Hello Displorers, welcome back to another exciting video and thanks for watching, As you already know, its always a pleasure presenting to you some interesting but lesser known facts about the beautiful countries on the African continent. In todays video, we are shining the light on one of the oldest Countries on the African continent, Ethiopia. The name Ethiopia formerly Known as Abyssinia comes from two greek words “Aitos” and “ops” meaning Burnt faces. Ethiopia’s unique mix of fascinating history, deep-rooted identity, incredible natural wonders and rare wildlife makes its one of the most intriguing places on Earth. Officially referred to as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ethiopia is located in the northeastern part of Africa, known as the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, the de facto state of Somaliland and Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west and Sudan to the northwest. With over 102 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent with a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres. Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa, The country is home to landscapes as diverse as deserts, volcanoes and highlands, architecture ranging from rock-hewn churches to medieval-style castles, and wildlife that includes rare species such as the gelada baboon, the walia ibex and the Ethiopian wolf. If you are new here, welcome, be sure to subscribe and turn on notification so you don’t miss any of our videos.
Lets take a look at this beautiful country with the 10 things you didn’t know about Ethiopia
1. Ethiopia was one of the two African Countries that was never colonized
During the scramble and colonization of Africa, Ethiopia was was never colonized despite Italy's occupation from 1936–1941 because that did not result in a lasting colonial administration. In the 1880s, Italy failed to take Abyssinia (as Ethiopia was then known) as a colony. On Oct. 3, 1935, Mussolini ordered a new invasion and On June 1 1936, the country was merged with Eritrea and Italian Somalia to form Africa Orientale Italiana .
Emperor Haile Selassie made an impassioned appeal for assistance in removing the Italians and re-establishing independence to the League of Nations on June 30, 1936, gaining support from the U.S. and Russia. But many League of Nations members, including Britain and France, recognized Italian colonization
It was not until May 5, 1941, when Selassie was restored to the Ethiopian throne, that independence was regained. Liberia is said to have never been col0nised because it was founded by America and remained an American colony till independence.
2. The first African to drive a car came from Ethiopia
Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II was the first native African to drive a car in 1907. Emperor Menelik II was emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to 1913. He spoke French, English, and Italian fluently and was known for establishing the modern state of Ethiopia and introducing modern technology. Two English men, Bede J.F.Bentley, and his mechanic Reginald G. Wells drove the car from Djibouti to Ethiopia to present it to the Emperor. Bede J.F. Bentley is the son of John Francis Bentley who designed Westminster Cathedral in London. Emperor Manelik II was presented the car in 1907 and became the first African to drive a car in Africa, although we were unable to find out why he was given a car, he simply just figured maybe it was because he was an awesome leader.
3. Ethiopia is the oldest independent sovereign country in Africa
Many historians agree that Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in the world. While we know that human life has existed in Ethiopia for millions of years thanks to skeletal fragments uncovered, it's generally agreed that Ethiopia developed as a country in 980 BCE. This was when one of the first kingdoms, known as the D’mt, rose to power. Ethiopia is one of the few African countries that never fell into the hands of colonizers, with the exception of when it was occupied for a few years under Italian dictator Mussolini in the 1930s.
4. Coffee was discovered in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the motherland of Coffee Arabica. It is endowed with a rich variety of coffee and its diverse origins. Ethiopian coffee is rich with original flavor and aroma because of the geographical, genotypic and cultural variety within the country. About 1,000 years ago, coffee was a goatherd in Ethiopia southwestern highlands. It was discovered in Kaffa area where it first blossom gave its name to coffee. It believed that coffee cultivation and drinking began as early as the 9th century in Ethiopia. It cultivated Yemen earlier, around AD 575. While, it originated in Ethiopia, from where it traveled to the Yemen about 600 years ago, and from Arabia began its journey around the world. Among the many legends, Kaldi, an Abyssinian
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