Ethiopia a country of Natural and Historical Wealth.

Few nations, if any, can boast the historic splendour of Ethiopia, evidence of whose extraordinary past is everywhere, from its rock-hewn churches, still places of living worship, to its ancient historical traditions and magnificent cultures. Ethiopia, is a nation of surprises, full of diversity and contrast, from the ancient to the modern. Ethiopia is truly a land of contrasts and extremes; a land of remote and wild places. Some of the highest and most stunning places on the African continent are found here, such as the jaggedly carved Simien Mountains, one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites – and some of the lowest, such as the hot but fascinating Danakil Depression, with its sulphur fumaroles and lunar-like landscape. Ethiopia is old; old beyond all imaginations. As Abyssinia, its culture and traditions date back over 3,000 years. You can watch a 20 minute video introducing Ethiopia’s tourist destinations at the bottom of this page.

Legend has it that Emperor Menelik I, the son of the Queen of Sheba and king Solomon, brought the  Ark of the Covenant from Jerusalem to Axum, where he settled and established one  of the world’s longest known, uninterrupted monarchical dynasties. This is only one example of Ethiopia’s magnificent history, which encompasses legend and tradition, mystery and fact, from a powerful and religious ancient civilization. The well -trodden path through Ethiopia’s famous and fascinating  historic places takes you through a scenically magnificent world of fairy -tale  names, such as Lalibela, Gondar, Deber Damo and Bahar Dar.

Amazing Natural Beauty

The natural beauty of Ethiopia amazes the first-time visitor. Ethiopia is a land of rugged mountains ( some 25 are over 4000 meters high) broad savannah, lakes and rivers. The unique Rift Valley is a remarkable region of volcanic lakes, with their famous collections of birdlife, great escarpments and stunning vistas. Tisisat, the blue Nile falls, must rank as one of the greatest natural spectacles in Africa today. With 14 major wildlife reserves, Ethiopia provides a microcosm of the entire subsaharan ecosystem. Birdlife abounds, and indigenous animals from the rare Walia ibexto the shy wild ass, roam free just as nature intended. Ethiopia, after the rains, is a land decked with flowers and with many more native plants than most countries in Africa.

Ethiopia, the home of the oldest human remains

A team led by Drs. Yohannes Haile Selassie and Bruce Latimer of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, Ohio, has located new hominid-bearing
 localities in the Burtele Kebele of Mille district in Zone One of the Afar Regional State. The team have unearthed the oldest human skeleton in Ethiopia.Hominid Fossils Are Likely 3.8 to 4 Million Years Old.

Ethiopia is the original home of coffee

Ethiopia is the original home of the coffee plant, coffee Arabica, which still grows wild in the forest of the highlands. The Ethiopian province where they first blossomed  “Kaffa”  gave its name to coffee.

Below is a 20 minute video introducing Ethiopia’s tourist destinations. This video is produced by Ethiopian Ministry of Tourism and Culture.