Ethiopia is a country beset by years of war, severe drought, and epidemics, and crippled economically and socially. One of the oldest countries in the world, Ethiopia is Africa's second most populous nation.
An estimated five million children are orphaned in Ethiopia
Climate:
The most pleasant time to visit Ethiopia is between October and May, while June to September is the rainy season.
Population:
74,777,981 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
Life Expectancy:
52 years
Religion:
Muslim 45%-50%, Ethiopian Orthodox 35%-40%, animist 12%, other 3%-8%
Language:
Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English (major foreign language taught in schools)
Currency:
Official Ethiopian currency is the Ethiopian Birr (ETB).
