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TRAVELING IN ETHIOPIA LAND » Ethiopia covers an area of 1,104,300 million square kilometers (approx. 426,372.61 square miles). CLIMATE » There are two seasons: The dry season, October–May, and the wet season, June–September. TOPOGRAPHY » Ethiopia has an elevated central plateau varying in height between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. In the north and center of the country, there are some 25 mountains whose peaks rise above 4,000 meters. The most famous Ethiopian river is the Blue Nile (or Abbay), which flows north a distance of 1,450 kilometers from its source in Lake Tana to join the White Nile at Khartoum, Sudan. PEOPLE » The population is estimated at 96,633,458 million. ECONOMY » About 90 percent of the population earns a living from the land, mainly as subsistence farmers. Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy, and the principal exports from this sector are coffee, oil seeds, pulses, flowers, vegetables, sugar and foodstuffs for animals. There is also a thriving livestock sector, exporting cattle, hides and skins. LANGUAGE » Ethiopia is a multiethnic state with 83 languages and 200 dialects. Amharic is the working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, while Oromiffa, Tigrigna and Guragina are widely spoken.
hours (noon–1 p.m.).
COURIER & MONEY TRANSFERS » Money transfers can be made through Western Union and MoneyGram. Both have representative branches in Addis Ababa and also make their services available from private and national banks. For courier services, DHL, Fedex, UPS, TNT and EMS have offices in Addis Ababa.
COMMUNICATIONS » Telephones, fax machines and Internet access are available in Addis Ababa in most hotels and at private Internet service centers around the city.
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a) It is illegal to carry more than 200 birr when entering or departing Ethiopia. b) You must declare to customs officials at point of entry any cash in excess of US$3,000 (or the equivalent). If you have more than US$3,000 on departing, you must present a receipt from the purchasing bank.
IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS »
Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States.
celebrated according to the Ethiopian (Julian) Calendar (see “Time”). The calendar is seven years behind the Western or Gregorian Calendar, with the New Year falling in the month of September. January 3: Birth of Prophet Mohammed PBUH (Mauwlid)* January 7: Ethiopian Christmas (Genna)
BOLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT »
January 20: Ethiopian Epiphany (Timket)
The airport is about 5 kilometers from Meskel Square and Addis Ababa’s central business district. Self-service kiosks are available for guests checking in, and free Wi-Fi is offered throughout the airport. Free luggage carts and paid porters are also available in the baggage hall. All bags must go through X-ray check before you exit. When flying out of Bole International Airport, please note: Terminal 1 — all domestic flights and flights to Burundi, Djibouti, Rwanda, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Terminal 2 — all other international flights. Taxis are readily available and may be ordered inside the terminal. Privately owned taxis are not metered, nor do they have fixed rates. Agree upon the fare in advance.
March 2: Victory of Adwa (1896) April 10: Ethiopian Orthodox Good Friday April 12: Ethiopian Orthodox Easter Sunday
May 28: Fall of the Dergue (1991) Day
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When it comes to currency:
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS » Public holidays are
TIME » Ethiopia is in the GMT +3 time zone.
BANKING HOURS » Banking hours are usually 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturdays. Most banks work through lunchtime; however, foreign exchange services are closed during lunch
d) souvenirs (by visitors) with a value not exceeding 500 birr
WORKING HOURS » Government office hours are 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 1:30–5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Working hours on Friday are 8:30–11:30 a.m. and 1:30– 5:30 p.m. Private and public businesses are often open on Saturdays.
May 1: International Labor Day
CURRENCY » The units of currency are the birr and cents. Notes are 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 birr. The 1 birr coin is also in circulation. ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) are found in major Addis Ababa hotels, shopping malls and at the Bole International Airport. It is important to retain currency exchange receipts.
c) half a liter of perfume
Visas are required for all foreign visitors to Ethiopia, with the exception of nationals of Kenya. Visa applications may be obtained at Ethiopia’s diplomatic missions overseas. Nationals of 37 countries are now allowed to receive their tourist visas on arrival in Ethiopia. The list includes: Argentina, Australia, Austria,
ELECTRIC SUPPLY » Ethiopia uses 220 volts 50 cycles AC. Plugs are European two-pin.
It follows the Julian calendar, which consists of 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of five or six days (on a leap year).
b) 2 liters of alcoholic beverages
May 5: Ethiopian Patriots (1941) Victory Day
September 12: Ethiopian New Year September 24: Id ul Ahda (Sacrifice)* September 28: The Finding of the True Cross (Meskel) *These holidays are subject to moon sighting.
HEALTH REQUIREMENTS » A yellow fever certificate is required for some African destinations. Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days prior to arrival in Ethiopia. CUSTOMS » Duty-free imports are permitted for up to: a) 200 cigarettes, 100 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco
SECURITY » Security at the airport is tight, and travelers need to produce their air ticket and passport to enter the terminal. All other visitors are required to pay a fee of 5 birr in the car park and may be required to show identification.