Ethiopia
explained
Overview
Ethiopia is five times the size of Great Britain and is set in ‘the Horn of Africa’. It is called this because it is shaped like a rhino’s horn. Addis Ababa is the bustling modern capital which lies in the centre of the country. Ethiopia is not only home to 77 million people but also to a remarkable range of wildlife. There are 242 mammal species, 28 of which can only be found in Ethiopia, and over 800 species of birds. Everything about Ethiopia is colourful from the national football strip to the Red-bellied parrot.
Culture
Every town and village in Ethiopia is filled with colour and individuality. Churches are filled with picturesque painted images whilst musicians wander towns and villages, providing the background for energetic dances for the townsfolk.
Religion
The majority of Ethiopians are Christian. The priests wear magnificently coloured long robes, whilst the worshippers dress in white robes or embroidered wraps. A town in the north of Ethiopia called Lalibela is one of the most important centres for pilgrimage in the country.
School Life
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Schooling in Ethiopia is a very different experience from what we are used to in this country.
Most classrooms are built from wood and mud - this is known as ‘wattle and daub’. Only in larger towns are classrooms made of stone or solid blocks. Cemented floors are rare and so, depending on the season, the earth floors are either dusty or muddy.
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Many classes don’t have tables and chairs and the children sit on logs or on the floor. Drinking water and toilet facilities may exist in many big town schools but they don’t have enough to cope with the number of pupils.
The average elementary school class size is 65 pupils and schools typically cater for between 1,500 and 2,000 children. To allow more children to attend school many schools work on a ‘shift system’. Half the pupils attend in the morning and the other half in the afternoon.
Elementary lessons are taught in the national language, Amharic, (pronounced am-har-ik) whilst secondary lessons are taught in English. Schools run regular P.E. lessons. Football is the most popular sport and neighbouring schools often play weekly matches with each other.
Football
Ethiopians are passionate about football. In fact they often have to make their footballs out of rolled up discarded clothing! Real football pitches are something that do not really exist in Ethiopia as there are usually no resources to build them. The Ethiopian national football team is nicknamed ‘The Walya Antelopes’. The team colours are yellow, green and red. These are the same colours as the national flag.
Useful websites
BBC Country Profiles: Ethiopia
Lonely Planet destinations: Ethiopia