Total area: 1,127,127 sq km (435,186 sq mi)
Population (2008 est.): 78,254,090
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Addis Ababa - 2,716,200
Currency: Birr
Languages: Amharic, Tigrigna, Orominga, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, English, over 70 others
Religions: Islam 45%–50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%–40%, animist 12%, other 3%–8%
Time zone: GMT+3, Daylight Savings Time is not observed
Electricity: AC 220V/50Hz, European two pin plugs or three round pin plugs are used
Ethiopia is a landlocked country in east Africa. With over 79 million population Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, Eritrea to the north and Sudan to the west.
Ethiopia has been an independent state since ancient times and it's the only country in Africa that has never been colonized by Europeans. This made possible for Ethiopia to retain
its culture, language and national identity.
Ethiopia occupies most inland part of the "Horn of Africa", which is the easternmost part of the continent. Ethiopia's terrain consists mostly of vast highland complex of mountains and dissected high plateaus which are divided by the Great Rift Valley running southwest to northeast. The valley is surrounded by lowlands, steppes, or semi-desert areas.
