture and breathtaking nature. As one of the oldest independent countries in the world, it holds a treasure trove of stories, but Ethiopia is not just a place of the past - it is a country in transition, evolving at an impressive pace. From traditional rituals to ethnic groups and mountains, there are countless facts to list about Ethiopia.

To make your trip to this impressive region a little easier, we have put together some information about the country here.

Geographical location and climate

The country's topography is exceptional for the African continent. It is one of the highest regions, about half of the country is 1200 meters above sea level, 5 percent even above 3500 meters. The climate is temperate and the seasons are not distinct. The different climates are mainly defined by the different altitudes, up to 1800m it is hot and tropical with an average temperature of 27 degrees, between 1800m and 2500m it is temperate and everything above 2500m is rather cool with just 16 degrees on average.

Extreme weather events are not uncommon in Ethiopia, and the country has been repeatedly affected by severe droughts in recent years.

Population - Ethnic and religious composition

Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state, there are around 90 different ethnic groups, some of which are very small and only have a few hundred members, while others have up to several million. A total of more than 115 million people live there, and the population has been growing rapidly since the beginning of the 20th century, with estimates of up to 2 million people a year. As a result, almost half of the country's inhabitants are under the age of 15.

The politically and culturally dominant ethnic group are the Amhara, who make up around 27% of the population. For example, the official language, Amharic, is influenced by them. The largest ethnic group, on the other hand, are the Oromo, with around 34% of the population.

Due to the ethnic diversity, almost 100 languages are spoken in Ethiopia. English is mainly used there as a language of education and is also taught in schools. 

The religious views are just as diverse as the ethnic and language base. The Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and Sunni Muslims, as well as various Protestant church communities, are the largest. Some ethnic groups are also still followers of traditional religions.

Economy and social situation

Although the country developed economically in the 20th and 21st centuries, it is still one of the poorest countries in Africa and the world. It is currently estimated that almost half of Ethiopians are undernourished, and the same applies to access to clean drinking water. A lot of food has to be imported, and many regions and people are heavily dependent on external aid.

The main export commodity is coffee. The biggest buyer of the stimulant from Ethiopia is actually Germany.

Cultural facts about Ethiopia

Ethiopia differs from other countries in the sub-Saharan region in many respects. This is partly due to its Christian traditions and partly due to the country's historical isolation. The characteristics of this can be found above all in art, architecture and cuisine. Traditional music is also very different from the rest of Africa.

Sport

The world's best long-distance and marathon runners can be found among the Ethiopians, who have won a total of 58 Olympic medals. One of the reasons for their outstanding performance is the genetic ability to maximize oxygen uptake through life in the mountains.

13 months of sun

Despite all these interesting facts about Ethiopia, it is still not clear why the country is said to have 13 months of sunshine. Is that just a figure of speech? Even though the country is not one of the warmest countries on the continent? No - it's because Ethiopia has a different time and calendar. The year actually has 13 months, twelve of which have 30 days and one month has only 5 (or 6) days. The year begins for them on September 11. To avoid confusion in international communication, they use both calendars in parallel. For example, 8.10.2023 is 27.01.2016 in the Ethiopian calendar.

Of course, there are many more exciting facts about Ethiopia, but that's enough for now. The best way to learn is by traveling anyway and if you are now curious about Ethiopia then you can start this adventure directly with TripLegend!

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