History and Government
Ethiopia, the land that was once known as Abyssinia and that was one of the great kingdoms of the ancient world, is old beyond what most people could imagine. Its culture and tradition dates back over 3,000 years. Infact, the 3.5 million-year-old skeleton of “Lucy” or Australopithecus at Hadar, in the Afar Region, the 4.4 million-year-old remains of Australopithecus Remides which is considered to be man’s anthropoid ancestor, and the earliest hand tools of humans unearthed in the Omo Valley make the country the oldest home of mankind on the planet.
 Moreover, the country, which has never been colonized, is one of and is perhaps the richest histories on the African continent and has a wealth of castles, palaces, ancient churches, monasteries and mosques as well as unique wild life, bird life and breath taking vistas. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) was established under a new Constitution of 21 August 1995. The Constitution provides for a federal system of the State, which is structurally based on the Federal Government, nine autonomous States and two chartered cities (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa). The States and chartered cities are vested with powers of self-administration. They have also legislative, executive and judicial powers regarding all matters that fall under their respective jurisdictions except those exclusively given by the Constitution to the Federal Government such as national defence, Foreign Affairs, macroeconomic policy and the printing of currency.
The country has a parliamentarian form of government with a bicameral parliament, which comprises the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of the Federation. The House of Peoples’ Representatives is the highest authority of the Federal Government and the members are elected by the people for a term of five years on the bases of direct universal adult suffrage.
Cities and Towns
Ethiopia has one of the lowest crime rates in Africa. Its capital, Addis Ababa, unlike other developing state capitals has a record of few common crimes. The city is considered as one of the safest capital in Africa.
Addis Ababa, the Federal Capital, lies in the central plateau at an altitude of 2,400 meters, 9° north of the equator. Its average annual temperature is 16°C (60°F). Average annual rainfall is 122.1 millimeters.
 Young as cities go, Addis Ababa was founded in 1887, and has a population of about 3 million. It is the seat of the Federal Government, the African Union (AU), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Several other regional and international organizations have their headquarters and branch offices in the capital. It is also the center of commercial activities and industry. Manufacturing plants for steel fabrication, wool, tanneries, textiles, cement, tiers, leather goods and breweries are some of the factories located in and around the capital.
Resort centers with hot springs and lakes as well as national parks which lie to the south and east of the capital, Addis Ababa, are easily accessible by road. Among those resort areas are Sodere, Langano, Awassa, Wondo Genet and Awash Park. They are adorned and frequented by both locals and foreigners.
The other important centers of trade and industry in the country are: Awassa, Dire Dawa, Gonder, Dessie, Nazareth, Jimma, Harar, Bahir Oar, Mekele, Debre Markos and Kombolcha just to mention a few. They are connected to Addis Ababa by asphalt and gravel roads. All of them have good infrastructure facilities such as water, electricity, telephone, internet service, star designated hotels, and most of them have also airports. |
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