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Ethiopia
Africa
One of the oldest nations in the world, Ethiopia is known for its history, coffee, and diverse cultures. It is landlocked and has the second-largest population in Africa.
126,000,000
Population
1,104,300
Area (km²)
Addis Ababa
Capital
39
Historical Events
Historical Timeline
Cities
39 Events
September 09, 2025 - GERD inaugurated amid tensions with Egypt and Sudan over Nile waters.
September 01, 2025 - ENDF-Fano clashes near Awlala and Kumer refugee camps endanger Sudanese refugees.
August 26, 2025 - Renowned artist Debebe Eshetu dies at 81.
August 05, 2025 - Ethiopia-Eritrea rivalry escalates with border fortifications and rhetoric over Red Sea access.
July 31, 2025 - Health workers document mass rapes and sexual violence in Tigray by ENDF and Eritrean forces, alleging crimes against humanity.
July 15, 2025 - MSF reports ENDF targeted killings of staff; 82 IS suspects arrested nationwide.
July 03, 2025 - Prime Minister Abiy declares Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) complete.
June 23, 2025 - Ethiopia-Eritrea border reopens after three years, signaling reconciliation.
May 16, 2025 - Tigray interim administration ban threatens Pretoria peace deal.
May 14, 2025 - $1.7B minerals and energy deals signed, mostly with Chinese firms, boosting foreign investment.
March 22, 2025 - ENDF claims to kill 300 Fano fighters in Amhara clashes.
March 20, 2025 - Armed men abduct dozens from bus in Oromia; new tax introduced after USAID funding pause.
March 17, 2025 - Cholera outbreak kills 31 nationwide, with MSF warning of rapid spread.
March 13, 2025 - Fears of Tigray conflict renewal as rival forces seize mayor's office in key town; TPLF regains control of Mekelle and Ad Gudan.
February 14, 2025 - 6.0-magnitude earthquake strikes central Ethiopia, causing minor damage but raising infrastructure concerns.
February 08, 2025 - IMF Managing Director visits for talks on macroeconomic stability.
January 11, 2025 - Somali President visits Addis Ababa amid strained ties over Somaliland deal.
January 10, 2025 - Ethiopian Securities Exchange launches, aiming to liberalize economy amid reforms.
January 03, 2025 - Erta Ale volcano eruption risk prompts evacuations in Afar region.
December 28, 2024 - ENDF closes Somaliland border amid Somali region fighting, heightening secessionist tensions.
December 01, 2024 - Oromia government signs peace deal with OLA splinter faction, mediated by regional authorities.
September 05, 2024 - Government releases seven senior Oromo opposition figures after four years of arbitrary detention.
September 01, 2024 - ENDF clashes with Fano near Sudanese refugee camps in Amhara risk civilian lives.
August 06, 2024 - Another landslide in southern Ethiopia kills 13, evacuates 300, highlighting climate vulnerabilities.
July 30, 2024 - Birr devalues 30% under IMF-backed reforms; World Bank approves $1.5B budget support, UAE swaps $817M.
July 23, 2024 - Landslides in Gofa zone kill 257, displacing thousands and exacerbating humanitarian needs.
April 10, 2024 - Prominent OLF critic Bate Urgessa murdered in Oromia; 13 arrested, including his brother, sparking international outcry.
February 19, 2024 - Drone strike on civilian truck in Amhara kills at least 30, amid escalating Fano-ENDF clashes.
February 02, 2024 - Parliament extends Amhara state of emergency by four months, enabling mass arrests and restrictions.
January 29, 2024 - ENDF summarily executes dozens of civilians in Merawi, Amhara, in one of the deadliest war crimes since the conflict's start.
January 02, 2024 - Somalia condemns Ethiopia's MoU with Somaliland for Red Sea port access as an "act of aggression," prompting diplomatic crisis and troop mobilizations.
December 31, 2023 - Amhara conflict intensifies with ENDF operations against Fano; OLA insurgency continues in Oromia; post-Tigray war recovery stalls amid 2,624 civilian deaths from targeted violence.
August 01, 2023 - Southern African Development Community (SADC) holds security summit in Luanda to address Ethiopia's unrest, urging reforms.
May 06, 2023 - Afar Prosperity Party official Umer Lema assassinated, further straining political stability in eastern regions.
April 27, 2023 - Assassination of Girma Yeshitela, head of the Prosperity Party in Amhara, blamed on ethnic rivalries, escalates regional violence.
April 02, 2023 - Protests erupt in Amhara region over federal plan to disband regional special forces, leading to clashes with Fano militia and a state of emergency declaration.
March 22, 2023 - Government removes terrorist designation from Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), a key step in post-war reconciliation.
February 04, 2023 - Three killed in attacks on Ethiopian Orthodox churches, highlighting religious and security vulnerabilities.
January 11, 2023 - Oromo Special Forces kill 15 Amhara IDPs and civilians in Haro Kebele, Oromia region, amid ethnic tensions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ethiopia
100 Questions
Ethiopia is in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Sudan.
The capital is Addis Ababa, also the headquarters of the African Union.
Around 125 million people as of 2025, making it Africa’s second-most populous country.
Amharic is the official working language, but over 80 languages are spoken, including Oromo, Tigrinya, and Somali.
Varied: tropical in lowlands, temperate in highlands, and arid in the east.
The Ethiopian birr (ETB).
Green, yellow, and red horizontal stripes with a blue circle and yellow star in the center.
Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Mekelle, Gondar, Bahir Dar, and Hawassa.
Ethiopia was never colonized, except for a brief Italian occupation (1936–1941).
Emperor of Ethiopia (1930–1974), seen as a symbol of African independence and revered in Rastafarianism.
Abiy Ahmed (as of 2025).
A federal parliamentary republic.
Oromo, Amhara, Somali, Tigrayan, Sidama, and many smaller groups.
Christianity (Ethiopian Orthodox, Protestant, Catholic), followed by Islam and traditional beliefs.
Around $160 billion in 2025 estimates.
About $1,300.
Around 52%.
About 66 years.
Around 4.1 children per woman.
About 65%.
Coffee, gold, oilseeds, khat, and livestock.
Machinery, fuel, chemicals, and food.
Gold, platinum, potash, natural gas, and fertile land.
Coffee originated in Ethiopia’s Kaffa region.
A massive dam on the Blue Nile, one of Africa’s largest infrastructure projects.
The Blue Nile, originating in Ethiopia, supplies most of the Nile’s waters.
Ras Dashen (4,550 m), part of the Simien Mountains.
Danakil Depression (about -125 m), one of the hottest places on Earth.
Injera (sourdough flatbread) with stews (wot).
A spicy chicken stew, often served during holidays.
Minced raw beef seasoned with spices.
A traditional ritual of roasting, brewing, and sharing coffee.
Coffee, tej (honey wine), tella (home-brewed beer), and milk.
Long-distance running, football, and basketball.
Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba, and Abebe Bikila.
Yes, with major success in athletics, especially long-distance running.
Ethio-jazz, traditional folk, and modern pop.
The creator of Ethio-jazz, blending Ethiopian scales with jazz.
Krar (lyre), masenqo (fiddle), washint (flute), and drums.
Eskista (shoulder dance), Oromo dances, and Tigrayan cultural dances.
Habesha kemis (white cotton dress with embroidery) and shamma wraps.
They are central in farming, markets, and family, though inequality persists.
Around 44%.
Around 59%.
High, especially among youth and urban residents.
Around 65%.
Teff, wheat, maize, coffee, sorghum, and barley.
Cattle, sheep, goats, and camels.
High, often in double digits.
Addis Ababa University and regional universities across the country.
Improving but under strain, especially in rural areas.
Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, and waterborne diseases.
High but declining due to better healthcare.
Also high but showing improvement.
“March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia.”
“Victory is Ours.”
The lion (often the Abyssinian lion).
The Abyssinian catbird (unofficial) and secretary bird.
The meskel daisy.
Lalibela churches, Aksum, Simien Mountains, Harar Jugol, and Konso landscape.
A city with 12th-century rock-hewn churches.
Ancient capital of the Aksumite Empire, known for obelisks.
An ancient Islamic walled city with hundreds of mosques.
A UNESCO site with dramatic peaks and wildlife like gelada baboons.
Host of AU headquarters, central in African diplomacy.
Active peacekeeping contributor.
One of the world’s oldest monarchies, lasting until 1974.
A Marxist military junta that ruled from 1974–1991.
Leader of the Derg, infamous for the Red Terror.
A conflict from the 1970s–1991 that ended the Derg regime.
A 30-year war that led to Eritrea’s independence in 1993.
A conflict (2020–2022) between the Ethiopian government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Ethnic federalism, with regions organized by ethnicity.
Frequent ethnic conflicts and calls for autonomy.
Declining but still above replacement.
Around 23%, one of the lowest in Africa.
Mostly farmers relying on rain-fed agriculture.
Hydropower, biomass, and some wind and solar.
Very high, especially hydropower and geothermal.
Inflation, poverty, and dependence on rain-fed farming.
Balancing ethnic divisions and democratic reforms.
Higher than adults, around 65–70%.
Around $1,300 annually.
Rapid, adding millions each year.
Coffee ceremonies, music, and religious festivals.
It dominates cultural and national identity in much of Ethiopia.
Strong presence, especially in Harar and Somali regions.
It reveres Haile Selassie, with roots in Jamaica but spiritual ties to Ethiopia.
An Ethiopian Orthodox festival celebrating the finding of the True Cross.
The Epiphany festival, with large processions and baptisms.
Gelada baboons, Ethiopian wolf, Walia ibex, and lions.
Simien Mountains, Bale Mountains, and Omo National Parks.
Home to the rare Ethiopian wolf.
Its diverse tribes and unique cultural heritage.
Weaving, basketry, pottery, and jewelry.
It is the largest export and central to culture.
High and persistent.
Low enrollment in rural areas and shortages of teachers.
Potentially bright if peace holds and economic reforms succeed.
It is Africa’s oldest independent state, the AU’s diplomatic hub, and a cultural and historical powerhouse.