Ethiopia History Geography Culture Travel Tours

Located in the northeastern Horn of Africa, equidistant to the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, Ethopia is the oldest nation in Africa.
The joy of traveling is that it can be enjoyed virtually anywhere in the world. Indeed one of the best recommended countries for all breathtaking scenery, rugged but majestic mountains, exotic flora, fauna ( mainly endemic mammals, birds, plants) and pristine cultural diversity maintained by perpetual history is undoubtedly Etheopia.
Its bedrock belongs to the earth’s first continent, a continent known by geologists as Gondwanaland. Africa forms the largest intact remnant of this.
Lucy, the oldest hominid, whose remains were found in Ethiopia’s part of the Great Rift Valley in the place called HADAR, lived among her companions
Being huge, Ethiopa represents an amusing natural, cultural and historical diversity. Its favorable climatic conditions and landscape make Ethiopia the home of bird life and mammals. After the rains, it is decked with flowers and with more native plants than most countries in Africa.

Ethiopia’s awe-inspiring diversity is well represented in our tailor-made and package tours. There are options of an exciting adventure, off-road safaris, mobile camping, guided trekking as well as cultural. Prices range from budget to family, luxury and truly exotic vacation travel!
The country is endowed with peerless geological formations, varying from 116 meters below sea level that is the radiant sulfuric inferno. The Danakil Depression to the alpine peaks that rise to 4620 meters in the rugged Semien Mountains only the phenomenal Great Rift Valley cuts Ethiopia in two, forming a series of marvelous lakes, thriving with opulent in all life forms.

Health: Prior to entry, visitors should be in possession of a valid health certificate for yellow fever.
Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days prior to his/her arrival in Ethiopia. .
Timeless Ethiopia’s clients won’t be worried as our guides and drivers take in care of them while on tour. While camping we serve fresh and well cooked meals.

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Best Time To Visit: Ethiopia can be visited any time of the year as it provides you with 13 months of sunshine or any kind of weather you like. It depends on the region that you want to visit and/or the activities you want to engage in
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Food and Drinks: The food and drink of Ethiopia reflects the many different cultures. A typical dish is Wot, a hot spicy stew of meat or vegetables, seasoned with a blend of Berbere (chillie powder). It is made with Doro (chicken), and normally served with Injera, the traditional spongy pancake made from a fermented Teff flour batter.Ethiopia produces its own wines; Dukam and Gouder are fine reds, while Axumite is sweeter. Crystals is a dry white wine. The famous honey wine or Tej is found all over the country as is Tela, a local beer, and Katikala, distillated liquor.
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Religion: Christianity and Islam are the two main religions in Ethiopia making up 45% of the population each with other religions making up the rest. Most of the Christians belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. While visiting Churches- Shoes must be removed before entering the building. - One should never smoke anywhere near a church. - Only priests are allowed to step into the Holy of Holies where the ‘TABOT’- replica of the Ark of the Covenant is kept.
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Hotels: Addis Ababa has hotels that cater for all pockets, from the luxurious Sheraton and Hilton hotels to the tourist class hotels. Outside Addis, mainly in the ‘Historic Route’, good standard hotels are available. However, to visit the remote and the people of the wilderness, our camping equipments are of a high standard.
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Climate: there are two seasons: the dry season prevails from October through May; the wet season runs from June to September.
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Visa: Visa are required for all foreign visitors to Ethiopia. These can be secured from Ethiopian Diplomatic and consular missions abroad. In addition .Visitors from the countries listed below can obtain visa on arrival at Bole International Airport (Addis Ababa):
France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Rep.Korea,France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Rep.Korea kuwait, Luxemberg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States.
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Customs: Duty-free import are permitted for up to:
- 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars or 1/2 lb of tobacco
- 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
- 1/2 liter, or two bottles of perfumes
Visitors may export souvenirs with a value not exceeding Birr 500, although some articles (such as animal skins and antiques) require an export permit.
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Time: Ethiopia is in the GMT + 3 hours time zone.
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Ethiopian Calendar: Ethiopia still retains the Julian Calendar, in which the year is divided into 12 months of 30 days each, and a 13th month of five days and six days during the leap year. The Ethiopian Calendar is almost eight years behind the Gregorian calendar.
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Currency: The local currency is the Ethiopian Birr made up of 100 cents. Visitors may import an unlimited amount of foreign currency, providing declaration of such currency is made to customs on arrival.Foreign currency may be changed only at authorized banks and hotels. The currency declaration form must be retained, as this will be required by customs on departure. Visitors, however, will be able to change any excess Ethiopian Birr to foreign currency at the bank in the airport before departure.
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Topography: Ethiopia has an elevated central plateau varying in height between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. In the north and in the center of the country, there are some 25 mountains whose peaks rise over 4000 meters.
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Electric Supply: Ethiopia uses 220 volts 50 cycles AC.People; the population is estimated over 65 million, over 50 per cent are under 20 years old. The average number of inhabitants per square kilometer is 49.
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Language: Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with a great variety of languages spoken in the country, of which there are 83 with 200 dialects. The main three languages are Amharic (the national language of the country), Tigrigna and Oromigna. English is also widely spoken.

Ethiopia has seen human habitation for longer than almost anywhere else in the world; perhaps modern homo sapiens evolved there.

There is some confusion over the usage of the word Ethiopia in ancient times and the modern country. The ancient Greeks used the word (Αιθιοπία) to refer to the peoples living immediately to the south of ancient Egypt, specifically the area now known as Nubia; modern usage has transferred this name further south to the land and peoples known in the late 19th and early 20th century as Abyssinia. As a result, the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica states the connection between Egypt and Ethiopia is at least as early as the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt was very intimate, and beginning with Piye, a ruler of the Twenty-fifth dynasty, occasionally the two countries were under the same ruler; however, the capital of these two dynasties was in the north of modern Sudan, at Napata. It is now known that in ancient times the name Ethiopia was used to refer to the nation based in the upper Nile valley south of Egypt, also called Cush, which in the 4th century CE was invaded by the Axum from the highlands close to the Red sea. Reference to the Kingdom of Aksum in modern day Ethiopia as Ethiopia dates as far back as the first half of 4th century, however, when an inscription of Ezana in Ge’ez, South Arabian alphabet (in Ge’ez), and Greek translates Habashat (the source for “Abyssinia”) as “Aethiopia” in Greek. The first records of Ethiopia proper come from Egyptian traders from about 3000 BC, who refer to lands south of Nubia or Cush as Punt and Yam. The Ancient Egyptians were in possession of myrrh (found in Punt) as early as the First or Second Dynasties BC), which Richard Pankhurst interprets to indicate trade between the two countries extant from the beginning of Ancient Egypt’s beginnings. J.H. Breasted posits that this early trade relationship would have been realized through overland trade down the Nile and its tributaries (i.e. the Blue Nile and Atbara) rather than by sea. The first known voyage to Punt occurred in the 25th century BC under the reign of Pharaoh Sahure BC). The most famous expedition to Punt, however, comes during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut probably around 1495 BC, as the expedition was recorded in detailed reliefs on the temple of Deir el-Bahri at Thebes. The inscriptions depict a trading group bringing back myrrh trees, sacks of myrrh, elephant tusks, incense, gold, various fragmented wood, and exotic animals. Detailed information about these two nations is sparse, and there are many theories concerning their locations and the ethnic relationship of their peoples. The Egyptians sometimes called Punt land Ta-Netjeru, meaning “Land of the Gods,” and considered it their place of origin. from www.wikipedia.com