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Table of Contents
Ethiopia is a landlocked country located in East Africa. It is officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and it has a population of 109 million (as of 2019), making it the most populous landlocked country in the world. Ethiopia is the second-most populous nation on the continent of Africa.
See the fact file below for more information on the Ethiopia or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Ethiopia worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
GENERAL FACTS
- The capital and largest city of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa.
- In Amharic language, “Addis Ababa” (or “Addis Abeba”) means “new flower”.
- In Oromo language, the city is called Finfinne, which means “natural spring”.
- The city of Addis Ababa is populated by roughly 2,739,551 inhabitants, according to a 2007 census.
- Addis Ababa is a Chartered City, which means it is also the capital city of the Oromia Region, the Ethiopian regional state inhabited by the Oromo people.
- The official language of Ethiopia is Amharic, along with six regional languages: Afar, Harari, Oromo, Tigrinya, Sidama, and Somali.
- The major religion in Ethiopia is Christianity.
- Ethiopia is governed as an Ethno-federalist, parliamentary, constitutional republic.
- An Ethno-federalist government is a federal system of government that defines federal units according to ethnicity.
- Ethiopia has ten federal regions and two city administrations: Addis Ababa (city); Afar Region; Amhara Region; Benishangul-Gumuz Region; Dire Dawa (city); Gambella Region; Harari Region; Oromia Region; Somali Region; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region; Tigray Region; and Sidama Region.
- The demonym for the citizens of Ethiopia is Ethiopians, which consists of various ethnic groups inhabiting the country.
- These ethnic groups and the percentage of the population they consist of are as follows:
- Oromo, 34.5%
- Amhara, 26.9%
- Somali, 6.2%
- Tigrayan, 6.1%
- Sidama, 4%
- Gurage, 2.5%
- Wolayta, 2.3%
- Hadiya, 1.7%
- Afar, 1.7%
GEOGRAPHY
- Ethiopia is the world’s 28th-largest country, and it is 1,104,300 square kilometers wide.
- A large part of Ethiopia is located on the easternmost side of the African continent, and the majority of Ethiopia lies in the Horn of Africa.
- The Horn of Africa is an African peninsula that lies along the southern side of the Red Sea.
- Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, making it a landlocked country.
ETYMOLOGY
- The Greek term Aethiopia is a geographical term used in classical documents to refer to the upper Nile region and particular areas of the Sahara region.
- Herodotus, a Greek historian, used the term to refer to the known parts of Africa within the habitable world.
- This term might be derived from the Ancient Egyptian term athiu-abu, meaning “robbers of hearts”.
- Simply, the Greek term was borrowed by the Amharic language.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
- D’mt (980 BC-c. 400 BC)
- This kingdom was theoretically pronounced as Da’amat.
- It existed in Eritrea and the Tigray Region of Ethiopia.
- Little documentation of this kingdom has survived, so it is unknown if the kingdom of D’mt successfully progressed into civilization.
- Kingdom of Aksum (80 BC – 940 AD)
- It was also known as the Aksumite Empire or the Kingdom of Axum.
- The Kingdom of Aksum succeeded the Kingdom of D’mt and was also centered in Eritrea and Tigray Region of Ethiopia.
- The city of Axum (now a tourist city) was the Axumite center of politics.
- It played a role on the commercial route between the Roman Empire and India.
- Axumites succeeded in minting their own currency.
- Zagwe Dynasty (900-1270)
- This medieval kingdom existed in northern Ethiopia.
- The Zagwe Dynasty was centered in Lalibela, a town in the Lasta Amhara Region.
- Ethiopian Empire (1270-1974)
- This empire is also known as Abyssinia, or just simply Ethiopia.
- The Ethiopian Empire is a monarchy that ruled over Ethiopia and Eritrea.
- The Ethiopian Empire was believed to begin when the Solomonic dynasty was established by Yekuno Amlak, an Amharan prince, in 1270.
- The Ethiopian Empire lasted until 1974. The fall of the Ethiopian Empire was due to the coup d’etat by the communist Derg, who overthrew the Emperor Haile Selassie.
- Derg (1974-1987)
- It was officially known as the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia.
- It is a military junta, or committee, that ruled Ethiopia after the fall of the Ethiopian Empire.
- People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987-1991)
- This was a communist state that ruled Ethiopia.
- It governed Ethiopia as a Unitary Marxist-Leninist, one-party, socialist republic, ruled by an authoritarian dictator.
- Eritrea separated from Ethiopia in 1993.
- The current constitution of Ethiopia was imposed on August 21, 1995.
- It is the supreme law of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
- It is a constitution that consists of 106 articles within 11 chapters.
- It provides a federal government that defines its units according to nine ethnically based regions of Ethiopia.
CULTURE
- Ethiopians have a distinct naming system. The children’s given name is the sum of their father and their paternal grandfather’s given names.
- Ethiopia has a distinct calendar called the Ge’ez calendar.
- The day in Ethiopia begins at 6:00 in the morning, not at 0:00 or 12 midnight, as time is counted in a different way in this country.
LANDMARKS
- Allalobed Geysers — A group of hot springs and geysers located in Afar.
- Anabe Forest — A unique yellowwood forest that is 53 hectares wide. It is located in Amhara.
- Grand Muleta Cloud Forest — A diverse mountain cloud forest found in Oromia.
- Goda Roriisso — A giant boulder covered with ancient Ethiopian artworks. It is located in Oromia.
- Axum Obelisk — An obelisk up to 24 meters high, which was made in the 4th century. It is located in Tigray.
Ethiopia Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Ethiopia across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Ethiopia worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Ethiopia which is a landlocked country located in East Africa. It is officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and it has a population of 109 million (as of 2019), making it the most populous landlocked country in the world. Ethiopia is the second-most populous nation on the continent of Africa.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Ethiopia Facts
- Ethiopia or Error
- Ethiopia’s Ethnic Groups
- Regions by Size
- Border Blanks
- What’s the Term?
- Landmark Match
- Periodical Timeline
- Culture Word Search
- Ethiopian Tour
- Enchanting Ethiopia!
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Link will appear as Ethiopia Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 4, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.