1. Ethiopia is one of the very few countries in the world that has never been occupied by foreign powers. Italy tried twice but was defeated by the Ethiopians.
2. The Ethiopian calendar has a 13th month consisting of only five to six days.
3. Ethiopia’s clock is 6 hours late. That time of the day that all other countries in Ethiopia’s time zone calls 12 a.m. is only 6 p.m. for Ethiopia. In the same way, their 12:00 a.m., that time when the date changes, falls not at midnight but at early morning, at that time that the rest of the world calls 6:00 a.m.
4. Ethiopia and its people appeared in the Holy Bible in about 40 unique instances.
5. This African country is also mentioned in the Koran, the Iliad, and the Odyssey.
6. “The Garima Gospels,” the oldest illustrated Christian book, is in Ethiopia.
7. Ethiopians have made an impressive reputation in the Olympics after the success of native marathoners Abebe Bikila, who ran the race (and won!) barefoot in 1960, and Haile Gebrselassie, who holds the world marathon record at 2:03:59.
8. The first female African flyer is Ethiopian Arsegedech Assefa. Also, the sole female jet fighter to succeed in aerial battle is Ethiopian Aster Tolossa.
9. Coffee originated from Ethiopia. Presently, the country is one of the the largest manufacturers and exporters of coffee worldwide.
10. Ancient Ethiopian queens were uniformly named Candace (pronounced “kan-dah-ke”).
Hello fellow travelers! My name is Mary and I am the main author of Traveling East. Just like any other travel enthusiasts, traveling has also been our passion! For inquiries, suggestions or anything travel related, please feel free to send us an E-mail at support@travelingeast.com.
