10 EthioFacts By EthioKids TV: Facts About Ethiopia

There is so much to learn about Ethiopia.  It is one of the oldest countries in the world.  It can take years to learn all the facts about Ethiopia.  But a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

So what is the first step in learning about Ethiopia?  The first step is learning some basic facts about Ethiopia.  My kids created a great video on our EthioKids TV channel.  What better way to learn these facts than with a handsome narrator. Yep, my son.

Fact #1

Addis Ababa is the Capital

Let’s start with some of the most basic facts about Ethiopia.  Ethiopia is located in East Africa in what is called the Horn of Africa.  The capital is Addis Ababa which means new flower.  The population in Addis Ababa is over 2.7 million.  Which makes it the largest city in Ethiopia.

Also, Addis Ababa is known as the political capital of Africa.   The offices of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa are both located in Addis Ababa.

Can you believe that some people don’t think that there are big cities like this in Africa?

Fact #2

The Nile River Begins in Ethiopia

When people think of the Nile River, they usually think of Egypt.  However, one of the two tributaries that flows into the Nile River begins in Ethiopia.  The Blue Nile starts in the northern part of Ethiopia at Lake Tana and joins the White Nile in Sudan to form the Nile River.

Fact #3

Rock-Hewn Churches

One of the most impressive sites in Ethiopia is the 11 Rock-Hewn Churches in Lalibela.  King Lalibela set out to construct these churches which are all carved out of the rock.

The most famous Beta Giorgis is built in the shape of a cross.  It was chiseled down into the rock.  The doors, windows, floors, roofs, and columns are all dug out of one piece of rock.

Fact #4

One of the First Nations to Adopt Christianity

One of the facts about Ethiopia that I am most proud of is that Ethiopia is one of the first nations to accept Christianity.  In fact in Acts chapter 8, you read a story of how Phillip sees an Ethiopian man reading scripture and tells him about Jesus.  The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest forms of Christianity.

Also, the bible used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is different.  The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 46 books of the Old Testament and 35 books of the New Testament that will bring the total of canonized books of the Bible to 81.  In contrast, the English Bible has 66 books, 39 in the old testament and 27 in the new testament.

Fact #5

152 Animals and Plants Only in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has all kinds of animal species.  It has a lot of the ones you would normally associate with East Africa like the elephant, giraffe, cheetah, hippo, and the zebra.

But there are over 152 animals and plants that are only found in Ethiopia.  Like the Ethiopian Wolf, Gelada Baboon, and the Black Maned Lion.  In fact, the lion is the national animal of Ethiopia and was on the old flag of Ethiopia.

Ethiopians have learned to live together with these endangered animals, but it definitely is not easy.  Check out this video about Dereje and his life with the gelada baboons.  What a huge responsibility for a young boy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMya0eKDPlE

Fact #6

Oldest Independent Country in Africa

Ethiopia is the only country never to be taken over or colonized by a European country.  Even though the Italians and Libyans tried, they were not successful.

This painting shows the Battle of Adwa where the Ethiopian army defeated the Italian army.  This makes Ethiopia the oldest independent country in Africa.

Fact #7

Coffee is from Ethiopia

You can thank Ethiopia for your addiction to coffee.  One of the most commonly known facts about Ethiopia is that goat herders in the Kaffa region discovered coffee.

The story goes that a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed his goats became so hyper that they did not want to sleep at night.  It turned out that this only happened after eating the berries from a certain tree.  The people of Ethiopia then learned how to take these berries and make a fragrant drink.

If you want a laugh, check out this fact on our EthioKids TV 10 EthioFacts Video.  My little one was hilarious!

Fact #8

The Ethiopian Calendar

The Ethiopian calendar is very different from the American calendar.  First of all, the calendar has 13 months.  It has 12 months with 30 days each and the 13^th month has 5 or 6 days.  Also, the calendar is 7 years and 3 months behind the Gregorian calendar.  So that means if it is 2020 in the US, then it is 2013 in Ethiopia.

Fact #9

Earliest Use of Tools

Ethiopia has the oldest specimens of humans in the world.  Archaeologists found the earliest use of tools in Ethiopia.   Now that is one impressive fact about Ethiopia.

In addition, paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History unearthed the oldest skeleton ever in 1974.  The skeleton was nicknamed Lucy and is over 3.2 million years old.  Ethiopians call Lucy Dinkinesh which means “you are marvelous” in Amharic.  So you can say that Ethiopia is the origin region of humans.  See we are all Ethiopians!

Fact 10

Blue Volcanos

In the northern plains of Ethiopia, you can see a Blue Volcano.  Well, the volcano’s lava is the normal orange-red, but the lava looks blue because as the sulphuric acid burns it produces these beautiful blue flames. This is probably one of the most intereting facts about Ethiopia. That’s why I saved it for last.

Now you have taken your first ten steps in this long journey to learn about one of the most fascinating countries in the world.

What did you learn about Ethiopia?  What else do you want to know about this awesome country?  Leave me a comment.