Ethiopia, What a Unique Country

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Ethiopia, What a Unique Country The official name for Ethiopia is the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is 1.1 million sq. km, this making it about the size of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico combined (Ethiopia 1). Ethiopia is not just a large piece of land however. Its widely diverse population combined with its unique history, make it a very interesting country. Many Americans today seem to link Ethiopia with AIDS and poverty. While these are two things this country seems to struggle with, they have overcome a lot in the past few decades. Contrary to popular belief, Ethiopia offers a lot more as a country than meets the eye. Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, is home to around 5 million people (Ethiopia 1). In Amharic Addis Ababa has the meaning “new flower”. Addis Ababa was settled in 1886 and named by Empress Taytu, who was a consort of Menelik II. Since Addis Ababa is found nearly 2,500 meters above sea level it can take visitors a considerate amount of time to adjust to the altitude (Facts on Ethiopia I 1). This extremely high altitude can cause symptoms such as shortness of breath and nausea. In Africa, Ethiopia is the second most populated country being home to around 85.2 million people. With an annual growth rate of 3.2% Ethiopia is an ever-expanding country. Ethiopia is found in the Horn of Africa. To the north, Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea and to the west Sudan. To the south, Ethiopia is bordered by Kenya and to the east Somalia. Mountains along with high plateau and dry lowland plains fill the terrain of Ethiopia. The climate is temperate in the highlands and hot in the lowlands (Ethiopia 1). The nationality of Ethiopia is titled “Ethiopian”. The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic although; Ethiopia is home to a plethora of other languages including Tigrinya, Arabic, Guaragigna, Oromifa, English, and Somali. In regards to

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