Ethiopia is characterized by a variety of natural and cultural conditions, so every excursion leaves a lot of impressions. The climatic conditions and topography of this country allowed it to become a real paradise for many animals and plants. Valleys and hills, after the rains, are covered with unprecedented colors, creating amazingly beautiful landscapes. Any tourist will find entertainment to their liking here. It can be an exciting jeep safari, an overnight stay in tents in the open air, or excursions to the northern part of Ethiopia, with its rich history and architecture, which goes back to the 4th century. In the south, you can get a closer look at the life of African tribes, whose clothes, dwellings and customs have not changed at all for a thousand years.
Geography of Ethiopia
According to extrareference, the Republic of Ethiopia is located in Northeast Africa. In the southwest it borders with Kenya, in the northeast with such small African states as Djibouti and Eritria, in the east with Somalia, and in the west with Sudan. The main part of the territory of the republic is occupied by the Ethiopian highlands, the relief here is mountainous.
Capital
Addis Ababa
Area
Ethiopia has an area of 1,104,300 km. sq., occupies the 27th place in the world by area.
Population
85 237 000
Currency
The official currency is the Ethiopian birr (ETB).
Language
The official language is Amharic.
Weather in Ethiopia
The climate in the country is predominantly subequatorial, hot. Ethiopia is home to the hottest place on earth, the Afar Basin. The minimum average temperature here is +25 C, and the maximum is +35 C, however, in most of the country, the average annual temperature is in the range of +15 C + 26 C. In mountainous areas, frosts are possible at night. The rainy season is from June to September, and the dry season is from September to February. The amount of precipitation increases from the flat part of the country to the mountainous regions from 250 mm to 1500 mm. Traveling around the country is best after the end of the rainy season, in October-March.
Transport
The country has almost all types of public transport except sea. However, the natural conditions and the local landscape have affected the fact that the railway transport is very poorly developed, in Ethiopia there is only one railway line in Djibouti. Also in the country there is an acute problem with roads, there are more or less good asphalt roads only in the center of the country. In major cities, taxis are most popular, and in Addis Ababa there is a special taxi for tourists, such taxis are yellow. Unlike ordinary city taxis, tourist taxi drivers are licensed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Tourism, speak English and show you around the main attractions. Such taxis can be rented for the whole day for trips outside the city, it will cost you 50-80 dollars, depending on the distance.
Currency exchange in Ethiopia
As of October 2011, the national currency rate is 1 USD = 17.1 ETB. The official currency is the Ethiopian Birr. You can change currency in Ethiopia at banks and some hotels, but you can only change US dollars and euros. Credit cards are practically not accepted anywhere, only in some foreign airlines. Government hotels accept any currency as payment. It is more preferable to have dollars with you than euros, since euros are often exchanged only in banks.
Electricity
220V/50Hz (sockets type L, D and J).
Religion
Due to the irregular census, accurate information on the religious preferences of the population is not available. Ethiopia is the only Christian country on the “black continent”, 60% of the inhabitants are Christians, about 30% of the population profess Islam, 5% are Catholics, and about 10% are representatives of traditional African beliefs.
Security
In general, Ethiopia is a fairly safe country, but there are still regions where government control is minimal, and being in such areas is not safe. Cases of robberies and fraud are frequent in the regions bordering with Kenya and Sudan, making night trips to these places is not advisable. Recently, in large cities, and in particular in Addis Ababa, such schemes of pickpocketing have become common: tourists are surrounded by several people, distracted by a push or shout, and another person, taking advantage of the tourist’s inattention, pulls valuables out of his pockets, and this happens in a few seconds.
Health
In Ethiopia, the level of medicine is one of the lowest in the world, and this despite the fact that in the 90s there were innovations and developments in the medical sector.
