| Ethiopia ((am)ኢትዮጵያ) | |
 | |
| The Blue Nile Falls at Tis Esat. | |
| Flag | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Capital city | Addis Ababa |
|---|---|
| Area | 1 127 127 km² |
| Population | 85 237 000 hab. (2009) |
| Density | 75,62 inhab./km² |
| Nice | Ethiopian |
| Lake | Tana, Abbe, Ziway, Turkana |
| Watercourse | Blue Nile, Awash, Omo |
| Minimum altitude | −125 m (Afa depression) |
| Maximum altitude | 4 550 m (Ras Dashan) |
| Form of State | federal Republic |
| Official language | amharic |
| Other languages | Tigrinya, Oromo, Somali, 86 other local languages |
| Change | birr (ETB) |
| Electricity | 220 V / 50 Hz, European plug |
| Telephone prefix | 251 |
| Internet suffix | .and |
| Flow direction | Right-hand drive |
| Spindle | UTC 3 |
| Location | |
 9 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ N 40 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ E | |
| Government site | |
TheEthiopia, in long form Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country ofEast Africa, border of theEritrea in the north of Djibouti in the northeast, of the Somalia to the east, from Kenya to the south, from South sudan to the west and Sudan to the northwest.
Understand
Summary bibliography:
- General works:
BERHANOU, A., History of Ethiopia from Axum to Revolution, Addis Ababa / Paris, 1998.
HENZE, Paul B., The Work of Time - History of Ethiopia.
CARAMAN, Ph., The Lost Empire. The History of the Jesuits in Ethiopia, Paris, Desclée De Brouwer, 1988.
FONTRIER, M., The fall of the Ethiopian military junta (1988-1991), Paris, L’Harmattan, Peiresc, 1999.
- Travel guides:
Ethiopia, by Luigi Cantamessa and Marc Aubert, Olizane editions, 5th revised and augmented edition (March 2005).
- Photo books:
Enlightenment of Ethiopia, by Marco Paoluzzo, Favre Sa éditeur, 2007.
- Literature:
Jean-Christophe Rufin, L'Abyssin, folio, 1997.
Mapping :
The Ethiopian Mapping Authority sell very good cards, especially at 1 / 50,000 and 1 / 250,000. It is located opposite the entrance to the Hilton in Addis Ababa. Prices range from 9 to 15 birr per cut. Plan half a day, the service is not the fastest.
Some sites:
An approach to Ethiopia through the linguistic prism by Laval University in Quebec
Regions
The country is divided into nine regions, mostly on ethnic lines.
Cities
- 1 Addis Ababa – - Capital of Ethiopia
- 2 Aksum
- 3 Bahr Dar
- 4 Say Dawa
- 5 Gambella
- 6 Harar
- 7 Lalibela
- 8 Mekele
Other destinations
- See as well: Intangible Cultural Heritage in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a vast and diverse country. Different destinations are available to the traveler. Nature or culture, there is something for everyone.
- National parks:
- Other natural destinations:
Salt lake in the Danakil.- Danakil Depression (Afar Depression) with volcanoes in particular Dallol and Erta Ale, and the Karoum lake
- Blue Nile Falls in Bahr Dar
- The forty sources to Arba Minch
- Sof Omar
- Culture, monuments and sites:
- Aksum
- Rock churches of Tigray
- Melka Kunture
- Tiya
- Lalibela (underground churches classified as World Heritage by Unesco)
- Gondar
- Adadi Mariam
- Fela tutu
- The monasteries of Lake Tana
- Harar
- Yeha
- Debre Damo
- Mekele
To go
Formalities
- Ethiopia
- Exemption from Visa
- Visa on arrival
- eVisa
By plane
Bolé international airport, at Addis Ababa, is a major hub in East Africa. As a result, it is perfectly served by major airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines, which is one of the most efficient and secure in Africa, but also Lufthansa, Emirates, KLM, Sudan Airways and Turkish Airways.
By train
There is a railway between Djibouti and Addis Ababa but it is not recommended to use it for reasons relating to both comfort and safety.
By bus
By car
Circulate
By plane
Internal flights are often done with Ethiopian Airlines and major cities such as Gondar, Axum and Lalibela are served by the company.
By train
The only railway line connects Addis Ababa to Djibouti. However, the train passes through the towns of Nazret and Dire Dawa. This means of transport is not recommended for the insecurity and lack of comfort of travel.
By bus
At the level of the big cities, the buses are numerous. If you are going to Addis Ababa, they are often full and there is no real timetable. It is therefore important to be patient and to know the route of the buses. The ticket can be bought outside the bus, towards the back, a person will take care of the sale. It is therefore important not to try to get on the bus without your ticket which is only valid for the current trip, once you get off you need a new ticket.At national level, buses connect several cities. In this case, the bus usually leaves early in the morning (around 5 h - 6 h) and the journey can be long. It is best to get a ticket for this trip in advance, the day before or even a few days before. Once there on the day of departure, do not hesitate to make room for yourself by showing your ticket.Note: a bus trip is sometimes necessary to connect the airport of a city to its center (this is the case of Lalibela). The ticket can be managed in advance by your hotel or the airline. It is important to educate yourself.
By car
By taxi
There are mainly two types of taxis in large cities, however, they are all recognizable by their colors (the upper part is white and the lower half is blue). The "classic" taxis are 5-seater taxis, they often wait at the airport and in the city center, in this case, it may happen that if you are alone, the driver will ask you to wait if other potential customers are presented. Once left, the taxi can therefore stop during your journey to drop off these customers. However, there are also taxis which are a sort of van with ten passengers. In this case, the route is predefined between two or more places which often correspond to important meeting points or shopping areas. To know the destination of these taxis, you just have to listen and you will quickly hear a young boy say aloud the destination or destinations where his driver is going. Once inside, the young man will ask you for your destination and you will pay in advance. These taxis should only be used if you speak Amharic.
Speak
Theamharic is the official language of Ethiopia, spoken in a very important part of the country. However, theEnglish is relatively well understood, especially by young people in Addis Ababa. Despite the accent, you will understand quickly and you will be able to ask for information; especially since people will help you easily. There is even a small French-speaking community in Addis Ababa. In Tigray, Amharic is spoken but tigregna is the most spoken language. In the south, it isoromigna which is most talked about.
Buy
Change
The official Ethiopian currency is the birr (birr, ETB)
The vast majority of purchases are made in cash, the credit card system is almost non-existent. However, it is possible to withdraw cash from the machines but only in Addis Ababa, at the following locations: at the Hilton, Sheraton and Shebelle hotels and at the Dembel shopping center on Bole Road. You can also change your money at banks at Hilton and Shera hotels, at the airport, and in many of the tourist towns. Euro and dollar are the easiest to change. It is strictly forbidden to change on the black market where the rates are not necessarily favorable, on the contrary, it is advisable to be wary of it.
Arts and crafts
Textile
Ethiopia is a remarkable country for weaving wool and cotton. A whole range of traditional products, widely used in everyday life, can be found almost everywhere: netela (veils, in two pieces), blouko (blankets used only indoors), gabis (large fabrics that are worn on the inside). outside, in 4 pieces), etc. Cotton is more prestigious than cotton and more expensive. The weaving is done by hand, often in difficult conditions. There are not really big variations in quality, the price is often largely related to the size of the fabric. One of the largest markets is in Addis Ababa, in Shiro, at the foot of Entoto Hill, a few hundred meters north of the American Embassy.
Eat
Traditionally, the Ethiopian meal is accompanied by injera. This very large, thick pancake or pancake is placed (cold) on the dish or plate. The food is then placed on it. Other injera pieces are rolled and also arranged in the dish. If the dish is served for a group of people, everyone helps themselves with their hand in the dish. To do this, he tears a piece of injera and uses it to properly sear the foods he wants (vegetables, mash, pieces of meat ...) The injera is prepared from teff flour. The dough is fermented, which gives it a slightly harsh taste, makes it light. The injera has a relatively smooth side, and the other more chaotic in appearance with the presence of holes (like the surface of a sponge).
Have a drink / Go out
As coffee is historically native to Ethiopia, it is served with a special ceremony in restaurants. When you are invited to someone's house and such a ceremony is organized, it is an honor and a sign of respect to you. During the ceremony, popcorns are also served.
In the "Tèjbét", you can drink an alcoholic drink: the Tej, which can be associated with mead.
Bars are plentiful in the center of Addis Ababa, especially in the areas of Piassa and Bolé. The streets are safe even at night, the atmosphere is pleasant. Local beers are available in the bars.
The nightclubs are located in the Bolé area, a very lively area at night where young people meet.
Housing
Learn
For the primary and secondary cycle, there is a Franco-Ethiopian high school in Addis Ababa: the Guebre Mariam High School.
For higher education, check with your university to learn about any agreement signed with an Ethiopian institution. Here is a list of some universities:
- Addis Ababa University
- Arba Minch University
- University of Baher Dar
- University of Mékélé
- Gondar College of Medical Sciences
To work
Communicate
Phone
Ethiopia's national code is 251. Since (Gregorian calendar), the numbers were changed from 6 to 7 digits, as for the city codes, they went from 2 to 3 digits. To make the transition easier, this site allows you to convert the old number to a new one. Telephone booths are plentiful but you may have to wait a long time to access them.
Mobile telephony
Most of the cities are covered by the network of the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (the national company that deals with telecommunications), some regions do not have any network available, in this case, it is essential to have more means. efficient. For a short stay, it is possible to rent a SIM card with a phone. This service is available at the Sheraton Hotel but it is expensive there, it is also available at the [Red Zebra http://www.redzebraes.com/].
Internet
Internet access is through the many internet cafes. The connection is often fine there, but in some cafes it can be particularly slow. However, the prices are good and most computers have USB ports.
Mail is not delivered to the address but to your Post Office Box (P.O Box) which you must purchase from a post office. Once purchased, the P.O Box will be accessible during agency opening hours and all your mail is left there.
security
 | Emergency telephone number: All emergency services:911 |
- It is strongly advised not to travel to border regions. Ethiopia went to war with the Islamists in Somalia in 2006 and there are still high tensions, especially in the Somali region. If you want to visit areas far from large cities, it is advisable to go there with one or more guides who know the area. For further information on regions to avoid, you can consult the Ethiopia security page on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France).
- It is strictly forbidden to photograph certain official buildings (Prime Minister's Palace, government buildings, etc.). This prohibition is generally indicated, otherwise permission should be sought from the police.
- Although crime is low in Addis Ababa, pickpockets are still present, especially on buses. The streets, even at night, are relatively safe. Organized crime is active in the regions close to Sudan and Kenya, rather far from the cities.
- Criticizing, mocking or insulting religious beliefs, especially Christianity and Islam, are strongly discouraged. Both communities live peacefully, but the attachment to religions is very strong in Ethiopia. Any demonstration or gathering close to movements criticizing religious figures can lead to sometimes violent responses. It is compulsory to take off your shoes before entering a mosque just like in an Orthodox Christian church.
- It is also inadvisable to criticize the government, to publish documents against political power or to attempt to organize demonstrations against this power. In addition, it is advisable to stay away from these demonstrations, the police may be ordered to shoot at the crowd.
- Homosexuality is prohibited in Ethiopia and can be punished with a prison sentence. It is therefore advisable not to manifest it publicly and openly. Nevertheless, it is possible to see two young men holding hands in the street without them being homosexual.
- Possession, trafficking and consumption of all drugs are prohibited.
- Carrying a firearm is prohibited.
Government travel advice
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Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation) 
Canada (Government of Canada) 
France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 
Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)
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Health
- Before leaving for Ethiopia, it is essential to consult your doctor and take out insurance to cover possible costs. Vaccination against yellow fever is required; vaccinations for typhoid fever, viral hepatitis A and B, bacterial meningitis A C W135 Y, rabies, in some cases, as well as the diphtheria-tetanus-polio vaccination update are all strongly recommended. For children, anti-tuberculosis vaccination is desirable, as is measles-mumps-rubella vaccination. Do not hesitate to inquire at international vaccination centers. Also protect yourself against malaria by using individual measures (sprays, mosquito nets, creams and electric diffusers). The treatment will then be continued back to your country. The risk of malaria is non-existent in Addis Ababa.
- In terms of food hygiene, do not drink tap water, always ask for bottled water. Also avoid ice cubes, fresh fruit juices, raw vegetables, unpeeled fruit, and any undercooked foods. Before and after any meal, it is imperative to wash your hands.
- Never buy or consume street drugs. Plan before your departure, the sufficient number of drugs, the local pharmacies have a relatively uncertain supply.
- Never swim in standing water and do not walk barefoot on wet ground and sand.
- Don't pet street animals.
- Pack sunscreen and water when traveling to the southern and eastern areas.
Finally, here are some useful numbers:
- French speaking doctor consulting for the high school or the embassy in Addis Ababa: 011-646-60-91 or 0911-40-83-02 (mobile)
- Balcha Hospital: 011-551-40-72 (fax: 011-551-62-63)
- St Gabriel Hospital: 011-661-36-22
- Hayat Hospital: 011-662-44-88
- Swedish Clinic: 011-371-07-68 (fax: 011-371-33-63) (good services but high costs).
- Myung Sung International Medical Center (Korean Hospital): 011-629-29-63
Respect
- The religion is very strongly anchored in Ethiopia. While in Europe it may be common to deride certain religious practices, it is best to show great respect to local Christian and Muslim religious beliefs. Ethiopians are predominantly Orthodox Christians, the second religion being Islam; all beliefs are however respected and there is little or no religious tension. Indeed, the Muslims of Ethiopia are open and modern and religious coexistence is one of the bases of national unity.
- The oldest people are respected in Ethiopia. In transport, as well as during meetings and in public places, they should be free of a seat. When you shake their hand, it is customary to lean forward slightly.
- Ethiopians are very patriotic and it is with great pride that they will tell you about their history. Keep to yourself all the "Ethiopian jokes" with famine as the main subject, they are very badly perceived. Ethiopians have no resentment towards the West and this can be explained by the maintenance of the country's independence. On the contrary, the population can be relatively sympathetic towards you. However, they also expect respect from you, don't be patronizing.
