Final Research Paper

The Culture of Ethiopia and major attraction
·  Introduction

Africa is known for the culture with much cultural diversity. Many different cultures can be found within the continent of Africa. Ethiopia is very well known around the world and I decided to write about my country Ethiopia. When you think of Ethiopia (well Africa in general), you only seem to think about the bad things that you hear and see on TV, such as the starving children without parent’s trying to make it on their own, adults shooting and killing for food and a place to live, and people walking around without clothes on and no shoes to walk on. Africa has many beautiful cultures that people take pride in, unlike us. We tend to forget the things that have brought us to where we are today. Because Africa isn’t looked at “as the way of living life”, it gets overlooked.

I did a little research and decided to write a research paper. I would like to do my paper focus on Ethiopia, because I was born and lived there until the age of 21. Ethiopia is very well known around the world but most people they don’t know about Ethiopia’s culture, languages, religion, festivals and events, food, music, and art based on my experience and some information I would like to describe about those things.  Ethiopia is the only country in Africa that has never been colonized and their people take pride in their struggle to keep their independence. And Ethiopia is reach in Natural resources like gold, platinum, copper, potash, and natural gas.  The country is located in East Africa.
·  History and language

The Greek historian Herodotus, of the fifth century BC, describes ancient Ethiopia in his writings, while the Bible's Old Testament records the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem where "she proved Solomon with hard questions". Matters clearly went further than that because legend asserts that King Menelik - the founder of the Ethiopian Empire - was the son of the Queen and Solomon. Ethiopia has more than 80 languages and over 200 dialects In Ethiopia, this language is Amharic, a Semitic tongue. The Afro-Asiatic (Hamo Semitic) language group, which is includes the Semitic and Cushitic languages of Ethiopia, developed during the eighth millennium BC (BCE).

Amharic has long been the dominant language, but Ethiopia itself was always a conglomeration of peoples. Today, Ethiopia's principle ethnic groups are Oromo Amhara and Tigrea and Sidamo Tigrinya and Orominga are widely spoken.Amharic or Amharigna is the official language of Ethiopia although the government encourages local languages to be taught in schools. Ethiopia has communities of ‘falashas’, Ethiopian Jews, especially in the Gondar region in the north. Many of these however have now departed to live in Israel, having been airlifted out of the country with Operation Solomon and Operation Moses in the latter part of the 20th century.

These people are pastoral and agricultural, living mainly in central and southwestern Ethiopia. The Shankella’s are the people in the western part of the country from the boarder of Eritrea to Lake Turkana, which is about six percent of the population
·  Religions

            The main religions that are throughout this country are Christianity, Islamic, and Ethiopian Orthodox. The people of Ethiopia accept their religion into their everyday life. Somehow or someway whatever it is that they do is based on their religion. I don’t find the way people in Ethiopia accept their religion into their lives any different as we do here or anywhere else in the world. Christianity is the dominant religion in Ethiopia and it has been told that, that came about in during the fourth century. The Orthodox Church connects with ancient Judaism in many ways for instance fasting, food restrictions, slaughtering animals, circumcision, and the layout of churches. Islam is also a very strong religion in this country.

·       Food

   Food is another part of Ethiopia culture that is very important. I believe that based upon their religion is what they eat, and not only what they eat but also how it’s prepared. Food that is mostly known in this culture is fish, chicken, beef, vegetables, and beans. There is also what they call staple grain which is known as Teff. Ethiopians use lots of spices because they usually like their foods very hot. Something that we’d consider as very spicy probably wouldn’t be spicy to them. The last course of a meal is often kitfo, freshly ground raw beef. Ethiopians brew a barley beer called tella and a honey wine called tej. Small fried cookies known as dabo kolo are a favorite snack .Other meals eaten by this culture include Doro Alicha, a mild Ethiopian chicken dish, Doro Wat, a spicy chicken dish, Tibs Wet a very spicy and fatty meat dish, Injera spongy pancake bread eating with Ethiopian food, Yekik Alich’a a split pea dish with mild sauce, Spiced Butter an herbed butter, Berbere a red-pepper based spice mixture used in Ethiopian dishes and Ethiopian lentils.

·       Holidays

Ethiopians are known for celebrating all holidays and special days such as birthdays. They also have simple family days, which I think is just they may just set specials days to do certain things. Some families set days where they have movies days, and I think that something like their simple family days. There are special marked holidays such as festivals are Meskal and Timkat. Meskal is a two day festival that is held at the end of the month of September celebrating the finding of the True Cross. Timkat is held twelve days after Christmas according to the Julian calendar. There is singing and dancing and it just a time for the people of Ethiopia to come together to have a good time and to celebrate what they believe in.

·       Art

Art is also known to be very vital to the Ethiopian culture. In Ethiopia art can be found just about everywhere because it means so much to the people. The art is a naïve style of painting that can be found in every church, which makes me believe that it’s also, has a lot to do with their religion. The almond-shaped eyes are a particularly appealing characteristic. Church painting in Ethiopia serves a very real purpose, with all the biblical and more localized religious stories being portrayed clearly and simply to inform uneducated people of their traditions and their heritage. Ethiopia's has dramatic topography has in some measure influenced one of Africa's distinctive longstanding cultural traditions. It is dominated by a volcanically formed mountainous plateau known as the Ethiopian Highlands that reaches up to 4,600 meters above sea level. There are major attractions like The Simien Mountain highlands, Afar Depression, Erta Ale, The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, The Castles of Gondar Axum historical and archaeological sites and also The River Nile; the longest river in Africa, Sof Omar is one of the most spectacular and extensive underground cave systems in the world and Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy is called "dinknesh," where humanity evolved and the earliest evidence of our ancestors has been discovered in Ethiopia those are major attraction in Ethiopia.

·       Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy is called "dinknesh,"

Lucy is the common name of AL 288-1, several hundred pieces of bone representing about 40% of the skeleton of a female Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy is called "dinknesh," which means the wondrous one. It was discovered in 1974 at Hadar in the Awash Valley of Ethiopia's Afar Depression. In paleoanthropology, usually only fossil fragments are found, and only rarely are skulls or ribs uncovered intact; thus this discovery was an astounding feat that provided an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence. Lucy is estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago,[1][3] and is classified as a hominid. Archaeologists and anthropologists continually claim that the oldest hominid remains (Australopithecus ramidus, a new species, and 4.4 million years old) were originally discovered here in the Afar region.

·       The Simien Mountain National Park (North Gondar Zone)

                The Simien Mountain is one of the major highlands of Africa, rising to the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Dejen (4620m), which is the fourth highest peak in the continent. Although Simien is in Africa and not too far from the equator, snow and ice appear on the highest points and night temperatures often fall below zero.

            The Simien Mountains National Park has international significance because of its biodiversity, highest number of endemic species and outstanding biophysical features .There are major wildlife species which are either unique to the region or to particular ecosystem within the region, as well as these species playing major or vital ecological function. In the Simien Mountains National Park the Gelada Baboon (Theropitcus Gelada], which is also known as 'The Bleeding heart Baboon', Walya Ibex (CapraIbex Walie), Ethiopian Wolf (Canis Simiensis) formerly known as the Simien Fox, klipspringer (Creatragus Oreotragus) are found. Some of them are endemic to the national park [like Walya Ibex and Simien Fox] whereas the others are endemic to Ethiopia.

·       The  major attraction Dallol (Amharic:)

Dallol was a settlement in the Dallol woreda of northern Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 2 of the Afar Region in the Afar Depression, it has a latitude and longitude of 14°14′19″N 40°17′38″E with an elevation of about 130 meters below sea level.  It is the lowest sub-aerial volcanic area on record in the world. It is an immense area of uplifted thick salt deposits famous for being the only known volcanic area below sea level. Dallol is renowned for its searing brine, and multi-hued pink, Dallol is easily one of the world’s most magnificent landscapes with its enormous area of uplifted thick salt deposits influenced by concentrated volcanic activity.

This is possibly caused by an active volcanic system beneath numerous kilometers of evaporation salt deposits. Dallol is thought to be the hottest place on earth, with average annual temperatures measuring well over 30 degrees C. Dallol is easily one of the world’s most magnificent landscapes with its enormous area of uplifted thick salt deposits influenced by concentrated fumarolic activity. This is possibly caused by an active volcanic system beneath numerous kilometers of evaporation salt deposits. Dallol is thought to be the hottest place on earth, with average annual temperatures measuring well over 30 degrees C., green, red, yellow, gray and black salt deposits, boiling springs and minuscule geysers. These strange structures form in an intricate interaction of solution and recrystallization process caused by hydrothermal waters and rapid evaporation.

·       Erta Ale

Another most attractive place in Ethiopia Volcanic Activity is Erta Ale which has continued until today and it, is internal force which changes the surface of the earth. During a volcanic activity molten lava, gases, water Vapors, ashes and other solid materials are thrown out to the surface. In Ethiopia in Danakil Depression, Ert Ale is one of the few volcanoes in the world that has almost continual lava flows and spreads over a large area. Ert Ale is the most active volcano in Ethiopia. Erta Ale means “Smoking Mountain” in the local Afar people language; Erta Ale is found at an altitude of 610 meters high.

·       The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela

Lalibela, its rock-hewn churches which are sometimes called the "Eighth Wonder of the World". Physically prised from the rock in which they stand, these monolithic churches were originally thought to have been built in the 12th century during the reign of King Lalibela, but some have been dated back to the 10th century. There are eleven churches, assembled in three groupings: The Northern Group: Bete Medhane Alem, home to the Lalibela Cross and believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world. It is linked to Bete Maryam (possibly the oldest of the churches), Bete Golgotha (known for its arts and said to contain the tomb of King Lalibela), the Selassie Chapel and the Tomb of Adam.

 The Western Group: Bete Giyorgis, said to be the most finely executed and best preserved church. The Eastern Group: Bete Amanuel , Bete Merkorios, Bete Abba Libanos and Bete Gabriel-Rufael. Further afield lay the monastery of Ashetan Maryam and Yimrehane Kristos church.

·       The Castles of Gondar and other monuments (Gondar)   

The Gondar Castles is famous for its many medieval castles and the design and decoration of its churches. The earliest of the castles was created by Fasilidas himself and is still in such an excellent state of repair that it is possible to climb its stats all the way to the roof, which commands a breathtaking view over much of the city. Gondar was founded by Emperor Fasilidas in 1635. The city was Ethiopia's capital until the reign of the would-be reforming Emperor Tewodros II, also known as Theodore.

During its long years as a capital city, the settlement emerged as one of the largest and most popular cities in the realm. It was a great centre of commerce, trading with the rich lands south of the Blue Nile, as well as with Sudan to the west, and the Red Sea port of Massawa to the north-east. Besides the famous palaces, visitors can inspect the so-called "Bathing Palace of Emperor Fasilidas" which is used for the annual Timket or Epiphany celebrations, and the abbey of the redoubtable eighteenth century Empress Menteweb at Qwesquam, in the mountains just outside Gondar.

·       Axum

Axum historical and archaeological sites, central Tigray (Tigray Region) Rightly famous for its obelisks, Axum was the capital of the Axumite kingdom – once one of the four kingdoms of the world. It was also home to the Queen of Sheba whose ruined palace and bathing pool can still be found in and near the town. The ruins of the site spread over a large area and are composed of tall, obelisk-like stelae of imposing height, an enormous table of stone, vestiges of columns and royal tombs inscribed with Aksumite legends and traditions. In the western sector of the city there are also the ruins of three castles from the 1st century AD. Aksum inherited a culture highly influenced by southern Arabia. The Aksumites' language, Ge'ez, was a modified version of the southern Arabian rudiments, with admixtures of Greek and perhaps Cushitic tongues already present in the region. Their architectural art was inherited from southern Arabian art; some Aksumite artwork contained combinations of Middle Eastern deities.

·       The Blue Nile Falls

The River Nile, the longest river in Africa, in Ethiopia. From Lake Tana, the Blue Nile, known locally as Abbay, have had flows from Ethiopia to meet the White Nile in Khartoum to form the great river that gives life to Egypt and the Sudan. It has been said that the Blue Nile contributes up to 80% of the Nile’s flow. Nowhere is it more spectacular than when it thunders over the Tisisat Falls near Bahar Dar. Here millions of gallons of water cascade over the cliff face and into a gorge, creating spectacular rainbows, in one of the most awe-inspiring displays in Africa, earning its name ‘Smoking Water’. The Blue Nile falls can easily be reached from Bahar Dar and the Scenic beauty of the Blue Nile Gorge, 225KM from Addis Ababa, can be enjoyed as part of an excursion from the capital.

·       The Sof Omar Cave

Sof Omar is one of the most spectacular and extensive underground cave systems in the world. Formed by the Wabi River as it changed its course in the distant past and carved out a new channel through limestone foothills, the Sof Omar systems is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty. The cave which is now an important Islamic Shrine was named after the saintly Sheikh Sof Omar who took refuge here many centuries ago. The cave has a religious history that predates the arrival of the Muslims in Bale – a history calculated in thousands of years in Ethiopia.

  I hope after reading this paper you have a better knowledge about my country Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a country with has a lot of attractions and cultural diversity. Ethiopia has tourist destinations registered by UNESCO World Heritage.  place, natures, some architecture building and culture Ethiopia has a beautiful culture filled with richness in art, language, religion, and ethnicity.  Ethiopia is just about the only country in Africa that has never been colonized and their people take pride in their struggle to keep their independence.
 

•  Works Cited

Hance, w. A. (1975). The Geography of modern Afirica. New York and london : Columbia University

 Gish, Steve, Thay, Winne, and Latif, Zawiah. Ethiopia. Benchmark Books, NY.: 2 edition, April 15, 2007 Africaguide. The Africa Guide.

Marcus, H. G. (1995 ). A History of Ethiopia. California : University of California pr,

 http://www.africaguide.com/country/ethiopia/ Childs, Celin. The Beauty of Ethiopian Culture. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/14904

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