Abyssinia is what country? The modern name is Ethiopia, characteristics and interesting facts about the country. Extraordinary status of a cat in the old days

The Abyssinian cat is one of the most ancient breeds, and even the ancient Egyptian tombs adorned its image. This short-haired member of the cat family is known to many as the "rabbit cat", due to the unusual appearance of the coat. Abyssinians have recently become popular in our country, and the demand for this breed often exceeds supply, which in a certain way affects the cost of such a pet.

Origin story

To date, there are several versions explaining the origin of the Abyssinian cat breed, and all of them are not without a certain basis. Most often, the breed is considered as descended from the Zula cat, imported from Ethiopia or Abyssinia. The cat was brought by Captain Barret-Lenard over a century ago.

However, the origin of the Abyssinian from wild cats is considered more plausible.. The external data of the North African, steppe or Libyan wild cat is very reminiscent of the modern Abyssinian breed. The area of ​​distribution of the steppe cat is Africa and the Middle East, where this animal was domesticated many centuries ago. On the territory of North Africa, there are other wild species that are very similar to the Abyssinian breed. Such wild felines include reed cat or swamp lynx.

Also, scientists expressed hypotheses, according to which the ancestor of the breed was an animal exported from southeast Asia or Afghanistan. This version is supported by the fact that in the years 1834-1836 in the Leiden Zoological Museum in Holland a stuffed cat with wild coloring, similar to the modern Abyssinian, was exhibited.

More than a hundred years ago, a couple of the first cats of this breed were taken to America. In our country, the Abyssinian appeared in breeders less than twenty years ago. The first representative of the breed was the cat Abyriginal's Sunny with a fawn color. Approximately fifteen years ago, such well-known Russian catteries of Abyssinian cats as Lakshmina, Night Hunter, Charming Angel, Artefakt, Orange Marmelad, Bluecourage and Solaris began their work.

Description, appearance of the Abyssinian cat

Ideally, the Abyssinian is a bright, well-ticked, medium-sized cat with a regal appearance.

Representatives of a rare breed for participation in exhibitions and breeding must have the following external data:

• the head is modified, has the form of a slightly rounded wedge with a soft outline of the cheeks, eyebrows and profile lines;
• the rise in the area from the bridge of the nose to the forehead is smooth, and the frontal part is slightly convex and wide, forming a smooth line with the top of the head and not sharply turning into a slightly curved neck;
• ears of large size, moderately pointed at the tips and widened at the base, cupped;
• almond-shaped shiny eyes of large size, very expressive, with a thin contour outline of a dark color;
• the body is flexible and graceful, of medium length, with very well developed, but not completely coarse muscles, with ideal proportions;
• the limbs are slender and graceful, the paws are oval and compact. There are five toes on the front paws, hind legs- four fingers;
• the tail is quite long, with a pronounced narrowing towards the tip and a noticeable thickening at the base.

Important! The coat is soft and silky, dense and resilient, with a fine structure and a bright sheen.

Color standards

The Abyssinian should have a warm and glowing coat color, with distinct and as even ticking as possible:

• wild color or "Ruddy". Characteristic is the presence of a uniform double or triple ticking without any specific pattern;
• color Sorrel or "Sorrel". Coloration can vary from tan to copper red;
• blue color or "Blue". The coat has an attractive coloring in characteristic gray-blue tones;
• fawn color or "Fawn". The coloring is cocoa or delicate coffee with milk, and the undercoat has a light cream or delicate sandy hue.

In conditions of full ticking, the spinal zone may be darkened.. The greatest preference is given to representatives of the breed, with no markings on the lower chest and on the paws.

The nature of the breed

The habits of Abyssinians are very reminiscent of dogs. This very energetic, agile and playful animal lends itself perfectly to training.. The breed is calm and delicate, possessing an outstanding intellect. An interesting feature of the Abyssinian is the absence of hydrophobia and curiosity, so the periodic does not cause difficulties.

High mobility is often accompanied by damage to interior items, including curtains and carpeting. In a pet of this breed with early age there is no sense of fear and self-preservation, therefore, from the first days of life, the Abyssinian needs to be surrounded by care and attention. A cat of this breed does not tolerate loneliness very well, and can become severely depressed.

The Abyssinian cat is very simple and undemanding in care.

Important! The main condition for the proper maintenance of the breed is to provide the animal balanced nutrition, carrying out systematic water procedures, as well as strict adherence to the vaccination calendar and periodic deworming.

The smooth and short coat of the Abyssinian requires minimal grooming. You need to comb your pet with a special metal brush about once a week. The Abyssinian cat is very quickly and easily accustomed to using a cat litter filled with natural fillers. The breed is quite clean, and the use of sawdust or pellets is considered very convenient and economical.

Periodically, you need to trim the animal's claws, as well as check the condition of the ears and eyes. Accumulating secretions should be carefully removed with cotton swabs or cotton swabs. The breed's tendency to inflammatory gum disease requires increased attention and preventive dental cleaning. A small woolen cover involves maintaining a comfortable temperature in the room. Vaccinations against major diseases are mandatory, including panleukopenia, herpesvirus infection, calicivirus and rabies.

Abyssinian cat nutrition

You can feed the Abyssinian both ready-made industrial dry or canned food, and natural products.

Dry food

Feeding very young kittens is best done with special feeds:

• Arden Grange;
• "Guabi Natural";
• "Natural kitten food";
• "Royal Canin";
• Farmina.

A pet over the age of ten months may be gradually transitioned to an adult diet. High-quality ones have a completely balanced composition, including vitamins and minerals, as well as amino acids. New food should be introduced into the diet gradually. When using dry food, it is necessary to ensure the constant availability of clean drinking water.

Natural products

Feeding pets with natural products is very popular in our country, and with the right diet, the animal receives good nutrition:

• beef - three to four times a week;
• boiled chicken without bones - daily or every other day;
• boiled or freshly frozen offal in the form of liver, heart, kidneys and ventricles of beef or chicken - weekly;
• boiled sea fish - a couple of times a month;
• milk or 10% cream for kittens up to three months - daily;
• fermented milk products for adult cats - weekly;
• raw or boiled egg yolk - a couple of times a week;
• rice, semolina and oatmeal liquid milk porridge for kittens up to three months - daily or every other day;
• low-fat fresh and non-acidic cottage cheese mixed with raw egg yolk or low-fat sour cream - a couple of times a week;
• cereal crops - weekly;
• chopped raw or boiled vegetables in the form of green asparagus beans, carrots and cauliflower - a couple of times a week.

Every day you need to supplement the nutrition of the Abyssinian cat with complete mineral and vitamin supplements. It is also required to enrich the diet with dry brewer's yeast and vegetable oil. Useful grass for the animal in the form of germinated oats and wheat can be purchased at a pet store or grown independently.

Features of feeding

Both adult pets and kittens are categorically contraindicated in the following products:

• raw duck and goose meat;
• fatty lamb and pork in any form;
• chicken and fish bones;
• any spices, seasonings and salt;
• smoked sausages;
• fried and pickled dishes;
• potatoes, soybeans, peas, beans and beans.

Important! When using such products, the immune system weakens, the coat loses its luster, various metabolic problems arise, as well as stomach and intestinal disorders.

general information

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a state in the east of the African continent. Ethnographic diversity, rich history and - that's why the popularity is constantly growing. The Ethiopian government is investing enough in the development of tourism, and the industry is developing quite quickly.

general information

Understanding where Ethiopia is located on the world map is quite simple: it is located in the east of the mainland, next to the Somali peninsula. It borders countries such as:

• Djibouti;
• Somalia;
• Eritrea;
• Sudan;
• South Sudan;

The area of ​​Ethiopia is 1,104,300 sq. km, it ranks 10th among African countries, but in terms of the number of inhabitants it is 2nd, second only to Nigeria (the population of Ethiopia is more than 90 million people).

How to get to Ethiopia?

You will have to fly to Ethiopia with a transfer. This can be done by Turkish Airlines or Emirates (with a connection, respectively, in Istanbul or). A less convenient and more expensive option is to use the Lufthansa (docking is done in Frankfurt).

It is also possible to fly to Paris, London, Rome and from there go to the country with Ethiopian Airlines. This option is especially good for those who have chosen not Addis Ababa for their vacation: the national carrier operates flights to many cities in Ethiopia.

Located in Bol, a metropolitan suburb. It serves more than 3 million passengers a year and receives flights from Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.

For Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians, it is needed. It can be obtained at the consular office or directly upon arrival, but only at Bole airport.

A fascinating excursion into the rich history of the peoples of Ethiopia (the modern name of Abyssinia), living on the largest plateau in Africa - the Horn of Africa. The book covers all aspects of the history of the development of this corner of the earth from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. The vivid and imaginative narration conveys the atmosphere of the timeless charm of Ethiopia.

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The following excerpt from the book Abyssinians. Descendants of King Solomon (David Buxton) provided by our book partner - the company LitRes.

ETHIOPIA: COUNTRY AND PEOPLES

Roof of Africa

The vast plateau of the Horn of Africa - undoubtedly the most extensive mountainous region on the entire continent - now fits perfectly into the borders of the Ethiopian empire. This highland gave Ethiopia its special character and predetermined a natural geographical unity. The borders of the country coincide, as a rule, with the foothills of the highlands. True, as far as the east is concerned, this generalization is not so accurate. Here, the arid plains of the Danakil basin, lying in the middle of the highlands and the Red Sea, also form a harmonious part of the territory of Ethiopia, despite their geographical contrast. Only in the southeast, where Menelik's conquests have penetrated deep into the lowlands, the border cannot be considered consistent with the geographical (or ethnic) lines of demarcation.

Basically, the Ethiopian empire is a compact expanse of highlands, clearly contrasting with the lowlands of Sudan in the west, Kenya in the south and Somalia in the east. Stretching from the 3rd to 18 ° N. sh., Ethiopia skips the equator, but falls completely within the tropics (despite this, the climate in the highlands is temperate). The greatest length of the country from north to south is more than 1,500 km (about 1,000 miles). And from west to east, the length is approximately the same. The area of ​​the state is approximately 1220 thousand square meters. km (470 thousand sq. miles). Thus, it significantly exceeds the total area of ​​France, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal, or the total area of ​​Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. The total population, by more underestimated in the past, almost certainly exceeds 22 million, resulting in an average population density comparable to that of Kenya, and significantly higher than that of Sudan or Somalia.

The attached map (Fig. 1) gives a simplified picture of the topography of the Ethiopian state within its modern borders. The highest parts of the country, above 2,000 m (6,600 ft), are shaded on the map and occupy large area, divided, however, into two independent systems by the Rift Valley with a chain of lakes. The northern and western highlands form the bulk of the ten Ethiopian provinces, ranging from Eritrea, which occupies the northernmost position, to Gamu Gof in the south. highest point, located in the Semiene Mountains, northeast of Lake Tana, rises to a height of more than 4600 m, heavy snowfalls sometimes occur here; the area also contains many other mountain peaks above 4,000 m (13,000 ft). Almost the entire territory of this highland, slightly inclined to the west, carries its waters into the Nile, mainly into the upper Blue Nile, which flows from Lake Tana and flows further, forming a large loop around the old Amharic province of Gojjam. Only less significant rivers make their way through the steep western slope to join the Awash, which eventually itself is lost in the Danakil Desert on the border with French Somalia. The southernmost point of the western highlands also belongs to the Rift Valley basin. Many streams carry their waters to the seven lakes located in the Ethiopian part of the valley, while only one large river - Omo - flows south to Lake Rudolf, which is completely, with the exception of the northernmost edge, in Kenya.

The south of the Danakil Plain and the eastern part of the Rift Highlands, second in area only to the northern and western regions, include large mountain ranges, also sometimes reaching a height of more than 4000 m. This group includes a northwestern chain of hills, leading, like a stone road, to Harar region. Almost all of this highland is a basin of rivers flowing into Indian Ocean, although one of the largest rivers - Wabi-Shebelle - has not reached the ocean for some time now, since its waters are used for irrigation needs.

Ethiopia's most striking geographic features owe their existence to grandiose stratal shifts. earth's crust associated with volcanic activity, which took place in the Tertiary period, when many other major mountain systems of the world were formed. It is evident that the Ethiopian region was gradually rising and as a result acquired the shape of a dome, the center of which approximately coincided with the central province of Shoa. At the same time, very fluid lava (mainly basalt) was ejected extensively, and these flows, whose total thickness in places reached thousands of meters, were the material from which the typical landscape of the highlands was eventually formed. Separate lava flows could also significantly change the terrain: one such flow, for example, formed a dam, which, in turn, led to the appearance of Lake Tana, while another cut off part of the ocean and thus created the now dried-up salt lakes of Northern Danakil.

While much of the region was uplifting, another process of long-term pressure from the earth's crust formed an irregular depression known as the Rift Valley. It directly cuts through the Ethiopian highlands and expands to the north, including the Danakil valley and the Red Sea. The Ethiopian Rift near Addis Ababa is not so obvious, and it is not so steep - a fact that medieval conquerors did not fail to take advantage of, as well as those who later built the railway that goes to the coast. To the south of the capital, the Rift becomes clearly visible geographical structure about 80 km wide and, together with its attractive lakes, largely determines the diversity of the landscape.

The central and northern highlands of Ethiopia, home of the true Abyssinians, offer the traveler a succession of breathtaking landscapes unmatched in all of Africa. The plateau, usually cold and open to the winds, was originally, no doubt, a monotonous plain, gradually descending to the west and northwest. But the process of erosion, which has taken place over the millions of years that have passed since the Tertiary period, has carved colorful gorges that go hundreds of meters deep, suddenly opening up in the undulating surface of a high mountain plateau. Its walls may be sharply precipitous or may descend in steps, so that peculiar natural "slopes" alternate with basalt rocks, and the deep gorge thus represents a whole series of diverse climatic zones. Likewise, the plateau itself drops sharply eastward into the hot Danakil plains, dropping 2,000 m. (This gigantic cliff forms part of the Rift Valley system in such a way that, due to erosion, the actual faults are mostly indistinct.) In some areas, denudation progressed further so that only very small villages could exist solely on isolated inaccessible hilltops - the classic type amba, which, in the role of a fortress or a prison, played a prominent role in Ethiopian history. Among the foothills of the Simien Mountains there are a large number of columns and rock tops of unusual shapes, some of which still retain flat tops, which are a remnant of the original plateau.

Climate, seasons and vegetation

Although Ethiopia lies in the tropics, only its outlying territories have a truly tropical climate. The climate of the highlands, so characteristic of this country, varies according to the height from subtropical to temperate. However, seasons typical of high latitudes, based on significant temperature variations throughout the year, are not observed here. Temperatures, although they vary enormously from place to place depending on the height above sea level, change little during the year. The factor that really influences and thus sets the seasons in Ethiopia is the rains.

The Abyssinians have their own names for three major climate zones, which can be roughly defined as:

The topography of the Ethiopian highlands is so steep and intricate that one can descend to degas war(highlands with a climate warm enough for winemaking) and climb back to degas, just crossing the valley; thus, products from two or even all three climatic zones can be found in local markets. The seasonal distribution of rains in the central and northern highlands resembles the monsoon regime of the Indian subcontinent, with rainy months corresponding to the northern summer from late June to early September, as the moisture-filled winds of the Ethiopian monsoon blow from the southwest; in the southeastern highlands, where these winds first touch the hills, heavy rains fall, and therefore the longest season here is the rainy season. Conversely, upon reaching far north these winds are already wasting most of the moisture, and the high mountainous parts of the country, such as Eritrea, receive too little rain, and therefore have a shorter wet season than in the south of the country. On average, the rains stop around the time of the Ethiopian New Year in early September, followed by a long dry period lasting until February. Light rains may occur in March, April or May, but they vary greatly from place to place and from season to season. Annual rainfall in the central highlands is approximately 1,000 mm (37.4 in).

The Danakil plains, lying on the lee side or "in the rain shadow" of the highlands, receive little to no moisture during the wet season in the highlands, although the Awash streams form extensive seasonal green meadows. However, light rain may fall in January or February when the highlands are dry, at this time of the year winds blow inland from the Red Sea, and cloud masses can sometimes be seen accumulating at the eastern bluff.

Ethiopia, with its great variation in altitude and consequent variety of climate, has a rich variety of vegetation types, from a few desert scrubs to the most lush forests. In areas in the south and southwest, heavy rainfall (up to 2000 mm) and a long rainy season, together with subtropical temperatures, favor the growth of real humid jungles, containing a huge variety of trees, vines and epiphytes. The forest is a natural repository for wild rubber, as well as native coffee bushes, a product so valuable to the Ethiopian export trade.

In the central and western highlands, where the wet season is too short for the jungle and low temperatures are also often the limiting factor, drier "temperate" forests grow. For example, the footcarp (Podocarpus) grows below 2,200 m (7,000 ft) and the juniper (Juniperus, "pencil cedar") respectively above this level, although the ranges of the two dominant species may overlap. Both, sadly, were endangered by man. Total felling of juniper (locally called teed) near Addis Ababa almost led to the desolation of this city by 1890 - only a fast-growing eucalyptus brought from Australia saved the situation. This tree abounds in everyone populated place, it has become an important element of the landscape of the highlands.

Real Abyssinians feel at home on the most elevated and not protected from the wind plateau - dega - some of them reach 3,000 m (10,000 ft) or more. The plateau is now mostly devoid of forest, whose former riot can only be judged by the beautiful groves surrounding the churches, where cutting down trees is prohibited. But still individual random junipers teed, like random cosso(Hagenia Abyssinica) were spared. These trees serve not only as an ornament to the landscape, but also as a source of anthelmintic needed for people who suffer chronically from tapeworms. Low grass is the predominant feature of the landscape and is an excellent walking surface and a place for grazing. Offering some shelter, these lands are also suitable for cold-tolerant crops like beans and barley. At even higher altitudes, up to 4000 m, a wonderful "Afro-Alpine" mixture appears, consisting of giant heather, giant lobelia and immortelle and corresponding to the bizarre vegetation of the high East African mountains, although the ragwort (Senecio) has not yet been found there.

Migration of the peoples of the Horn of Africa

In many places in Ethiopia there are traces of Stone Age inhabitants from the Late Paleolithic and earlier, and an important Early Paleolithic site (which can be attributed to the "pebble culture") is now being explored at Malka Kontur, Shoa. existing knowledge about these cultures is fragmentary and is based mainly on sporadic finds of stone tools. This data has been supplemented in recent years by the discovery of prehistoric rock paintings and engravings, mainly concentrated today in two widely separated regions - Eritrea and Tigray in the north and in the Harare region in the east. They were described by P. Graziosi, who discovered stylistic parallels to these paintings in the Neolithic rock art of the Iberian Peninsula, and also South Africa. Discussing the early Eritrean finds, he came to the conclusion that they were the work of a pastoral population that lived in the area before the arrival of the humpbacked cattle and before the first appearance of the Semi-speaking immigrants from South Arabia - both of these events were dated to the first millennium BC. e.

Until now it has seemed impossible to trace the connection between these prehistoric cultures and the peoples who came and occupied the Horn of Africa later. It is essential for our study that this entire part of Africa at the dawn of historical time was inhabited by the people of the Hamitic language family. Whatever their original origin, the Hamites became the undivided owners of most of the north and east of Africa even before the appearance of the Negro tribes, with whom they subsequently mixed.

The vast majority of the population of Ethiopia must still be considered Hamitic, and many regions still speak the Cushitic languages, as befits this family of peoples. The only significant ethnic and cultural admixture that needs to be mentioned are the Semitic immigrants from South Arabia, who either peacefully or militarily imposed their language and cultural institutions on the Hamites of the northern highlands. The traditions they established, the culture they brought with them, and how it developed and penetrated deep into Ethiopia, are the main subject of this book.

Rice. one. Topographic map

Rice. 2. language map

The map (see fig. 1 and fig. 2) showing the languages ​​and peoples of Ethiopia should be considered along with the map of the physical and territorial division of the country on the next page. It represents the distribution of the main peoples of Ethiopia to the present day, a similar map would be impossible to draw for any other earlier period in Ethiopian history. It must be remembered, however, that the distribution of these peoples during the many centuries described in this book has undergone constant changes, and the great Tallas immigration, which transformed the entire ethnic scene of this region, was observed no later than the 15th or 16th century AD. e.

If you look first at the tops of both maps, you can see that the northern highlands are the home of those same Hamites who absorbed Semitic culture and still speak Semitic or "Semitic" languages. The original Ethiopian civilization appeared in this area long before the beginning of Christian era with a core in the royal and sacred city of Aksum, which later became the sacred site of Ethiopian Christianity.

Among the modern languages ​​of this group, the northernmost is Tigre (the name should not be confused with the name of the province of Tigre, or Tigray, located much further south). The speakers of this language are for the most part nomadic tribes inhabiting the low hilly lands and true lowlands of Eritrea, as well as some adjacent Sudanese territories and the desert islands of Dahlak. Most of them belong to the Beni-Amer group of Hamites of fairly pure blood, considered living copies of the pre-dynastic Egyptians (other tribes of the Beni-Amer group speak Beja Cushitic, although some small groups are bilingual). Nearly all Tiger-speakers are now Muslims, although some practiced Monophysite Christianity well into the 19th century. It is interesting to note that this particular language of the Semitic family should not now be associated either with other aspects of Semitic culture or with Christianity.

The Tigreans and Amharic, speakers of Ethiopia's two main Semitic languages, are sedentary plateau farmers living in the Eritrean highlands regions of Tigray, Beghemdira, Wallo, Gojama and Shoa. It is they who share the traditions of the Aksumite kingdom, and we will return to them in this and subsequent chapters. It must now be noted, however, that a small number of non-simitized Hamites, the remnants of the main population before the Semitic invasion, still live on the plateau and to some extent retain their languages. These are the Agau groups shown on the map, and the northernmost of them are Bogos or Bilen in Eritrea, dispersed between Tigrinya and tiger-speaking peoples. Further south, they are found around the northern shore of Lake Tana and in the Lasta region, where the Agau-Zagwe dynasty ruled in the 12th and 13th centuries. Another large group inhabits part of the Amharic citadel, the province of Gojjam (hence the name of the area - Agaumidir) and extends south to the Blue Nile.

One of these groups of settlements deserves special attention for their extremely strong Hebrew and non-Christian traditions. It's about about the Falasha, who live near Lake Tana (where some of them speak the Agau dialect) and extend further north to the Semien Mountains. According to Ullendorff, who wrote in Ethiopian, The Falasha are the descendants of those elements in Aksumite who resisted conversion to Christianity. In this context, their so-called Judaism is only a reflection of those ancient Hebrew and Judaic practices and beliefs that were introduced into part of the territory of Southeast Arabia in the first post-Christian centuries and subsequently brought to Abyssinia. They do not know Hebrew and their prayers and scriptures are written in Geez. Nevertheless, the Falasha were previously recognized as Jews - "black Jews" - from Abyssinia, and they call themselves beta Israel, or "house of Israel". For the Ethiopian emperors, who often poisoned them, they were like a thorn in the body, and did not obey them.

AT Ethiopia and bible the same researcher, again opposing the tendency to exaggerate the Jewish features of this people, sums up the essence of the matter as follows: the Falasha and the Ethiopians as a whole are the heirs of a civilization where the veneration and imitation of the Old Testament occupied a central position for a long time.

The well-fortified and practically impassable valley of the Abbai, or Toluboi Nile, where it crosses the southern border of Tojam, is one of the well-defined ethnic boundaries in Ethiopia. The south of the river is inhabited mainly by the Gauls, with the exception of the west, where the Negro tribes have advanced from the White Nile and occupy a large area of ​​the lower part of the country. We have already mentioned that the Gauls - another Hamitic people - did not live in Ethiopian territory during the Middle Ages, although their ancestors must have been in what is now Somalia, in the south of the Gulf of Aden. This interesting people, with its highly developed tribal organization and characteristic institutions, outgrew their living space and began to migrate in a southwesterly direction towards the end of the 15th century. In the 16th century, taking advantage of the situation of general chaos that followed the Muslim wars, the Gauls rushed beyond the southern borders of Ethiopia.

As a result of this total migration and despite the fierce resistance of various Ethiopian monarchs, the Gauls occupied most of the plateau, reaching in the north Vallega, Shoa and the Harar region. They have also occupied (with less difficulty) large sections of the mid-altitudes, such as the Vallo Cliff region, where they form a buffer settlement between the desert-dwelling Amharic and Danakil. Some believe that the Gauls have become, judging by their numbers, the largest single element of the population of Ethiopia. As one of the main non-simitized peoples, they show the greatest potential for integration with the Amharis. The vast majority of them abandoned the nomadic way of life. Many converted to Christianity and from the time of Menelik reached a high position in all spheres of life, often being military commanders.

Further study of the map of languages ​​will show that several other peoples also share the northwest of Ethiopia along with the Gauls. Among them, for example, are the Gurage, who speak a language related to the Semitic, whose origin is a mystery. The remainder are non-simitized Hamites who speak the languages ​​of the Cushitic family, but are not so close to other Cushitic languages: they are represented as the Sidama group and the Burji-Geleba group. The dispersion distribution of these two language groups suggests that the tribes who spoke them scattered over much larger areas before the invasion of the Gauls, who are known to have driven the last out of these vast areas. And further to the southwestern borders, the state is inhabited by little-known Negro tribes, whose territory extends to the White Nile and its tributaries. It remains to say a few words about the nomadic tribes eastern plains the people of Somalia, now stretching across the Horn of Africa. In this case, they must have arrived in these territories in relatively recent times: part of their country was settled by the Gauls only a few hundred years ago. The territory of Somalia includes not only the great new state of Somalia, but also a large part of the northeast of Kenya and the Ethiopian Ogaden, while in French Somalia they meet the Danakil peoples at the northernmost edge of their settlement. This is a vast expanse of fairly dry land, sparsely populated by groups of nomads whose way of life is completely dependent on camels.

Further north, the Danakil (or Afar), together with their relatives, the Sakho, occupy big triangle desert, adjacent to the Red Sea and bounded on the west by a large cliff wall, and on the south by highlands stretching to Harar. Climatic conditions here, especially in the northern part of Danakil, although softened seasonally by the waters

Avasha, the most hot and inhospitable of all that can be found in Ethiopia. Known for their fury during horse raids, the Danakil nomads are amazing to humans, as they eat little but milk, live in small, domed huts made of straw that easily fit on a camel's back when the nomads move to new pastures.

These wandering peoples have a slender, tall physique of a nomad, have little common features with the upland population. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to assume that they did not play any role in Ethiopian history. Quite the opposite, warlike by nature and Muslim by religion, they are precisely the people who, under strict command, have always sought to attack the Christians on the plateau. They did this intermittently for hundreds of years until the highland kingdom was brought to the brink of extinction in the 16th century.

Semitic heritage

The South Arab immigrants who, as already mentioned, brought the Semitic culture to Africa, include at least one South Arabic dialect. Nevertheless, the separation of this new Semitic territory from its Arabic roots, as well as the significant influence of local Cushite dialects, soon showed up in the evolution of a new local language. He, the official language of the Aksumite kingdom, is known locally as Geez (Appendix 1), and in the West as Ethiopian. Despite its short history as a spoken language, it was extremely important to the development of the Abyssinian civilization, became, like Latin in the West, the classical language of literature and church, and has continued to be used in that capacity ever since. Moreover, Geez is the ancestor of modern languages, the origin of which was described by Ullendorff in the following words: “In order to trace the idea of ​​the relationship of Amharic, Tigrinya and Tigre, as well as in relation to the Geez of these languages, we can use a convenient parallel with the Romance languages. If Geez is compared with Latin, Tigrinya takes the place of Italian (because they are most similar to the parent language and are spoken in its original territory). Tigre can then be likened to Spanish, and Amharic to French (also because it has undergone the most changes).”

The main factor influencing the division of these languages, as well as the division of Ge'ez, was the original Cushitic languages, especially Agave. They were spoken, no doubt, by a significant part of the population, although they are now preserved only in small enclaves. The Tigray, as well as their language, which is closest to their ancient predecessor, must be considered the direct heirs of the Aksumite kingdom in the territories where they now live. The Amharic people are pushing these traditions further southwest and south. It was they who became the dominant as well as the most numerous group among these two related populations, and their language now becomes the lingua franca of the whole country. Amharians and Tigrays together are real Abyssinians. (The term serves to distinguish them from the many other peoples inhabiting present-day Ethiopia, all of whom, despite their history and tradition, are Ethiopians. This book dedicated precisely to these Abyssinians, so defined, and in particular to the unique Christian culture that developed in their kingdom from the 4th century onwards.)

Those who have studied or lived among the Abyssinians know that their society is completely different from the old pagan tribal Africa. Indeed, it is quite rightly noted that Abyssinia is in Africa, but is not part of it. It can also be said that it exists in the present, but rather belongs to the past. Ever since the Europeans began to travel there, they began to feel transported on their journeys to other times and places—usually to biblical lands during Old Testament times.

This impression is not entirely subjective. The Abyssinians actually consider themselves the true successors of Israel, believe in the origin of their royal house from King Solomon and use tabot in their Christian worship, which symbolizes the Ark of the Covenant. They revere the Old Testament as much as the New, and have included in their social system many Mosaic commandments taken from the Book of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. (Examples are dietary taboos, especially on pork; the practice of circumcision on the eighth day of birth; the concept of ritual impurity forbidding one to appear in church after sexual intercourse, etc.; the practice of marrying a brother's widow; the practice of corporal punishment.)

The church also shows Jewish influence, especially in the observance of the rule of the double Sabbath (Saturday and Sunday). There is also a church dance of the Abyssinians, performed dabtars before Saturday(just as this ritual could be performed by the Levites before the Ark of the Covenant) with sistra drumming and prayer staffs. This scene reminds generations of the living about the episode from the Second Book of Kings, when David and the house of Israel played before the Lord on all known instruments, danced before the Almighty in complete self-denial and brought in the Ark of the Lord with shouts.

Thus, there is no doubt about the profound influence of the Old Testament on various aspects of the life of the Abyssinians, there is a biblical atmosphere here. In spite of all this, I myself have always felt more of the medieval character of the village life of the Abyssinians, since the old provinces of Ethiopia were until very recently a true feudal country, and the quasi-feudal hierarchy, like the hierarchy of the church, still retains its old prestige.

Traveling through Abyssinia in close contact with the locals, you involuntarily imagine a picture of early medieval Europe. The stone huts of the northern provinces, with high slit-like windows, have open hearths so that the smoke rises, soots the wood of the roof, and finally breaks free, seeping through the thatched decking. In the courtyard with a high wall surrounding it and (sometimes) even with a sentry house, cattle are kept at night; the place is reliably protected from unwanted entry of unauthorized people and animals. Trade is carried out mainly by barter in large bazaars, where all goods are delivered by beasts of burden. The local aristocracy moves, according to custom, on mules surrounded by foot escorts. Wandering minstrels perform at the festivities.

Again, as in the Middle Ages, the mother church permeates every sphere of life; clerics are indispensable members of the community and enjoy great respect. The same applies to the monks, the Abyssinian monasteries have always been zealous guardians not only of Christian doctrine, but also of local literature and art. Famous holy places throughout the country are a haven for wanderers who flock there from everywhere, and sacred manuscripts hung over the shoulder are still written on parchment by monastic scribes.

Whatever the mind of the traveler in this ancient country, his expectations vivid impressions will be rewarded. Those who are mainly interested in modernity will not be disappointed, because this unusual and pretty people with a rich history is still capable of a lot. Ethiopia is now part of modern world destined to play a big role in the life of Africa and the whole world in the future.

Basic moments

The territory of modern Ethiopia is included in the most ancient area of ​​the formation of human ancestors: the age of stone tools discovered here is estimated at about 3 million years. In almost all eras of antiquity, the country was relatively densely populated, mastered by the economy, from the first centuries of our era, powerful states existed on its territory. In the 4th-6th centuries, Ethiopia conducted a brisk trade with the Roman-Byzantine Empire, India, and the countries of the Middle East. At the same time, Christianity penetrated here. Only for short periods did Ethiopia find itself under the rule of one or another European state. (for example, in late XIX century, Italy formed the colony of Eritrea, which lasted only a few years).

The western and central part of the country is occupied by the Ethiopian highlands with average height 1800 m above sea level, although individual mountain ranges and peaks reach 3000 and even 4000 m. The highest peak in Ethiopia is Mount Ras Dashan (4623 m) in the Simon mountains. In general, the plateau is characterized by flat-topped mountains, similar to giant tables. The cones of volcanoes, mostly extinct, rise above the plateau. In their dilapidated craters, lakes often form, surrounded by a border of tropical greenery. A fault zone crosses Ethiopia from the Red Sea to the south (northern part of the African Great Rifts system). In the deep Afar basin, separated from the Red Sea by the low Danakil ridge, at around 116 m below sea level lies the salt lake Assale. Valley of the Awash River and a chain of rift lakes (the largest is Lake Abay), stretched to Lake Rudolf in neighboring Kenya, separate the Ethiopian highlands from the Ethiopian-Somali plateau, which occupies the southeast of the country, with prevailing heights up to 1500 m and individual peaks up to 4310 m (Mount Batu). Due to active faults, Ethiopia is characterized by increased seismicity: earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 5 points occur annually, and once every five years - even stronger ones. There are also many hot springs in the rift zone.

The largest river in the country - Abbay (Blue Nile). Flowing out of Lake Tana, Abbay forms a large and picturesque Tis-Ysat waterfall, and then flows for 500 km in a canyon with a depth of 1200–1500 m. Nile - Atbara.

The climate of Ethiopia is subequatorial hot, seasonally humid, in the northeast - tropical desert and semi-desert. The Afar Depression is one of the hottest places on Earth (average minimum temperature 25 °C, maximum 35 °C), but in most of the highlands, due to the height softening the heat, the average monthly temperatures range from 15 to 26 ° C. Night frosts occur in the mountains. At the same time, on the coasts, the hottest month is May, the coldest is January, and in the mountains it is vice versa: the coolest month is July, the hottest are December and January. Rain falls mainly from July to September, although there is also a "little wet season" in March-April. The dry season lasts from September to February. Average annual rainfall - from 200–500 mm on the plains to 1000–1500 mm (even up to 2000 mm) in the mountains of the central and southwestern regions. The plains often suffer from severe droughts, when there is no rain almost all year round.

A third of the country's territory is occupied by deserts and semi-deserts, the stony deserts of the Afar depression and the Danakil desert are especially lifeless. In the east of Ethiopia, grassy savannahs and forest savannahs with umbrella-shaped acacias spread, and in the southwestern part of the country, in the river valleys and in the mountains at altitudes of 1700–1800 m, tropical rainforests grow with palm trees, wild coffee trees, tree-like euphorbia, sycamores (giant ficuses). At altitudes above 3000 m, tropical analogues of alpine forests are developed. The animal world is still rich, despite the extermination of animals over the centuries: elephants, zebras, antelopes, lions, servals, leopards, hyenas are found in the savannas, ostriches are found in the Danakil semi-desert. The world of birds is especially diverse, and in the coastal waters of the Red Sea, the fauna of coral reefs is of great interest. To protect the fauna, reserves and national parks have been created: on the Awash River, Abiyata Lake, the Mannagesh Forest Park, etc.

Most of the Ethiopian population (total - about 103 million people) refers to the Ethiopian race - as if intermediate between Caucasoid and Negroid. Delicate features, wavy hair, tall stature and chocolate-colored skin make most Ethiopians extraordinarily beautiful. The peoples of the country speak Semitic (these include the state - Amharic) and Cushitic languages. Part of the population belongs to the Negroid race. The Amhara and Oromo peoples make up 3/4 of the population. The two main religions are Islam and Christianity, but approximately 10% of the inhabitants adhere to local traditional beliefs. The main occupations are agriculture, cattle breeding, crafts. Most of the inhabitants build round huts with a cone-shaped straw roof. Saved traditional clothing- long dresses and capes, often decorated with ornaments, rich embroidery.

The capital of the country - Addis Ababa, located at an altitude of 2400 m, is called the "city of eternal spring" because of the temperate climate all year round. The city was founded in 1885, but now it is dominated by modern buildings. Addis Ababa is famous for its huge bazaar. The second largest city - Asmara - is located in the north of the country. It is also considered the most comfortable and beautiful city in Ethiopia. Gondar (north of Lake Tana) until the middle of the 19th century, it was the capital of the empire, as the castles of the 16th-18th centuries remind of, it houses a historical museum.

Ethiopian cities

All cities in Ethiopia

Ethiopia Attractions

All sights of Ethiopia

Story

The modern territory of Ethiopia belongs to the most ancient, East African, area of ​​the formation of man as a biological species. The age of archaeological finds of the remains of Australopithecus and Homo habilis in Ethiopia is estimated at 2.5-2.1 million years. During the formation of the first state formations in Egypt and Mesopotamia, the settlement of Ethiopia by representatives of the Semitic-Hamitic, Nilotic-Cushite and other language groups began. The formation of the most ancient associations in the south of the Arabian Peninsula - the Hadhramaut, Kataban and Sabaean kingdoms - ca. 1000 BC e. accelerated the process of resettlement of part of the population from South Arabia (modern Yemen) to present-day Eritrea and Northeast Ethiopia. As a result, by the 7th century BC. e. these territories were included in the Kingdom of Savva. It was this circumstance that allowed the early medieval Ethiopian propaganda to proclaim the Ethiopian royal family The Solomonids are descendants of the Israeli-Jewish king Solomon and the biblical queen of Sheba, known in the Ethiopian tradition as Makeda or Bilqis.

The ancient Greeks called Ethiopians all the blacks of Africa, primarily the Nubians, but now this name is assigned to the territory, also known as Abyssinia. It was here that at the beginning of our era, as a result of the unification of a number of small tribal formations, known from the middle of the 1st millennium BC. e. a large Aksumite kingdom was formed, which reached its greatest prosperity in the III-VI centuries. n. e. Aksum was actively trading with Egypt, Arabia, Syria, Parthia (later - Persia), India, exporting ivory, incense and gold in large quantities. During its political dominance in the region, Aksum extended its influence to Nubia, South Arabia, the Ethiopian highlands and northern Somalia. Since the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (4th century) the intensified penetration of Christianity from Egypt, Rome and Asia Minor into Aksum begins, associated with the preaching of the teachings of Christ by Edessius and the first bishop of Abyssinia, Frumentius. 329 is considered the founding date of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church of the Monophysite persuasion, which remained dependent on the Egyptian Coptic Church until 1948. By the 6th century, Christianity was established as the dominant religion in Ethiopia, which became the first Christian country in Tropical Africa. In 451, during the schism of the Christian Church, at the Council of Chalcedon, the Copts spoke out in support of the Monophysite trend, and representatives of the Ethiopian Church took the same position.

At the beginning of the 6th century, in order to avenge the oppression of the local Christian population by their rulers, the army of King Kaleb of Aksum invaded southern Arabia. Around the same time, Judaism began to penetrate into Ethiopia, which had a noticeable influence on the rites of the Ethiopian church; in addition, part of the Aksumites became followers of Judaism. (The descendants of these northern Falasha converts have now emigrated almost entirely to Israel. Their emigration began in the mid-1980s and ended in 1991.) Although the Aksumite ruler Arma gave refuge to the first followers of the Prophet Muhammad during their persecution in Arabia in the 7th century, the spread of Islam led to the isolation of the Aksumite kingdom. The Ethiopians disappeared behind their rugged mountains and, as Gibbon wrote, "slept for almost a thousand years, forgetting about the world around them, which also forgot about them." However, many of the country's rulers tried to maintain ties with Western European Christian countries.

According to Ethiopian tradition, the genealogy of the imperial family goes back to the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. It is believed that the hereditary right to the imperial throne of the Solomonic dynasty was interrupted for about two centuries by representatives of the Zagüe dynasty. At the end of the 13th century the ruler of Shoa ascended the throne, proving his belonging to the Solomonids. This was followed by a period of religious and cultural revival, when royal chronicles and numerous works of a spiritual nature were created, the most significant of which was Cabre Nagest. (Glory to the kings), containing the story of the journey of the Queen of Sheba to Jerusalem.

At the end of the 15th century a small group of Portuguese and other Europeans, who went in search of the kingdom of the high priest John, covered with legends in medieval Europe, arrived in Ethiopia. The Portuguese hoped to make this Christian country an ally in the fight against the Muslims and gaining strength Ottoman Empire. After, after 1531, Ethiopia began to suffer one defeat after another from the army of Imam Adal Ahmed ibn Ibrahim, known as the Edge (Lefty), and lost most of its territory, the emperor turned to Portugal for help. In 1541, a detachment of 400 Portuguese landed in Massawa, led by Christopher da Gama, the son of the famous navigator Vasco da Gama. Most of the detachment, including its leader, died in battle with the Muslims. With the assistance of the surviving Portuguese, a new Ethiopian army was created, armed with muskets. (before that time, only the warriors of the Edge had firearms). In 1543, this army defeated the enemy, and Ahmed Gran himself died in the battle.

Attempts by the Portuguese, and later by the Jesuits, to impose Catholicism on the population of the country led to numerous conflicts. In the end, in 1633 the Jesuits were expelled from Ethiopia. In the next 150 years, the country was almost in complete isolation from Europe. The founding of the capital in Gondar, where several stone castles were built, dates back to this period. In the middle of the 18th century the power of the emperor fell into decay, and the country was engulfed in feudal civil strife. In 1769, the English traveler James Bruce visited Ethiopia, trying to find the source of the Nile. In 1805, the British mission acquired a trading port on the Red Sea coast. At the beginning of the 19th century other Europeans also visited the country. In 1855, Tewodros, one of the most capable military leaders of the time, seized the imperial throne, restored the power and authority of the supreme power, and tried to unite and reform the country.

After two years of Queen Victoria's failure to respond to a letter sent to her by Tewodros, several officials of Great Britain were thrown into prison at Makdal by order of the Emperor. All attempts to secure their release through diplomatic means have come to nothing. In 1867, a military expeditionary force was sent to Ethiopia to free the prisoners under the command of General Robert Napier. Having landed from the ships on January 7, 1868 in the town of Mulkutto on the shores of Zula Bay, the Napier detachment, numbering more than 10 thousand people, moved through the difficult mountainous terrain on a 650-kilometer path to Mekdela. The British received aid and food from local residents, dissatisfied with the emperor Tewodros, primarily the Tigrians. On the other hand, Tewodros was also advancing towards Mekdela, whose power had shaken by this time, and the ranks of the imperial army had thinned out. April 13, 1868 this mountain fortress fell under the onslaught of the British troops. During the assault, not wanting to fall into the hands of enemies, Tewodros shot himself. Soon the British troops left Ethiopia.

After the death of Tewodros, Johannes IV, the ruler of Tigray, an ally of the British in their war with Tewodros, became emperor. His twenty-year reign, full of turbulent events, began with the suppression of attempts by other pretenders to seize the throne. Subsequently, Yohannis had many battles with external enemies: Italians, Mahdists and Egyptians. The Italians, who in 1869 acquired the port of Assab, in 1885, with the consent of the British, captured Massawa, which had previously belonged to Egypt. In 1884, Great Britain and Egypt promised the emperor that Ethiopia would receive the right to use Massawa, but the Italians soon closed access there and began to systematically move deep into Ethiopia. In January 1887, the emperor's soldiers inflicted a defeat on the Italians at the town of Dogali and forced them to retreat. Then Yohannis entered into hostilities with the Mahdists, who now and then invaded Ethiopia from the territory of the Sudan. In March 1889 he was mortally wounded in one of the battles. Negus Shoa Menelik became the emperor of Ethiopia, who for several years enjoyed the support of Italy. Shoa Menelik made successful military campaigns against the rebellious provinces and achieved a significant consolidation of the Ethiopian state. During his reign, reforms began to modernize the country.

On May 2, 1889, shortly before the official coronation act, Menelik concluded the Uchchal Treaty with Italy, according to which the Italians received the right to occupy Asmara. Outwardly, very friendly relations were established between the two countries. However, this treaty has become a source of many problems. The Amharic copy of the treaty provided that Ethiopia, if it deemed it necessary, could resort to the "good offices" of Italy in relations with other powers. In the Italian text of the treaty, it was stated that Ethiopia was only obliged to do so. In practice, this meant complete Italian control over Ethiopian foreign policy. Using its text of the treaty, Italy declared that, based on the provisions of the General Act of the Berlin Conference of 1885, it has the right to establish its own protectorate over Ethiopia. The persistence of Italian diplomacy in upholding an interpretation of the Uchchal treaty that was beneficial to it led to its denunciation by the Ethiopian side on May 11, 1893.

In 1895-1896, Italian expansion in the region continued with an attempt to increase the colonial possessions at the expense of Ethiopia, but the military campaign of the Italian expeditionary force, supported by the Eritrean auxiliary forces, ended in a disastrous defeat at the Battle of Adua. The Negus of Ethiopia was in a position where he could have tried to reconquer part of Eritrea as well, but preferred a peace deal.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a dynastic conflict took place in the country, which resulted in the installation of Emperor Haile Selassie on the throne, who carried out limited reforms in the country aimed at modernizing Ethiopian society.

In 1935-1936 Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia again. The invaders had complete military advantage, but still used several chemical weapon. The League of Nations condemned the aggression sluggishly and was inconsistent when imposing sanctions, in which Soviet historiography saw an important stage in the dismantling of the system collective security in Europe. The Italian occupation of the country continued until 1941, when the British army, supported by auxiliary forces recruited from the African colonies, retook Ethiopia and Eritrea.

After the war, Selassie continued to rule as an absolute monarch. By the early 1970s, his position was being criticized from all sides. political space, and a big contribution to further developments introduced a large-scale famine of the early 70s, which led to large human losses.

In 1974, measures to improve the economy resulted in a sharp increase in prices and led to mass demonstrations of protest; the situation was exploited by a group of military men with Marxist political views, which organizationally took shape in the summer of that year into a committee called the Derg. He led the process of dismantling the monarchy, also known as the "creeping coup." By mid-autumn, the Derg had almost completely subjugated all administrative structures and proclaimed a course towards building a socialist society. From 1975 to 1991 the USSR and countries of Eastern Europe provided comprehensive assistance to Ethiopia.

On August 25, 1975, the deposed Emperor Haile Selassie I died under suspicious circumstances. In 1976-1977, the Derg strengthened its positions by reprisals against opponents, both royalists and separatists, and the "leftists"; this campaign is also known as the "Red Terror". The leader of the Derg at this stage was Mengistu Haile Mariam.

Taking advantage of the country's difficult situation during this period, the Somali army intensively supported the separatist movement of ethnic Somalis in the southeastern region of the country, the Ogaden, and in 1977-1978 tried to annex the Ogaden by force. These events are known as the War for the Ogaden. Cuba, the USSR and South Yemen provided great assistance in the fight against the enemy of Ethiopia.

The task set to bring Ethiopia from a feudal society to a communist regime could not be fulfilled. Attempts to collectivize agriculture only led to its further degradation. In 1984, a famine broke out in the country, far exceeding in scope and number of victims the pandemic of the early 70s. The Mengistu government also failed to resolve the Eritrean issue; despite large-scale military operations against the separatists, a decisive victory was never achieved.

In the late 80s, in the context of the growing crisis in the USSR, the Mengistu government found itself in a critical situation, and as a result, in May 1991, it was overthrown as a result of the activities of an alliance of rebel movements, in which the main role was played by Eritrean groups.

A group of rebel leaders came to power in the country, according to Marxists of the extreme left, who started as supporters of Enver Hoxha, then changed their ideological orientation to a more liberal one. Since then, the country has been permanently headed by the representative of this group, Meles Zenawi, first as president, then, after the introduction of a parliamentary republic, as prime minister.

In the field of foreign policy, the Zenawi government allowed Eritrea to secede in 1993, but then there was a period of cooling with the former allies who came to power in the new state. Nadir in relations between neighbors was reached in 1998-2000, when the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict broke out in the border zone, ending with a slight advantage of Ethiopia. The question of the border between the countries still remains unresolved. In 1997, 2000 and 2006, Ethiopia also took an active part in the fate of Somalia. In the latter case, the Ethiopian army defeated the formations of local Islamists and installed in Mogadishu a transitional government loyal to Ethiopia, headed by Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed.

culture

Ethiopia is the only traditionally Christian African country. One of its main religions is Eastern Christianity. (Ethiopian Church), the positions of Islam are also strong in all peripheral regions. The Ethiopian Church adheres to Monophysitism.

According to the 1994 census: Christians - 60.8% (Orthodox - 50.6%, Protestants - 10.2%), Muslims - 32.8%, African cults - 4.6%, others - 1.8%.

For a long time, literature was created mainly in the gyyz language and had mainly religious content. True, already at the end of the 13th century. the first royal chronicles appeared on parchment. In the 19th century the first works in the Amharic language were created, and shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, the first printing press appeared in the country. Not least in order to support the development of modern literature in the Amharic language, during his regency, Emperor Haile Selassie I founded the publishing house "Byrhan enna Selyam" ("Light and Peace"). Most of the literary works were characterized by a moralizing orientation. Lot dramatic works was created after the liberation of the country from the Italian occupation, and they were staged either on the stage of the National Theater or by university students. In the early 1990s, Addis Ababa published three daily newspapers in Amharic and one in English.

In the traditional fine arts Ethiopia was dominated by a predominantly Byzantine style. After 1930, commercial art focused on the needs of tourists developed significantly. In works of this kind, there was often a plot of the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, and they were a series of popular prints, each of which complemented the other. Around the same time, artists began to paint the walls of taverns and bars with images of national heroes and saints.

The cuisine of Ethiopia is in many ways similar to the cuisine of its neighboring countries - Somalia and Eritrea. Main Feature Ethiopian cuisine is the lack of cutlery and plates: they are replaced by figs - the traditional teff flatbread. Another striking feature is the presence of a large number of spices.

Coffee is the pride of Ethiopia. Entire rituals have been developed here, like Chinese tea ceremonies, from roasting coffee beans to drinking coffee.

There are many vegetarian dishes in Ethiopian cuisine - there are many Muslims and Orthodox Christians who observe strict religious fasts. In general, Ethiopian cuisine is distinguished by a wide variety of flavors and aromas, created through a unique combination of spices and vegetables.

Economy

The basis of the Ethiopian economy is low-profit consumer agriculture. In the 1970s, economic growth was no more than 5%. And revolutionary changes led to an even greater decline in GDP growth. Complicated economic situation and the loss of Ethiopian ports on the Red Sea. Severe droughts and crop failures led to a humanitarian catastrophe at the end of the 20th century. By the end of the 20th century, the economic situation of Ethiopia began to improve. GDP growth was about 8% per year. Thanks to the easing of customs regimes, the level of investment in the country's economy has increased. The main investors are China, India and Saudi Arabia. basis economic development in recent years are foreign loans and humanitarian aid.

Agriculture is the main branch of the Ethiopian economy, providing 85% of jobs. It provides about 45% of GDP and 62% of the country's exports. Coffee accounted for 39.4% of exports in 2001-2002. Coffee is Ethiopia's gift to the world. This country is the main producer of Arabica coffee in Africa. Tea is another important crop. Endowed with vast agro-climatic zones and diverse resources, Ethiopia processes all types of cereals, fibers, peanuts, coffee, tea, flowers, as well as fruits and vegetables. More than 140 types of varieties are currently processed in Ethiopia. Potentially non-irrigated lands are estimated at 10 million hectares. Animal husbandry in Ethiopia is one of the most developed and numerous in Africa. Fishing and forestry are also significant industries. There is great potential for investment in these industries.

Ethiopia's varied agro-climatic conditions favor the cultivation of a wide range of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Vegetable growing and flowers are the most dynamically developing sectors of the economy. In 2002, more than 29,000 tons of fruit products and 10 tons of flowers were exported. Without exaggeration, we can say that the floriculture sector is the most attractive for investment in the entire Ethiopian economy.

Ethiopia is the largest country in Africa in terms of livestock and is also among the ten largest in the world in this indicator. Ethiopia has 35 million cattle, 16 million sheep and 10 million goats.

Ethiopia has 3.3 million hives and is the main producer and exporter of honey and beeswax in Africa. This industry provides excellent investment prospects.

Industry accounts for about 15% of GDP. The food, textile, leather, woodworking, chemical and metallurgical industries are mainly developed. During the first quarter of 2001, Ethiopia exported food products worth approximately 54.8 million birr.

The financial sector is very underdeveloped, which slows down the development of the country. There is no stock exchange in Ethiopia. Banking is underdeveloped.

Politics

Ethiopia is a federal parliamentary republic with a prime minister as head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Federal legislative power is concentrated in the hands of the two houses of parliament. The head of state is the president.

According to article 78 of the Constitution of Ethiopia, the judiciary is completely independent of the executive and legislative branches. However, according to foreign research reports, Ethiopia ranks 106 out of 167 countries in the ranking of democratic government. She is ahead of Cambodia, which is located in 105th place; Ethiopia is followed by Burundi - 107th place.

In June 1994, elections were held in constituent Assembly, whose members were 547 deputies. In December of the same year, the modern Constitution of Ethiopia was adopted by the assembly. In May and June 1995, Ethiopia held its first popular elections for a national parliament and elections for regional governments. However, most of the opposition parties decided to boycott these elections. As a result, the Ethiopian People's Democratic Revolutionary Front won. International and non-governmental observers concluded that the elections were held without violations, and opposition parties had the opportunity to participate in the elections if they so wished.

Hot Ethiopia (in the recent past Abyssinia) - last country where ancient Christianity was preserved. Mysterious and not at all like the others Another nature, other people, another religion. And even slavery was not there.

Where is Ethiopia located, on which continent. Statehood

The country of Ethiopia is located in Despite this placement, the territory has no access to the sea. It borders on Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Sudan. This is the most mountainous. Its significant area is occupied by But plains and slopes are also present on its territory.

As for statehood, this country is a federal democratic republic headed by the president. The most common religion is Christianity.

Ethiopia country: history, language, seas

Amharic is spoken in Ethiopia. Also here you can hear Arabic, Somali and English speech. The national currency is the birr. The capital of Ethiopia is the picturesque city of Addis Ababa, the symbol of the city is the image of a lion.

There are many monuments to this majestic beast in the capital, and images of a lion can also be found on local currency and various emblems.

Until 1993, she had access to the Red Sea. But after the secession of Eritrea, she lost this privilege.

The territory where Ethiopia is located is historically ancient and unique. And even now, in our enlightened age, it is strikingly different from the rest of the world. There is no industry here, people plow on oxen, just like 2000 years ago, there is no light and water in the villages.

Climate of Ethiopia

The climate of Ethiopia is formed by two factors: subequatorial and equatorial. climatic zones, as well as its location in the Ethiopian highlands. It was this combination that gave the area where Ethiopia is located a fertile mild climate, with sufficient rainfall and an average air temperature of +25 ... +30 ° С.

Sharp temperature changes are unusual for this area, but the difference between day and night temperatures can be 15 degrees. Favorable weather conditions are not present throughout sunny Ethiopia. Her eastern regions characterized by a hot and desert climate.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of Ethiopia is diverse. On its territory there are plants and animals that are typical for desert regions and tropical forests. Giraffes, hippos, lions, elephants live here.

Rhinos, antelopes, jackals, hyenas and various types of primates are found in large numbers. Many of these animals were subjected to total extermination, but at the moment the state policy is aimed at combating crimes against the animal world.

Landmarks of the country

Ethiopia is a picturesque, colorful country with a deep history. The most magnificent sights of this African land are the Rock Churches in Lalibela and the Dallol Volcano.

In the town of Lalibela, in northern Ethiopia, there are 11 rock-cut structures. This is a temple complex of the XII-XIII centuries, decorated with columns. The construction of the churches is solid, their roof is located at ground level, and the entrance is in a deep cave.

Unlike other African countries, Ethiopia has never been a colony, so foreign influence is kept to a minimum. Infrastructure and tourism are poorly developed here. The territory where Ethiopia is located does not use the Gregorian, but the Coptic calendar. The time difference between these two time counting systems is 7 years 9 months and 5 days.

In addition, the Coptic calendar has 13 months, 12 of which last 30 days, and the last 5 days. This feature is adopted by travel companies, having come up with the slogan "Ethiopia - the rest of 13 solar months."

The capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, is in the same time zone as Moscow, but sunrise occurs at 0 o'clock. Many people who live where the country of Ethiopia is located do not know how to use the clock.

Note to tourists

The most convenient currency for traveling to Ethiopia is the dollar. They can easily pay in hotels, shopping malls, shops, restaurants, clubs and other places. Euros on the territory of this country are not so popular, they only need to be changed to the national currency in banks. You won’t have to hope for a visa-free regime; to cross the border, you will need to apply for a visa in advance.

Unfortunately, street crime thrives in Ethiopia. Sometimes whole gangs work. It is not safe to explore the surroundings of cities on your own and travel without a guide.

Food should be treated with caution, and water should only be drunk from sealed bottles, you should not even brush your teeth with tap water.