Ethiopia: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It has high mountains and plateaus split by the Great Rift Valley, plus some of the hottest lowlands on Earth. It is known for ancient churches, coffee and long-distance runners.

About Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa sits in the central highlands at more than 2,300 metres, making it one of the highest capitals in the world. Its name means 'new flower', and it is home to the headquarters of the African Union.

Fun facts about Ethiopia

1. Ethiopia uses its own calendar with 13 months, and its years run several years behind the Gregorian calendar.
2. Lalibela has 11 medieval churches carved straight out of solid rock.
3. The Walia ibex, a wild goat, is found nowhere in the world except Ethiopia's Simien Mountains.
4. The Blue Nile, the main source of the Nile's water, begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia.
5. The famous fossil 'Lucy', about 3.2 million years old, was found in Ethiopia in 1974.
6. Coffee plants are believed to have first grown wild in the forests of southwestern Ethiopia.