Ethiopia: Most World Heritage Sites in Africa

According to the UNESCO World Heritage list, Ethiopia has the biggest number of world heritage sites in Africa. With a total of nine natural and cultural heritage sites the country tops the list.

Ethiopia and Morocco are first and second, respectively, among African countries on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Although they both have nine world heritage sites each, Ethiopia has been ranked higher because of two main reasons.

The first is that Morocco has been grouped in the "Arab States" geographic zone as opposed to Ethiopia being in the "Africa" zone.

The second, and more important, reason is that while all of Morocco's 9 sites are classified as cultural heritage sites, Ethiopia has 8 cultural and 1 natural heritage sites which allows for a higher ranking.

 Trivia: Ethiopia not only has the highest number of world heritage sites on the African continent, but one of the sites, the Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, was one of the first sites that were chosen as a heritage site for the African continent at the list's conception. In 1978 the churches along with Senegal's Island of Goree were the first to be put on the list.

 Trivia: Among Ethiopia's sites on the list of World Heritage Sites, UNESCO has made attempts to increase the awareness of the importance of the African human origin sites in Ethiopia. The aim is to conserve and protect the areas from deteriorating.

The full list of Ethiopia's natural and cultural heritage sites on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list (by year of inscription):

The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela (1978)

Located in Lalibela, a town in the Amhara Region, the site is home to 11 medieval cave churches that were built in the 13^th century.

Trivia: Built during the reign of King Lalibela it was intended to create a new Jerusalem after the capture of the original Jerusalem in 1187 - hence Lalibela also being known as "New Jerusalem". The plan appeared to the saint king in his dreams.

 

Simien Mountains National Park (1978)

The only natural heritage site in Ethiopia is also located in the Amhara Region of the country. The territory of the park encloses the Simien Mountains range that includes Ethiopia's highest - Mount Ras Dashen.

The park is home to a multitude of endangered species. Among them are the Ethiopian Wolf (also known as the Red Jackal), the walia ibex, the gelada baboon - all which are endemic to Ethiopia - and the caracal.

At the moment, this natural heritage site is the only one of the Ethiopian natural or cultural heritage sites that is also on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.

Trivia: The Simien Mountains National Park was established in 1969 by Clive Nicol who wrote about his experiences in his book From the Roof of Africa.

 

Fasil Ghebbi (1979)

Fasil Ghebbi is a fortress and castle that is located in Gondar, a city in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It was built by Emperor Fasiledes who ruled Ethiopia from 1632 to 1667.

Covering an area of 70,000 Sq. m. Fasil Ghebbi also has many structures in its enclosure. It has palaces, churches and monasteries and even a market place. The first person to observe that "dotted among the palaces are what remains of the pavilions and kiosks of the imperial city" was Thomas Pakenham (Author of The Mountains of Rasselas: Ethiopian Adventure) who visited Fasil Ghebbi in the late 1950's.

Trivia: The city has a mixture of building styles from Arab, Hindu to the Baroque style that was brought by Jesuit missionaries.

 

Axum (1980)

Axum is a city that is located in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is the site of royal tombs, ruins of castles and, most importantly, stelae and obelisks that date from the 1^st to the 13^th centuries that were built during the time of the ancient Axum Empire - one that was said to have given birth to the a state that was the most powerful one between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia.

Trivia: Axumites traded with ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Asians. They had fleets that sailed as far Ceylon (Sri Lanka).

 

Lower Valley of the Awash (1980)

The Lower Valley of the Awash can be considered the exact location of where mankind was born. Located in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, it is the place where the approximately 3.2 million years old Lucy (Australopithecus) was discovered in 1974.

A place that has yet to yield all of its secrets was to also be the place where Ardi (Ardipithecus ramidus), a fossil that was 4.4 million years old (1.2 million years older than Lucy), would be found in 1994. In 2000 Selam (Austrolopithecus afarensis) or "Lucy's baby" (despite the fact that she dies about 120,000 years before her) would be discovered.

Trivia: Lucy, mankind's earliest fossil, was given the name because after discovering her Donald Johanson and his crew were celebrating in camp and were listening to "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - a popular Beatles song.

 

Lower Valley of the Omo (1980)

This cultural heritage site is located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in the southern part of Ethiopia. It is the location of many fossil findings, the most famous of them being Homo gracilis.

On the banks of the Omo River archeologists have found fossil fragments like the important finding of the now extinct Australopithecus man and Olduwan hominids of the early Pleistocene era.

Trivia: The Omo region is the yardstick by against which all other ancient deposits in East Africa are measured by. Evidence was researched for the site to establish bio-stratigraphical, radiometric and magneto-stratigraphical scales spanning between one and 3.5 million years.

 

Tiya (1980)

Another cultural heritage site in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region Tiya is also an archeological site. The site contains 36 monuments (including 32 carved stelae that, as of date, are covered with symbols that have not been decrypted). It is assumed that the stelae are of funerary significance because there are tombs scattered around the stelae.

Trivia: The site is from an age of ancient Ethiopian culture that is yet to be precisely determined.

Harar Jugol (2006)

Harar Jugol is a fortified historic town that is found in the Harari Region of Ethiopia that was founded by Arab immigrants from Yemen in the 7^th century. The city is encircled by a wall. It encompasses 102 shrines and 82 mosques making it considered to be the fourth-holiest city of Islam. Some of the mosques date back to the 10^th century.

Trivia: When the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway was being built it was intended to run through Harar. But because of geographical and financial constraints the line had to be diverted away and the city of Dire Dawa was born in 1902. It is sometimes known as "New Harar".

 

Konso Cultural Landscape (2011)

The Konso Cultural Landscape, found in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, is a cultural site that features 55 kilometers of stonewalled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands of Ethiopia.

The fortified settlements constitute of a spectacular example of living in a cultural tradition that stretches back 21 generations (more than 400 years). The whole area demonstrates the shared values, social cohesion and engineering knowledge of the people.

It also the ingenuity of mankind and how he can not only survive but also thrive in a hostile (dry and rocky) environment.

Trivia: The terraces are used to not only retain the maximum amount of water needed but to also discharge the excess - all this while protecting the soil from erosion.

Sources: UNESCO and Wikipedia

Allround Automations Developer Challenge in Oracle Magazine – Ethiopia not Included

One of the joys of reading Oracle Magazine, apart from its purely informative value, is that every once in a while you get  a chance to enter in a competition where you stand to win a prize. In the January/February 2013 issue of the magazine (page 3), there happened to be a challenge: “Use Your Programmers Point of View” where you were supposed to extract PL/SQL script from a jumble of characters. The answer code that comes after running the script is then entered into another website.

The Allround Automations challenge in Oracle Magazine

The answer code to the Allround Automations challenge in Oracle Magazine

It is only then that the contestant will be able to find out whether or not they are eligible to enter the contest. And the chances for challengers entering the challenge from anywhere in Africa are further cut down: the only countries eligible are Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon and South Africa.

Only 4 countries out of Africa

This begs the question: “Why?”

Well, the most probable answer would be:

1 – The rest of Africa isn’t considered to be too big of a market for the PL/SQL market. In these times of austerities it seems a good idea to try and tap these markets and ensure first penetration and conquering of the vast market potential. Africa is really skipping a step via the IT revolution that is spreading across the continent – those that aren’t willing to take advantage of it (both providers and users of technology) are in for a DARK surprise.

2 – Logistics are unavailable and Oracle/Allround Automations can’t ship the prizes - 50% discount on PL/SQL Developer, a new iPad or an ASUS TF700. While one can understand the problems that are created by having the hardware shipped the same excuse cannot be valid for the discount on the software.

3 - A third reason may be that the big guns perhaps think that there isn't anyone in Africa that can answer the challenge - in other words, underestimating the technical know-how (which is, admittedly, the main reason for this post). The vast untapped technical knowledge in Africa needs to be discovered and put to proper use. This means that we should all do our best to show our potential.

That having been said, international software companies need to make sure Africa gets the recognition it deserves. In Ethiopia, Oracle usage is rapidly growing. The most respected companies in the country run their systems on or using one form or another (whether in the fore- or background) of the company’s software or applications.

Hopefully, this will change soon.

We Are All From Addis Ababa Ethiopia ... and Other Amazing Facts

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is a destination that many would flock to if they only knew how much of a pearl of a city it is.

Faces of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

To look at it today, one can’t help but imagine how people even survived just as recently as ten years ago. Roads that were just patches of asphalt every few meters have become 8 –lane highways (Bole to Megenagna is a good example. Anyone that can remember that thin, puny asphalt road will know what I am talking about. Another example is the 22 Mazoria to Bole Holy Savior of the World Church where cars passed one another so closely one could actually hear, and partake in, conversations in the other car.) Today, the great Bole Road, Addis Ababa’s equivalent to the “Main Street” of many metropolitan cities around the world, is being plowed again to make more room for more traffic, to embrace a new flyover and to even be the launching ground for Ethiopia’s first ever metro service.

Bole Road under construction

One other thing about Addis Ababa that is changing rapidly is the skyline. I personally remember when we used to make appointments to meet friends near some “addisu hintsa” or “new building”. Today, it would make no sense as there is a new building going up at almost every 300 meter intervals.

But, as this city slowly wakes up from a slumber of a hundred years, there are some amazing facts about Addis that few people realize. Below are just a handful that I have been able to find out doing some basic research, and hope that others will add to it too.

·         We are all from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: While most people might have read about Lucy and Selam (mentioned below), a little known fact is that Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the capital city itself, could actually be the point of origin of the human species. The whole world was convinced that since most of the fossils and skeletons were found in the Afar region the origin of mankind too was somewhere in the northeast of Ethiopia.

But, recent studies in DNA¹ have actually shown that mankind in fact came from somewhere a little more southern than there, somewhere around Addis Ababa². In one study DNA taken from approximately 1,000 people showed that as one went further away from the city, the genetic variety declined rapidly and thus also enabled a drawing of the map that shows how man migrated out of Africa.

·         Home to Lucy and Selam and MORE: Everyone knows or has heard about the fact that Ethiopia is the birthplace of mankind. Skeletons have been, and continue to be, found in the Afar region of Ethiopia and all the way south of the country along the East African Rift Valley. The skeletons of Lucy (Australopithecus afarensis) discovered in 1974 and estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago and her “daughter” Selam (also Australopithecus afarensis) who had died at just three years old, but also lived 3.3 million years ago (approximately 500,000 years before Lucy) were discovered in Ethiopia and can be seen on display at the National Museum in Addis Ababa.

A reconstruction of Selam (an Australopithecus afarensis child)

·         The highest city in Africa: Addis Ababa Ethiopia, lies at a height of 2,300 meters above sea level. Although the city has now spread vastly, its lowest point, around Bole International Airport is at 2326 meters above sea level while its highest point is the Entoto Mountain, at 3,000 meters the birthplace of the city when Empress Etegue Taitu Bitul chose the spot for her husband Emperor Menilik II in 1886.

·         The First Royal Hotel: As mentioned above, Empress Taitu was the main reason that Addis Ababa was able to become the capital city of Ethiopia. Before 1906 there was no such thing as a hotel in Ethiopia. It was considered a shameful act to accept money from a person that had dined at ones table, let alone to make a business of it.

Itegue Taitu Hotel, Addis Ababa

But that didn’t stop the Empress from going ahead, sharing her husband’s love for modernization, and opening the first hotel owned by an African empress, “The Etegue Taitu Hotel” in 1906. When she couldn’t find any clients to come and dine at her hotel, the wise Empress convinced the emperor to make it a point to bring back his ministers for refreshing meals and drinks after meetings and pay their tab. In Ethiopian custom, when one has settled a tab inviting someone else, the invitee will take offence if he doesn’t take care of the bill the next time round. Thus, the business took off when the ministers started bending backwards to have the honor of paying for the emperor and then for their peers. Once the general population saw that going into hotels was “ok-ed”  by the royals and the ministers the custom of going into hotels became more acceptable.

The hotel is still open to customers today and is doing a thriving business.

·         The Capital of Africa: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is known as the capital of Africa. This is due to the large number of embassies and global delegations that are present in the city. It is also home to Africa’s largest governing body the African Union (AU) and the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). This has made the city a place where people from different races, religions and backgrounds rub shoulders without an eyebrow being raised.

African Union HQ Addis Ababa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

·         Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital: This hospital is the only one in the world that is dedicated to the care of women that are affected by this illness. Established in 1974, by a New Zealand and Australian obstetrician/gynecologist couple Drs. Reginald and Catherine Hamlin, the hospital still saves women from the pain, shame and ostracization and has an impressive 90% success rate.  
  

Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, Ethiopia

·         Home to the Federation of African Societies of Chemistry (FASC): This federation was established and is headquartered, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2006 to enable the concentration of all the African knowledge and talent in the field of chemistry and finding a way to use it to help in the development of continent.

·         Home to the Largest Open Air Market: They say that no one will come back empty-handed from Merkato, the largest open air market in Africa. Everything from secondhand nails and bolts to spare parts for the largest machineries can be found there. I am yet to find a person who knows more than just a few pockets of this huge maze in the capital city.

Girls in a typical Merkato spices shop, Addis Ababa Ethiopia

As the city continues I’m sure there will be more “firsts” and other amazing facts to add to this list. Any new comments or recommendations are very welcome.





Sources:

1 - Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022102739.html?hpid=moreheadlines

2 - Star Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/world/15860017.html


Pictures courtesy of:


Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital: http://hamlinfistula.org

Addis Ababa Online: http://addisababaonline.com

Wikipedia: http://www.wikipedia.com

eLance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Finding a Job That Requires No Work

One of the best jobs that any person, Ethiopian or otherwise, can wish for is one that allows the employee an opportunity to do what he or she loves to do. In fact, someone once said something to the tune of: "Find a job that you love to do and you won’t have to work a single day". The joy of being able to do exactly what one wants to do is today coined as "freelancing".

As if working as a freelancer, whether full- or part-time wasn’t enough, being able to do it online – from the comfort of your home, can only add to the pleasure of making money. In a world where jobs are getting scarcer by the minute, being able to work from home and in Ethiopia, indeed Africa, comes with a couple of advantages:

1 – Only an Ethiopian can describe about the complex cultures and traditions that Ethiopians have; as the same applies to each African about his or her country’s culture or traditions. It is only today that website owners are turning to the last frontier in the online domains: Africa (So, what else is new?). And as the owners look towards genuine content for their websites, they are turning to Ethiopian and African bloggers, writers and researchers that can give them content that is as genuine, original and unique as possible.

2 – One advantage any developing country has over the rest of the developed world is the fact that the exchange rates of major currencies (USD and Euro especially) works towards their advantage. At the time of the writing of this article, 1 USD had the exchange rate of approximately 17 Ethiopian Birr. Anyone can do the math.

It is with this in mind that good news is being heard around Addis Ababa. A workshop on freelancing is being planned to be held in Addis Ababa one how to work on one of the world’s most popular freelancing websites: eLance (elance.com). Organized by Pat Walsh, of Sky Business Centers and Diaryplan.com who is also an Irish eLance.com provider and buyer, this two-day workshop will enable Ethiopians, and any other interested expats to be able to grasp the wonderful world of opportunities that online freelancing can open to people that would love to work in almost any profession that can be done online. Writers, IT developers and administrators, researchers and just about anybody that can access the internet and use the basics of Microsoft Office can have a chance at pocketing an extra income.

So, what’s the catch? Well, there aren’t any. It’s absolutely free and all you need to do is fill up a simple form and you’re home free. Attendance of both days (09:00 – 12:00) of the workshop is mandatory, if you do not think you will be able to attend both days then please, do not waste the opportunity for others that would love to be in your seat.

If you, or anyone you know, are interested in attending this eLance workshop here in Addis Ababa, then please contact DeepEthiopian with more information. Registration date is until 09^th November, 2011. Also, as the number of seats is limited, please make sure you hurry as admittance is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Launch your online career today!

Moving To Ethiopia - There is food and water!

Are you moving to Ethiopia? Then congratulations, you are embarking on the adventure of a life time. This is going to be the beginning of the stories you will be telling your grandchildren over and over again. This is a land of fairy tales that actually happened.

About Ethiopia

Ethiopia is located in the Eastern part of Africa, more commonly called the ‘Horn of Africa’ because it looks like Africa has a jutting, rhino-like horn. Ethiopia shares its borders with The Sudan (soon to be split into North and South Sudan) in the west, Kenya in the south, Somalia in the east, Djibouti in the northeast and Eritrea in the north.

What You Will Need

The first thing that pops into first time visitors or people that are planning on moving to Ethiopia is that there is no food. Some even go so far as to ask whether they should bring their own supplies of canned food and bottled water. Well, as amusing as it seems the answer is still a big resounding ‘No!’  

There is food in Ethiopia. No, seriously! There IS food in Ethiopia. Food, whether traditional or foreign, is served in the overflowing number of restaurants that are all over the city of Addis Ababa. There even international restaurants like Indian, Thai and Korean. There are restaurants that exhibit dishes from all over the world by actually inviting chefs from the respective countries. If you don’t want to eat out, there are supermarkets (Friendship Supermarket is recommended), butchers, vegetable and fruit vendors all over the city.

The same thing goes for watered bottle. There are over five well-known brands of bottled water that are known for their brands and quality. The tap water is can be used for drinking – just buy a $10 water purifying jug and you’re set.

Getting Here

The best way to get to Addis Ababa is to jump on the first available flight. The national carrier Ethiopian Airlines is one of the best airlines in the world and covers around 60 destinations worldwide – this would be the best way to go.

While Ethiopia is known for its ‘13 months of sunshine’ – a slogan for the National Tour Operator, making note of the fact that Ethiopia follows the Julian Calendar and has 13 months – there are two main seasons: from September to May it is mainly dry with some months cold and others hot. And from June to August is the rainy season. Therefore most visitors to Ethiopia would enjoy their move to Ethiopia much more if they didn’t have the rain and mud to dim their views of their new home.

Finding Accommodation

Addis Ababa is a city full of hotels, guesthouses and rooms or houses for rent. From the luxury of the Sheraton to the guesthouses around 22 Mazoria, there are places that can meet each and every single person’s budget. The easiest thing to do would be to search online for hotels. If that doesn’t work out the next thing to do would be to try and contact someone already in Ethiopia to look for a place and/or make a reservation. There are websites that cater to real estate, but the prices listed there are a bit too far -fetched and do not leave any room for bargaining – a must in the Ethiopian market.

Life in Addis

Addis Ababans are usually a relaxed lot. There just is no rush. People can actually sit at a café and sip the same cup of coffee or macchiato for over an hour. After hours the most crowded places are cafes and pubs. Walking along the city’s main road, Bole Road, can prove to be a little difficult once the population hits the streets – but it is a refreshing experience. It is the chance to look at cross-section of the Ethiopian society. The yuppies, the expats, the migrants … everyone can be seen on that single road.

Nightlife in Addis Ababa is truly amazing. When the whole city gears up to party nothing can get in the way! This is especially noticeable on Fridays and eves of holidays. The greatest party the whole city had was on the eve of the New Ethiopian Millennium (Ethiopia has a different calendar – the Julian calendar).  Everyone starts heading to his or her favorite waterhole at around 18:00. After a couple of hours getting in the mood, it is off the nightclubs around Addis. The rest, let’s just say, is ecstatic.

Night Life in Addis Ababa

If there is anything to add under this topic it is the fact that Addis Ababa is a city that is growing by leaps and bounds. And as the city grows, so too does the number of night clubs. For any person living in Ethiopia or just coming for a short visit, the best bet would be to find a taxi driver that has been driving for a year or too. They are the best guides to the nightlife in Addis Ababa as people tend to hire them to take them to and from the clubs or even as they go bar hopping. So if you are thinking of having a great night, hire one of the small Lada taxis for the night and just let your driver worry about it all.

Finally, because nightclubs in Addis Ababa keeping opening, closing or moving their premises around the city it would need a dedicated blog to keep track of them.

Mixing With the People

Ethiopians like mixing with foreigners. And unlike most of Africa, there are no colonial hang-ups that create uncomfortable vibes between a foreigner and a local. For the most part what foreigners find a little bit annoying is the shooing off of beggars. It could get a little more annoying when travelling out of the city, like the historical places of Axum and Lalibela, or on the way to the many resorts in the south of the country, like Langano. But, the trick to getting out of it is to simply shake your head as you keep repeating ‘No’, and keep walking. They tend to give up after a few paces.

Places To Avoid

It may seem quite unbelievable, but there is nothing that needs to be avoided in Addis Ababa. You just have to be prepared for it. For example, Merkato is Africa’s biggest open air market. With patience and tenacity, it is said you can find anything you want. But there’s one problem, it is VERY crowded. On shopping days, you could be walking in the middle of a crowd for stretches of time without even being able to see the road or your feet. It is THAT crowded. Now in a place like that, you would expect some mischief to happen. There are pickpockets and purse snatchers. So, if you really want to enjoy the experience go dressed for it. Wear jeans, sneakers that you wouldn’t mind being trod on … and get right into it. But apart from these places, you wouldn’t find any place per se where you need to avoid. So put on your walking shoes and start a’walking.

Other cares that you might need to take would be locking doors to cars and homes when leaving them unattended. If you drive to a place and you see kids playing around the streets call one (only one – dealing is better with one kid than the whole bunch, let them figure out a way to split the money) of the over and say you will give him a couple of bucks to keep an eye on your car. If you come back three hours later, you will still find him there.

Places To Visit

The whole city is a place to visit. Like when going to nightclubs, you might also want to hire a taxi driver for your daily jaunts across the city – at least until you can figure your way around. As for places of interest, any guide book or a simple search on Google can show where you should be and at what time.

Expats and You

Being the center for many international organizations and the home of many embassies from all over the world, Addis Ababa is blessed with a thriving expat community. So, any worries that you might miss speaking your language with your countryman can be allayed. There are hangouts that the expats prefer and to get the inside information all you’d need to do is stop one in the street and ask him or her which is what and where it is – that’s all.

Finally – Closing

If you are planning on moving to Ethiopia, do not change your mind, feel anxious or even think of changing your mind because of what you had seen in on TV in 1970’s. Those images do not exist in Ethiopia anymore – all that cannot be said about the archives of the BBC, which looks for excuses to show it at every possible mention of the word ‘Ethiopia’.

You will find ample food, peace and love and relaxing environment. 

So, welcome to Addis Ababa!

Interesting Facts about Ethiopia – Trivia on the Firsts and the Greatest

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Ethiopia is a country that is truly fascinating. Facts about Ethiopia or just mere trivia on the country are a pleasure and sometimes even amazing to read about. Who knew?

      -          Ethiopia is the only African country with its own alphabet.  

      -          Ethiopia is the only country in the world with 13 months.

      -          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’.

      -          Ethiopia is one of only two countries in the world that have never been occupied. (The other one is Russia, in case you are asked). It managed to stay free by defeating the Italians … twice!

     -        Although Ethiopia was the first African state to join the League of Nations, it soon became apparent that ‘collective security’ would not be given to an African nation even after atrocities of ethnic cleansing and mass murders were evident after Italy invaded – everyone turned a blind eye and a deaf ear.

-           Ethiopia was the birthplace of Pan-Africanism. The belief that Africa should unite and be the master of its own destiny was hailed by Emperor Hailesellasie I. It eventually led to the birth of the African Union of today.

    -  The hydroelectric dam that was built on the Tekeze River and was inaugurated in November 2009 is Africa’s tallest arch dam standing at 188 meters. Gilgel Gibe IV a dam that will be operational sometime in 2012/13 will be the tallest dam on the continent at 200+ meters.

      -          Ethiopia and Ethiopians are mentioned in many ancient books. The Bible is one of them. Ethiopia or Ethiopians are mentioned around 40 times in it. It is one of the few countries that are mentioned in both the Bible and the Koran. It is a country where the indigenous people are Christians, Muslims and Jews live together. It was the first country where Muslim prayers were held out of Arabia. Incidentally the first Muslim calls to prayer were done by an Ethiopian. And the first mosque to be built outside of Arabia was the Al Nejashi mosque in northern Ethiopia. When Mohammed and his followers were persecuted, they found solace in Ethiopia.

-          The very first and oldest illustrated book on Christianity is found in Ethiopia. This is in the form of a gospel that was written in 494 AD, colors and bindings still intact and was discovered in a monastery – ‘The Garima Gospels’. Abba Garima was a monk that arrived in Ethiopia from Constantinople in the fifth century; legend has it that he copied it in one day.

An Image from the Garima Gospels

-          Ethiopia has a long history of war, in  Homer’s ‘The Iliad’ in the Trojan War, Memnon was an Ethiopian king. Ethiopia and Ethiopians are also mentioned in his other book ‘Odyssey’. The ancient Greek love for the Ethiopians does not end there; another Ethiopian is in Greek astronomy too. According to legend, Cassiopeia was the queen and consort of King Cepheus in Ethiopia. And long story short, after her death, Cassiopeia was immortalized as a star by Poseidon.

-          The name ‘Candace’ is actually the name given to the line of Ethiopian Queens that ruled in ancient times.

-          Ethiopia and Ethiopians are usually mentioned with the words ‘athlete’ and ‘athletics’. The first African to win a gold medal in the Olympics was Abebe Bikila in the 1960 Summer Olympic in Rome; he wan the marathon with a record time of 2:15:16.2 – an even amazing thing was the fact that he ran the whole race barefooted. In the next Olympics held in Tokyo in 1964, Abebe Bikila won the marathon with a world record time of 2:12:11:2.4. Making him the first athlete, and as of yet the only African, in history to win the marathon twice in back to back Olympics. As of date, the marathon world record holder is another amazing Ethiopian athlete, Haile Gebreselasie. He holds the record at 2:03:59.

-          Ethiopia is the home of mankind. While the most famous ancestors of mankind are Lucy and Selam, archeological digs have and will continue to show that it was the valleys of Ethiopia that man came out of.

-          Ethiopia is the homeland of coffee; it was discovered by a shepherd named Kaldi who noticed his goats prancing about restlessly after eating the leaves of the coffee plant. It is thought the word coffee was borrowed from the southern Ethiopian lands of Kaffa.

-          The Mountain Nyala and the Walia Ibex are the two most famous animals that are endemic to Ethiopia. The others are the Semien Red Fox, The Chelada Baboon, Menilik’s Bushback, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, Harwood’s Francolin, Rouget’s Rail, Spot-breasted Lapwing, White-collared Pigeon, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Black-winged Lovebird and Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. In January, 2011 a new member was added to the ‘Endemic Ethiopian’ list – The African Wolf.

-          Addis Ababa is the highest city in Africa. And many tourists mistakenly think that just because it is in Africa it is a hot place to be. It is amusing to see their reactions to the cold when they get off the plane at Bole International Airport as they shiver in Bermuda shorts and Hawaii shirts. The city was founded by Emperor Menilik II on the Entoto Mountain.

-          The Danakil Depression (also known as the Afar Depression or the Afar Triangle) found in North Eastern Ethiopia is the year-round hottest place anywhere on earth.

-          Amazingly, Ethiopians have a very impressive history when it comes to flying. The first African woman to fly was Wro. Assegedech Assefa. There is an argument that if it had not been for the Italian invasion in 1936, Wro. Mulumebet Emeru would have been the first licensed African to fly, but that she is the first to fly – the jury is still out on that one. The only jet fighter air-to-air shoot down by a female pilot is credited to Ethiopian Air Force Captain Aster Tolossa, who shot down her Ukrainian trainer who was flying for the Eritreans.

-          The first car to reach Ethiopia was Emperor Menilik II's car (plate number D3130), in 1907. He was the first African Emperor, if not plain African, to actually drive a car.

-        On August 12th, 2012 Ethiopia became the first country in Africa, and only the second in the world to own and operate a Boeing 787. Owned by the flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines, the aircraft was named "Africa One" and assigned the tail number ET-AOQ.

-            Ethiopia is Africa's top producer and exporter of sesame seeds. The country produces about 8% of the world total sesame seed production.

This list will be added on as information is available. Ethiopia is a country with over 3,000 years of history. Any suggestions or additions are very welcome.

Famine in Ethiopia – Can it finally be beaten?

Sadly, Ethiopia and Ethiopian development has been tied with the words ‘famine’ and ‘drought’. There are even dictionaries that give Ethiopia as an example for definition of the words. There are people, today that cannot help but think of the country anymore than a desert where people die because of hunger. Even first time travelers to Ethiopia come with great trepidation. Even after coming to face with the reality of the country they still think they are missing something or that the whole country is pulling a fast one on them.

Food in Ethiopia - at present

A report from USAID quotes the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP) as saying that famine in Ethiopia could be beaten back if recent crop harvests are any indication.  As of July, due to favorable conditions the country had had a bumper harvest. And this in turn had contributed to an improvement in Ethiopia’s food security.

The report also shows that not only was the food crisis alleviated, there was also an improvement in the availability of water for consumption as well pastoral purposes all over the usually dry and drought prone areas of the south and southeast of Ethiopia. All in all, drought and relief maps of Ethiopia have shown a very rapid diminishing of food shortages in the whole country.

African food – the future

As encouraging as the report may be the history of Africa and especially the history of famine in Ethiopia has shown that no matter how secure a country may become, there is a high chance of another drought or even famine occurring to derail the slow but definite growth of the newfound Ethiopian development.

Encouraging news that has been airing around Africa is the publication of a new book ‘The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa’ by Harvard University professor Calestous Juma. The book that is expected to be published on December 15^th has put forward the results of a study stating that not only can Africa feed itself in just a generation, but can also become a major food exporter strong enough to alleviate the ravenous hunger that is slowly creeping up in the rest of the world.

The overall results of the study apparently show that agriculture in Africa has come to a standstill when the rest of the world has been pushing it into the 21^st century. By making agriculture the number one item on their agendas, there is no doubt that Africa can be the breadbasket of the world.

Damn… These Ethiopians fly high!

Famous Ethiopians , to a non-Ethiopian, would highly be personalities like H.I.M. Hailesellasie I, Abebe Bikila, Emperors Tewodros and Menilik II, Haile Gebresellasie, Kenenisa Bekele, the Dibaba sisters and Meseret Defar. There are thousands and thousands more Ethiopians worth mentioning but below are the ones that held, to me, the torch a little higher but aren't as famous because they didn't get the right media coverage. Links are provided at the end for further reference.

1. Selam – Ethiopia’s earliest citizen. While many people may have heard of her famous distant cousin Lucy a.k.a Dinkinesh, Selam (Australopithecus afarensis) was discovered in Ethiopia in 2006 (which incidentally was Ethiopia’s New Millenium) by DR. Zeresenay Alemseged.

2. Kaldi – Ethiopia is the home of coffee. And a young goat herder called Kaldi is credited with the discovery, after he saw his goats dancing. He deduced that it must have had something to do with their eating from the coffee tree.

3. Etegue (Empress) Taytu Bitul – was the wife of Emperor Menilik II. While she was a strict ruler in her own sense, and had a big say in the day-to-day running of the Empire, she was also known for her love of nature. She discovered the site for the foundation of the capital city and named it "Addis Ababa" (New Flower). She was also the one that identified the mistranslation done on purpose by the Italians which would have made Ethiopia a colony of Italy. The most amazing fact is, she led an army and fought the Italians alongside her husband. That makes her the only black Empress to have defeated a modern army – at the battle of Adowa.

4. Wro. Asegedech Asefa - Is the first African woman to pilot an Airplane in or around 1962. When most of Africa was still getting used to the buzz of aircraft Wro. (Amharic for Mrs.) Asegedech had learnt to fly, and gotten her license after joining a civilians club that was run by Ethiopian Airlines.

5. Captain Alemayehu Abebe - the first African commercial jet pilot and the first African to command a commercial jetliner across the Atlantic. He was Ethiopian Airlines’ first Ehiopian pilot after getting his command in 1957.

6. Dr. Aklilu Lemma – winner of The Right Livelihood Award (1989) with Dr. Legesse W/Yohannes for the discovery of the preventive for schistosomiasis (bilharzia). Bilharzia is a disease that is uses the snail as a vector before passing on to human beings. It was Dr. Aklilu’s research that found a way to break the cycle, he used a plant that grew near the rivers – the Sarcoca plant (‘Endod’ in Amharic).

7. Engineer Kitaw Ejigu – was a prominent engineer and scientist that worked for NASA, Rockwell International and Boeing. He was Africa’s only and one of the world’s most renowned aerospace scientists.

8. Captain Aster Tolossa – Is an Ethiopian Air Force pilot. She is the only female pilot to have shot down an enemy aircraft in air to air combat in the jet age. She shot down a MIG-29 from her SU-27 during the Ethio-Eritrean war. The irony is that the pilot flying the Eritrean MIG was her former flight-school instructor, a Russian, flying for the Eritreans.

9. Dr. Belay Abegaz – a Pediatric Cardiologist, is the founder and current Board Chairman of the Children’s Heart Fund which opened a Cardiac Center in Ethiopia for treatment of children with heart diseases. He has made it possible for Ethiopians and the rest of Africa to be treated without having to travel half across the world at exorbitant prices.

10. Dr. Zeresenay Alemseged – discoverer of Selam (Australopithecus - look at number 1) he is the curator and chair of Anthropology at the California Academy of Sciences.

Many more unsung heroes will be added in later blogs. Comments and corrections are highly appreciated.

http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Abebe_Alemayehu_670075517.aspx
http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_189.shtml
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=1459681013849477496&hl=en
http://www.rightlivelihood.org/lemma.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosomiasis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selam_(Australopithecus)
http://www.chfe.org

So what does it feel like being an Ethiopian?

Ask any non-Ethiopian what they think about Ethiopia and the answer will be a really grim one. The images of the 80’s are still burnt into many people’s minds. Images of war, famine and drought are really very hard to forget. You can add a guilt trip to it if you are the sensitive sort. These images are in fact so deeply ingrained that even the current generation thinks of Ethiopia as a desert land where nothing grows. The media doesn’t exactly help either.

So what’s the truth? What does it feel like being a national of a country that is so misrepresented globally? Yes, we are misrepresented, bear with me:

Let us have a look at the economy. While it is true that Ethiopia is still a developing nation, it has been registering an average of 10% growth rate for the past six years. With the current economic crisis rocking the globe, Ethiopia is still expected to grow with a two-digit figure. This has created a people in Ethiopia, for the first time in at least two generations that have faith in the economy in Ethiopia. (Emperor Hailesellasie’s rule was mostly centered on feudalism and couldn’t bring a large impact on the overall growth of the people as land was owned by the very few elite. Mengistu Hailemariam’s Dergue reign was one of constant war, and this drained the economy more than ever. ) And this renewed faith in turn is fueling the economy as the young realize that they can get whatever they want by simply going out and working.

Entrepreneurship has taken over the minds of the young like new fad, and the streets of Addis are filled with those just setting out in their first ventures while the radio and TV programmes tell of those who own hundreds of thousands yet started out with a capital of a few borrowed hundred birrs.

Ethiopians are known for their fierce patriotism. But the need for better economic security has been taking away the crème de la crème of the badly needed intelligentsia. It was a very unnerving trivia to know that there are “more Ethiopian doctors in Chicago than there are in Ethiopia”. Many Ethiopians have had to swallow their pride and give their passports up for the sake of the same security. Some have even not been able to be buried in their own soil. Until now, that is.

It might be the economic hardships that have hit the whole world, it might be mystic attraction that Ethiopia holds over all Ethiopians or it might be a chance vacation that showed the stark reality that shocked the minds that were brainwashed into horrible images of dark despair or it might all and more, but one fact remains true: Ethiopians are returning home. And they are reaping the rewards of their choices. One can actually see day by day changes in the way a returnee carries his body. Slowly as the laid back life takes over the harum-scarum of the west, as they relax among familiar surroundings, as the security of being a citizen in one’s own country starts to seep through his body stand more and more erect each day.

An amazing fact is that Ethiopians will sell all they own to get a visa to the developed world … only to become a best customers at an Ethiopian restaurant. If they could they would only drink St. George beer and have at least two meals with injera in it per day. They try to fill the emptiness that Ethiopia becomes to them with Ethiopian beer and food.

The world sees Ethiopia as hell on earth. The world also thinks that their country is the best in the whole world. Well, so do Ethiopians. The worst thing that can happen, and does, to an Ethiopian is to be alone for any amount of time. In Ethiopia the social structure stands as a safety net to catch and bounce back any member that has fallen on bad times. The main cause of Ethiopian suicides is not being able to get used to the unattached, sterile and uncaring lives that most Europeans and Americans live in. Although better off than other immigrants, since every family has at least one relative abroad, the few exceptions, that are out there alone, have a higher chance of becoming depressed and committing suicide. Beggars in Ethiopia are sometimes richer than the person offering the alms because it is an ingrained Ethiopian custom to help any one less fortunate than oneself. On holidays and feasts, the beggars make a killing by just sitting outside a church and laying out a handkerchief on the ground. They don’t even have to ask for it! People are actually happier in when they are in this poor country than when they are in the richest nations, a concept people in the developed world find hard to believe.

The beauty of the people especially the petite women needs a whole new blog to itself. But it is enough to mention that this beauty itself creates an immense pride in Ethiopians. A pride so immense, in fact, that it appears as contempt and racism to non-Ethiopians. It is a kind of beauty that people of all races seem to agree on. Although there are more than 80 nation and nationalities within the border, all appear to have formed into this beauty that comes from within. The women in the South West although darker have the most beautiful women one will ever see; nothing need be said about the Oromo women because they have been known to win most beauty pageants. The women in the east have this Arabic/Asiatic look that steals the soul. The women in the north, both east and west are gracefully carved. And the most beautiful thing is no matter where these women come from anyone, including foreigners, can tell they are Ethiopians. And we get to be called racists?

Any running event is watched with 70+ million breaths held and hearts beating fast. When a singing icon died recently, the whole nation grieved. Much more can be said about the warmth that exists between Ethiopians. They may scream, fight and snap at each other on the most trivial thing, but when it comes to ‘Ethiopianness’ or Ethiopia any outsider faces one united front with a heavy fist, as history has shown again and again.

Are Ethiopians really racists?

Type in ‘Ethiopia’ and ‘racism’ in your favourite search engine and the results will show Ethiopians as perpetrators rather than victims of the crime. This accusation is very popular around the world and especially amongst our fellow Africans.

The remark most often heard is that we deny we are ‘blacks’ or hate being called ‘Africans’. Then there is the one that goes about how we ‘look down’ at other Africans and African-Americans. Also some mention how Ethiopian girls or women refuse to date non-Ethiopian men.

Now, if one were to put these accusations to any Ethiopian, the answer would be a big denial or that they didn’t know what one was talking about. Because that’s just it, it’s not true. Let’s see why

It all starts at home, from birth. Ethiopians are a very traditional people. Children are still smacked if they make mistakes, parents are respected; and in some parts they are worshipped. It is unthinkable to go against the wish of a parent, especially the father. This tight family structure shapes individuals who draw a line between family and the rest of society. It holds us back at times because we grow up with the thought that our wants or needs come secondary to those of our parents. When this life structure is taken out of the home, the parents are replaced by other parents or the elders of the society around or far from us. It is called ‘yilugnta,’ Amharic for self-consciousness. It can be said that an Ethiopian would rather die than be caught doing something that the society frowns on. This creates an introvert and when the time comes to fly the nest that person has a rather cool, reserved, sometimes shy outlook towards other people and life in general.

This makes Ethiopians are a very gentle, reserved and polite people. Most of the things that appear to be normal in other cultures are ‘n’ewr’ or shameful to us. Talking loudly, starting conversations with strangers (unless it’s the opposite sex which of course is a totally different matter – [and even then a woman would never take the first step]); simple things like eating or spitting in public are considered vulgar and rude.

Anyone can imagine the culture shock an Ethiopian must face when thrown right in the middle of one of these cultures. This shock in turn makes an Ethiopian want to seek and find the norms he or she was used to. That is why many major cities, especially in the United States, have large communities of Ethiopians. They are mostly for support and the members of the communities draw strength, courage and to some extent find an anchor where they feel like home. This image, just the thought of it, could make an outsider think that it’s an exclusive, or in other words “racist”, when the outsiders feel the invisible yet impassable barrier.

The images of African Americans that most Ethiopians have are those of gangstas and/or rappers from video clips and movies. While the youth here copy the low-slung jeans, straight brimmed caps and cool dance steps in the clubs around Addis, they feel uncomfortable with actually being in a gang and identifying with African Americans and their ideologies of sex and violence when they actually come to America. This is the opposite of what was mentioned above. An Ethiopian would feel ill at ease in the African American community because of the images he or she has of them as gangstas.

Finally, African Americans, for the most part, do not know which part of Africa, let alone the exact country they came from. While it can be safely assumed that their ancestors came from the West, Central and South Western parts of Africa, no exact country can be named or known. When asked their roots their answer would be that they are “African”. But any recent migrant from Africa would say he is from Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa or Morocco first and then if needed add that he was from Africa second. But since Ethiopians have this intense passionate love for our country, 100% of the time they will say they are from “Ethiopia.” Only an Ethiopian knows the love he or she has for Ethiopia. Our not saying “Africa” unless asked where Ethiopia is, since we assume that everyone knows Ethiopia is in Africa, can sometimes be taken as denial by omission. This is compounds the problem, but if any Ethiopian is asked he or she could not deny the fact that we are Africans. After all, Pan-Africanism came to life in Ethiopia.

One point that can be added is the ‘reverse-racism’ that whites experience when they come to Ethiopia. Ethiopia has the proud history of not being colonized. Before that Ethiopia existed for thousands of years with barely any contact with the outside world. These two, among many other reasons, added together have made Ethiopians indifferent to foreigners of any colour. There is no white-reverence in Ethiopia, and when foreigners especially whites come here, it shocks them that they are treated almost like any other Ethiopian. The shock is double if they have been to other African countries.

So, are Ethiopians really racist? … No! We are just a misunderstood, cultural and traditional people.





http://www.projects-abroad.nl/ervaringsverhalen/?content=teaching/ethiopia/david-ruff/
http://www.geocities.com/mel_zeri/proud.html