Ethiopia Facts

Ethiopia is the cradle of an ancient civilization that adopted Christianity in the 4th century. Located in northeast Africa it has a population of over 70 million and covers an area of almost 429 square miles.

Ethiopia is mountainous with desert lowlands to the northeast and southeast and has been landlocked since Eritrea, bordering the Red Sea, gained its independence in 1993.

Ethiopia enjoys a moderate climate despite its close proximity to the Equator. Its high altitude ensures fairly consistent non-tropical temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius during the day to around 8 degrees Celsius at night. However, in the mountains, especially in January, temperatures can drastically drop. Temperatures in the lower lying areas such as Awash, Omo and the Mago park can be quite high, therefore it is advised to drink plenty of water and use high UV sun screen protection.

Ethiopia has two main rainy seasons - one is late January to early March when there are irregular short rainy spells. The other season is June until September with longer periods of heavier rain.