Ethiopia Travel Guide

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Country Facts

Location

Northeast Africa.

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.

Area

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

Time Zone

GMT + 3.

Electricity

220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Population

82.5 million (2008).

Population Density

65.9 per sq km.

Capital City

Addis Ababa. Population: 3.6 million (2007).

Government

Federal Republic.

Head of Government

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi since 1995.

Head of State

President Woldegiorgis Girma since 2001.

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.

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.

Communications

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. The English-language state-owned daily is The Ethiopian Herald.

Post

Service to and from Europe takes up to two weeks.Mon-Fri 0800-1600; Sat 0800-1200.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2011-December 2012 period.
2011
7 Jan Ethiopian Christmas
15 Feb Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet)
2 Mar Victory of Adowa
15 Apr *Ethiopian Easter
1 May Labor Day
5 May Patriots Victory Day
28 May Downfall of the Dergue
30 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
11 Sep **Ethiopian New Year (Entutatash)
27 Sep **Finding of the True Cross (Meskel)
6 Nov Eid-al Adha (Arafat)

2012
6 Jan **Timket (Epiphany)
7 Jan Ethiopian Christmas
4 Feb Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet)
2 Mar Victory of Adowa
6 Apr *Ethiopian Good Friday
24 Apr *Ethiopian Easter
1 May Labor Day
5 May Patriots Victory Day
28 May Downfall of the Dergue
19 Aug - 20 Aug Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)
11 Sep **Ethiopian New Year (Entutatash)
27 Sep **Finding of the True Cross (Meskel)
25 Oct Eid-al Adha (Arafat)
* Date to be confirmed.
(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

British Embassy in Ethiopia

Comoros Street, Addis Ababa, PO Box 858
Tel: (11) 661 2354.
Website: www.ukinethiopia.fco.gov.uk
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 0800-1630, 0800-1300.

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