Ethiopia Country & Tourist Information

Location
Northeast Africa.

Area
1,133,380 sq km (437,600 sq miles).

Population
74.8 million (2006).

Population Density
65.9 per sq km.

Capital
Addis Ababa.
Population: 2.7 million (2003).

Government
Federal Republic.

Language
Amharic is the official language, although about 80 other native tongues are spoken including Oromo, Somali and Tigrinya. English and Arabic are widely used and some Italian and French is spoken.

Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox (Tewahido) and Coptic Church, mainly in the north, 40%; Islam, mainly in the east and south, 40%. There are also significant animist, Evangelical, Protestant and Roman Catholic communities.

Time
GMT + 3.

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi since 1995.

Head of State
President Woldegiorgis Girma since 2001.

Recent History
The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) of incumbent Premier Meles Zenawi won bitterly contested elections in May 2005; his third five-year mandate as prime minister, despite a sharp increase in public support for opposition parties. Many electoral complaints were made and the EPRDF and the main opposition both claimed victory as the initial results were announced. Around 36 people were killed and hundreds were arrested in protests sparked by opposition allegations of electoral fraud by the ruling party. The final results, announced in September 2005, gave the EPRDF and its affiliates control of parliament. Further violence saw the death of 46 more protestors that November.

Telephone
Country code: 251.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is patchy and largely confined to major urban areas.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in Addis Ababa. Some top-end hotels may also offer services, although connections may be difficult. Service is rapidly improving as demand soars.

Media
Although the state controls radio and television, the print and broadcast media have seen positive changes since the overthrow of the dictator Mengistu. Deregulation has been on the cards for some years.
License application forms were given to would-be private radio broadcasters in 2004 and in 2006 two private FM stations were awarded licenses. Some opposition groups beam radio broadcasts from overseas using shortwave transmitters.
The number of privately-owned newspapers has increased. The relationship between the press and the authorities has sometimes been difficult, especially after the violent protests that followed the 2005 elections.

Post
Service to and from Europe takes up to two weeks.

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1600; Sat 0800-1200.

Press
• Amharic newspapers published in the capital include state-owned Addis Zemen.
• The English-language state-owned daily is The Ethiopian Herald.
• A number of other weeklies are also available.

Radio
• State-owned Radio Ethiopia operates National Service and External Service.
• Voice of Tigray Revolution is Tigray Regional State government’s radio.
• Radio Fana was founded in 1994 by the ruling party.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
7 Jan Ethiopian Christmas.
19 Jan** Timket (Epiphany). 
2 Mar Victory of Adowa. 
9 Mar Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
17 Apr Ethiopian Good Friday.
19 Apr Ethiopian Easter.
1 May Labor Day.
5 May Patriots Victory Day.
28 May Downfall of the Dergue.
11 Sep** Ethiopian New Year (Entutatash).
21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). 
27 Sep** Finding of the True Cross (Meskel). 
28 Nov Eid-al Adha (Arafat).

2010
7 Jan Ethiopian Christmas.
19 Jan** Timket (Epiphany). 
26 Feb Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet). 
2 Mar Victory of Adowa.
Apr/May* Ethiopian Good Friday. 
Apr/May* Ethiopian Easter.
1 May Labor Day.
5 May Patriots Victory Day.
28 May Downfall of the Dergue.
11 Sep** Ethiopian New Year (Entutatash).
11 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). 
27 Sep** Finding of the True Cross (Meskel). 
17 Nov Eid-al Adha (Arafat).

* Date to be confirmed.

Note
(a) ** Indicates Coptic holidays. (b) Ethiopia uses the Julian calendar, which is divided into 12 months of 30 days each, and a 13th month of five or six days at the end of the year; hence the date for Christmas. The Ethiopian year commences on 11 September and is eight years behind the Gregorian calendar from January to September and seven years behind between 11 September and 8 January. (c) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Contact Information:

Ethiopian Tourism Commission
PO Box 2183, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (1) 517 470.
Website: www.tourismethiopia.org

Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in the UK
17 Princes Gate, London SW7 1PZ, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 7212.
Website: www.ethioembassy.org.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 (general); Mon-Fri 0900-1600 (visa applications and collections).

Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in the USA
3506 International Drive, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 364 1200.
Website: www.ethiopianembassy.org


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