When I landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia last year I thought the same thing most people think when they think of Ethiopia, famine or a hot dry land in conflict. To my surprise Ethiopia had many regions that were green and apart from the border with Enritrea the country is quite peaceful. The mornings were actually a bit too chilly for me. Here are a couple of other interesting facts about Ethiopia that may also surprise you.
- Thirteen Months of Sunshine - This is the long-standing motto of the Ethiopian tourism committee. Most people think that this is cute hyperbole. It's not. Ethiopians use an Ethiopian Orthodox Church calendar that includes tweleve 30-day months followed by a 5 or 6 day holiday month. Even during the rainy season, it's always sunny.
- Starbucks beaten by Goats - Coffee was discovered in the southwest region of Ethiopia called 'Kaffa' when a shepherd saw his goats getting a strange buzz from the berries they were nibling on.
- Alexander the Scaredy Cat - Ethiopia, in the past, for many years was headed only by female rulers. A legend has it that even Alexander the Great stopped at the borders of Ethiopia because he did not want to risk being defeated by a woman.
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