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Ethnicity

• Oromo 34.5%
• Amhara 26.9%
• Somali 6.2%
• Tigraway 6.1%
• Sidama 4%
• Gurage 2.5%
• Wolayta 2.3%
• Hadiya 1.7%
• Afar 1.7%

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Culture

Ethiopia is truly a Land of discovery - brilliant and beautiful, secretive, mysterious and extraordinary. Above all things, it is a country of great antiquity, with a culture and traditions dating back more than 3,000 years. Ethiopia, like many other African countries, is a multi-ethnic state. Many distinctions have been blurred by intermarriage over the years but many also remain. The differences may be observed in the number of languages spoken - an astonishing 83, falling into four main language groups: Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic and Nilo-Saharan. There are 200 different dialects. The principle Semitic language spoken in the north-western and central part of the country is Amharic, which is also the official language of the modern state. Other main languages are Tigrigna, Guraginya, Adarinya, Afan Oromo, Somalinya, Sidaminya, Afarinya, Gumuz, Berta and Anuak.

Religion

According to the CIA Factbook the religious demography of Ethiopia is as follows; Ethiopian Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.6%, traditional 2.6%, Catholic 0.7% other 0.7% (2007 Census).

Alphabet & Language

Ethiopian Alphabet: The Semitic languages of Ethiopia are related to both Hebrew and Arabic. The Ethiopian languages of this family are derived from Ge'ez, the language of the ancient Axumite Kingdom, which was also the language of the country's literature prior to the mid-nineteenth century, as well as part of most present-day church services. Ethiopia's Semitic languages are today spoken mainly in the north and centre of the country. The most important of them in the north is Tigrinya, which is used throughout the Tigray region. Amharic is the official language of the modern state, the language of administration, and the language of much modern Ethiopian literature.

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INTERESTING FACTS

1. Ethiopia is the only country in the world with 13 months.
2. In Ethiopia time is counted on the opposite side of the clock: 6 o’clock is said to be 12 o’clock, and at 16:00 Ethiopians say it is’ 10 o’clock.
3. Ethiopia is one of only two countries in the world that have never been occupied.
4. Ethiopia was the birthplace of Pan-Africanism.
5. Ethiopia is the homeland of coffee.
6. Archeological digs show that it was the valleys of Ethiopia that man came out of.
7. Traditionally, parents and children do not share a last name.
8. The word “Rastafari” comes from “Ras Teferi Meconen" the former name of Emperor Haile Selassie I.

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