Ethiopia Population, Official Language And More.

Ethiopia is a diverse and multicultural country, with more than 80 ethnic groups and languages. The largest ethnic groups are the Oromo (34.4%), Amhara (27%), Somali (6.2%), and Tigray (6.1%). The official national language is Amharic, but other languages such as Oromo, Somali, and Tigrinya are also widely spoken. Ethiopia is also home to various religions, with Christianity being the dominant faith (62%), followed by Islam (33.9%), and traditional beliefs (2.7%). Ethiopia has a rich cultural heritage, with influences from ancient civilizations, neighboring countries, and foreign contacts. Ethiopia is known for its distinctive music, art, literature, cuisine, and architecture.

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The Population

Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa, with an estimated population of 126.5 million people as of 2023. The population is composed of more than 80 ethnic groups, each with its own language and culture. The largest ethnic groups are the Oromo (34.4%), Amhara (27%), Somali (6.2%), and Tigray (6.1%). The official languages of Ethiopia are Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromo, Somali, and Afar. Christianity is the dominant religion, followed by Islam and traditional beliefs.

The Landmarks

Ethiopia has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, reflected in its many historical and natural landmarks. Some of the most famous landmarks in Ethiopia are:

• The Axum Obelisks: These are ancient stone monuments that date back to the Kingdom of Aksum, one of the oldest civilizations in Africa. The obelisks are carved with symbols and inscriptions and are considered to be masterpieces of engineering and art.
• The Lalibela Rock Churches: These are 11 medieval churches that were carved out of solid rock in the 12th and 13th centuries. They are regarded as one of the wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The churches are connected by tunnels and trenches and display a unique architectural style that blends elements of Ethiopian, Byzantine, and Romanesque influences.
• The Lake Tana Monasteries: These are a group of monasteries located on islands and peninsulas in Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of the Blue Nile River. The monasteries date back to the 14th century and contain valuable manuscripts, paintings, relics, and treasures. They also showcase the diversity of Ethiopian religious traditions and artistic expressions.
• The Blue Nile Falls: These are spectacular waterfalls that are formed by the Blue Nile River as it plunges over a 45-meter-high cliff. The falls are also known as Tis Abay, which means “smoking water” in Amharic. They create a mist that can be seen from afar and a rainbow that adds to their beauty. The falls are a popular tourist attraction and a source of hydroelectric power for Ethiopia.
• The Bale Mountains National Park: This is a national park that covers an area of 2,200 square kilometers in the southeastern highlands of Ethiopia. It is home to diverse ecosystems, including Afro-alpine meadows, forests, grasslands, wetlands, and volcanic peaks. It is also a habitat for many endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna, such as the Ethiopian wolf, the mountain nyala, the giant lobelia, and the Bale monkey/

The Official Language

Ethiopia has five official federal working languages: Afar, Amharic, Oromo, Somali, and Tigrinya. These languages belong to the Afroasiatic language family and have their own scripts derived from the Ge’ez script. Amharic is the national language and the most widely spoken language in Ethiopia. It is also used as a lingua franca among different ethnic groups and regions. Oromo is the most populous language by native speakers, spoken by about 34% of the population. Somali and Tigrinya are the official working languages of the Somali Region and the Tigray Region respectively. Afar is spoken by the Afar people who inhabit the Afar Region and parts of Djibouti and Eritrea. English is also widely spoken as a foreign language and is used as a medium of instruction in secondary schools and higher education institutions.

The Culture

Ethiopia has a diverse and vibrant culture that reflects its long history and geographic location at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Ethiopia’s culture is influenced by various ethnic groups, religions, neighboring countries, foreign contacts, and ancient civilizations.

Some aspects of Ethiopian culture include:

• Music: Ethiopian music is characterized by its use of pentatonic scales, modal melodies, complex rhythms, call-and-response vocals, and distinctive instruments such as the masenqo (a one-string bowed lute), the krar (a six-string lyre), the begena (a large ten-string lyre), the washint (a bamboo flute), and the kebero (a drum). Ethiopian music also incorporates elements from other musical traditions such as Arabic, Indian, Turkish, Sudanese, Somali, Eritrean, Kenyan, Ugandan, Congolese, South African, American jazz/blues/soul/funk, and Jamaican reggae.
• Cuisine: Ethiopian cuisine is based on the staple food injera, a large sourdough flatbread made from fermented teff flour. Injera is served with various stews, sauces, and salads, collectively known as wat. The most common ingredients in Ethiopian dishes are legumes, grains, vegetables, spices, herbs, butter, and meat. Some of the popular dishes are doro wat (chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs), tibs (fried meat with onions and peppers), kitfo (raw minced beef with spiced butter and cheese), shiro (chickpea stew), and gomen (collard greens). Ethiopian cuisine also features a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, atmet (oat and barley-flour drink), tella (homebrewed beer), and tej (honey wine)
• Clothing: Ethiopian clothing is influenced by the climate, religion, and traditions of the different regions and ethnic groups. In general, Ethiopian clothing is made of woven cotton and features bright colors and patterns. Men usually wear cotton pants and a white-collared shirt, while women wear long white dresses with colorful borders called habesha kemis. Both men and women often wrap themselves with a shawl or a blanket called gabi or netela. Jewelry, such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings, is also worn to accessorize the outfit. Women usually cover their head with a scarf or a sash.
• Religion: Ethiopia is a multi-religious country, with Christianity being the dominant faith. About 62% of the population are Christians, mostly belonging to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which traces its origins to the 4th century AD. Other Christian denominations include Protestantism, Catholicism, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. About 34% of the population are Muslims, mostly adhering to Sunni Islam. Other religions include traditional beliefs (2.7%), Judaism (0.1%), Baha’i (0.1%), and others (0.1%). Ethiopia has a rich religious heritage, with many ancient churches, monasteries, mosques, shrines, and holy sites. Ethiopia is also considered to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant according to Ethiopian Orthodox tradition.

The Economic Stability

Ethiopia has experienced strong economic growth in recent years, averaging nearly 10% per year from 2004 to 2019. Ethiopia’s growth was driven by public infrastructure investments, agricultural expansion, industrial development, and social services provision. Ethiopia also benefited from debt relief initiatives, foreign aid, remittances, and foreign direct investment. Ethiopia’s growth has contributed to poverty reduction, human development improvement, and regional integration.

However, Ethiopia also faces significant economic challenges that threaten its stability and sustainability. These include:

• Macroeconomic imbalances: Ethiopia suffers from high inflation (34% in 2022), low foreign exchange reserves (one month of import cover in 2022), large fiscal deficit (4.2% of GDP in 2022), high public debt (50.1% of GDP in 2022), and overvalued exchange rate. These imbalances pose risks to Ethiopia’s external competitiveness, fiscal sustainability, debt servicing capacity, and price stability
• Conflict and humanitarian crisis: Ethiopia has been affected by internal conflicts in various parts of the country since 2018, especially in the Tigray Region since November 2020. The conflicts have resulted in widespread violence, displacement, human rights violations, infrastructure damage, food insecurity, and humanitarian needs. The conflicts have also disrupted economic activities, trade flows, public services delivery, social cohesion, and regional peace. The humanitarian situation in Ethiopia is one of the worst in the world, with about 20 million people requiring assistance in 2022.
• Climate change and environmental degradation: Ethiopia is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation due to its dependence on rain-fed agriculture, its exposure to droughts and floods, its low adaptive capacity, and its high population pressure. Climate change and environmental degradation affect Ethiopia’s food security, water availability, energy supply, health outcomes, biodiversity conservation, and disaster risk management. Ethiopia requires significant financial and technical support to implement its adaptation and mitigation actions under its Nationally Determined Contribution to the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Ethiopia has launched a 10-Year Development Plan for 2020/21-2029/30 based on its Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda that aims to address these challenges and achieve its vision of becoming a lower-middle-income country by 2025. The plan focuses on sustaining high growth while facilitating structural transformation towards a more private-sector-driven economy. It also aims to foster efficiency and It also aims to foster efficiency and inclusiveness in the public sector, enhance social protection and human capital development, promote good governance and democracy, and strengthen regional and international cooperation.

The GDP

Ethiopia’s gross domestic product (GDP) measures the total value of all goods and services produced in the country within a given period of time. According to the World Bank, Ethiopia’s GDP was worth 126.78 billion US dollars in 2022, which represents 0.06 percent of the world economy. Ethiopia’s GDP has been growing steadily in recent years, averaging nearly 10% per year from 2004 to 2019. Ethiopia’s growth was driven by public infrastructure investments, agricultural expansion, industrial development, and social services provision. Ethiopia also benefited from debt relief initiatives, foreign aid, remittances, and foreign direct investment. Ethiopia’s growth has contributed to poverty reduction, human development improvement, and regional integration. However, Ethiopia also faces significant economic challenges that threaten its stability and sustainability. These include macroeconomic imbalances, conflict and humanitarian crisis, climate change and environmental degradation. Ethiopia has launched a 10-Year Development Plan for 2020/21-2029/30 based on its Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda that aims to address these challenges and achieve its vision of becoming a lower-middle-income country by 2025. The plan focuses on sustaining high growth while facilitating structural transformation towards a more private-sector-driven economy. It also aims to foster efficiency and inclusiveness in the public sector, enhance social protection and human capital development, promote good governance and democracy, and strengthen regional and international cooperation.

The Currency

Ethiopia’s official currency is the Ethiopian birr (ETB), which is subdivided into 100 santim. The birr is derived from the Ge’ez word for silver, and was formerly known as the Abyssinian thaler or talari. The birr was officially adopted as the standard coin in 1855, although the Indian rupee and the Mexican dollar were also used in foreign trade. The birr is issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia, which is the central bank of the country. The birr is available in both coins and banknotes, with denominations ranging from 1 to 200 birr. The current series of banknotes features prominent Ethiopian figures and landmarks on the obverse side, and various economic activities and natural resources on the reverse side. The current series of coins features the coat of arms of Ethiopia on the obverse side, and different animals on the reverse side. The exchange rate of the birr is determined by market forces, but the National Bank of Ethiopia intervenes to maintain stability and competitiveness. As of September 20, 2023, one US dollar is equal to 55.20 ETB according to .

The Food

Ethiopian food is characterized by its use of spices, herbs, grains, legumes, vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Ethiopian food is influenced by various ethnic groups, religions, neighboring countries, foreign contacts, and ancient civilizations. Ethiopian food is usually served on a large platter covered with a sourdough flatbread called injera, which serves as the base and utensil for scooping up different stews, sauces, salads, and dishes piled on top. Injera is made from fermented teff flour, a gluten-free grain native to Ethiopia. Some of the most popular dishes in Ethiopian cuisine are:

• Doro wat: A spicy chicken stew with hard-boiled eggs cooked in berbere sauce (a blend of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom, cloves, and other spices). It is considered the national dish of Ethiopia and is often served on special occasions.
• Tibs: A dish of pan-fried sliced beef or lamb with onions, peppers, tomatoes, rosemary, and other seasonings. It can be prepared in different ways depending on the level of spiciness and tenderness desired.
• Kitfo: A dish of raw minced beef mixed with spiced butter (clarified butter infused with herbs and spices) and cheese (cottage cheese-like curd). It is usually served with injera or kocho (a bread made from fermented enset or false banana plant).
• Shiro: A dish of chickpea powder cooked with berbere sauce or other spices. It can be prepared as a thin soup or a thick paste depending on the amount of water added.
• Gomen: A dish of collard greens cooked with garlic, ginger