About Ethiopia

 Welcome to the ultimate source of real and reliable information about Ethiopian Tourism. This website is designed to provide you with one-stop solution for all your safari needs, ranging from information about Ethiopian tourism attractions to details of who cater for your needs. The links in this website will guide you to the official Ethiopian tourism attraction place that you are looking for. All materials are provided by Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Ethiopia is situated in North Eastern Africa bordering Sudan to the north and North West, Eritrea to the north and north east, Djibouti to the east, Somalia to the east and south east and to the south lies Kenya.

Ethiopia has a variety of distinct geographical zones and contrasts, varying as much as 120 metres below sea level in the harsh salt flats of the Danakil depression, to a 4618 meter peak – Ras Dashan, the fourth highest peak in Africa, in the Simien mountains The most distinctive feature is the northern part of the Great Rift Valley, which runs through the entire length of the country in a northeast-southwest direction. In the centre of the country is a high plateau region. This rugged tableland is bordered by steep slopes on the northwest; gradual slopes lead from the centre to the Western Plains and, on the east, through Somalia to the Indian Ocean.

The lowlands are hot and arid. One semi-desert region, the Ogaden, covers the entire southeastern section of the country. In the north, the Danakil Desert reaches to the Red Sea and the coastal foothills of Eritrea. The western boundary of Ethiopia follows roughly the western escarpment of the central plateau, although in some regions the Sudan plains extend into Ethiopian territory. Ethiopia’s largest lake, Lake Tana, is the source of the Blue Nile River. This river, which winds around in a great arc before merging with the White Nile in the Sudan, travels through great canyons, which reach depths of more than 4,000 ft. Several rivers in the southwestern regions also comprise a system of tributaries to the White Nile.

Ethiopia is home not only to nearly a hundred different tribes, each with its own language, and also to an astonishing array of animal and bird life, much of it unique to this wonderful country.

Ethiopia has a proud and long history extending to the known beginnings of humankind. The Axumite kingdom was one of the great civilizations of the ancient world and has left behind the mystery of the great Stellae found at Axum. In the late middle Ages great religious civilizations flourished in many parts of the country, particularly at Lalibela where churches hewn out of massive monolithic rock testify not only to great faith but also to great architectural skills.

Ethiopia’s storied and sovereign history has left its wide-ranging and fertile highlands laden with historical treasures, ranging from the ancient tombs and obelisks of Aksum to 17th-century castles and burnt-out Russian tanks.

Many are more than a peek into the nation’s past; they are a giant two-footed leap. Ethiopia’s landscapes are no less dramatic, and range from the Simien Mountains National Park and Bale Mountains National Park, which proffer tremendous trekking and innumerable interactions with dozens of animals and birds seen nowhere else on earth, to the Danakil Depression in Northern Ethiopia, an enchanting and unforgiving hostile environment offering extreme adventure. The remote lowlands in the sultry southwest are also home to untold adventures and house some of Africa’s most fascinating tribes.

Cultural

Ethiopia, an old country beyond all imaginations, has culture and traditions dating back over 3000 years. With over 80 different Ethnic groups with their own language, culture and traditions. The strong religious setting, celebrations and festivals play an important part in every ones daily life.

Church ceremonies are a major feature of Ethiopian life. The events are impressive and unique. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has its own head, follows its own customs, and is extremely proud of its fourth century origins

Ethiopia’s Islamic tradition is also strong and offers colorful contrast, particularly in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the country. In fact, there were Ethiopian Muslims during the lifetime of Prophet Mohammed. This rich religious history is brought to life in the romantic walled city of Harar, considered by many Muslims to be the fourth “Holy City” following Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem.

 Natural

Ethiopia is a land of natural contrasts, from the tops of the rugged Simien Mountains to the depths of the Danakil Depression, at 120 meters below sea level one of the lowest dry land points on earth. The cornucopia of natural beauty that blesses Ethiopia offers an astonishing variety of landscapes: Afro-Alpine highlands soaring to around 4,300 meters, moors and mountains, the splendor of the Great Rift Valley, white-water rivers, Savannah teeming with game, giant waterfalls, dense and lush jungle… the list is endless.

Ethiopia’s many national parks enable the visitor to enjoy the country’s scenery and its wildlife, conserved in natural habitats, and offer opportunities for travel adventure unparalleled in Africa
The wildlife consists mainly of East African plains animals, but there are now no giraffe or buffalo. Oryx, bat-eared fox, caracal, aardvark, colobus and green monkeys, Anubis and Hamadryas baboons, klipspringer, leopard, bushbuck, hippopotamus, Soemmerings gazelle, cheetah, lion, kudu and 450 species of bird all live within the park’s 720 square kilometres