Ethiopia is a very large country, with a large population.
More than 80 million people live in the 1 million sq.
km country.
Among them they speak almost a 100 languages! The access to many of these people has been difficult because of the topography of the country.
Mountains, difficult to get over or around have made communication scarce.
Because many villages have been isolated from the surrounding people, very distinct cultures have developed.
The Amharas of the North although in minority, have long been the rulers.
At the moment, the ruling party is not from this tribe, but throughout the centuries most kings and rulers have been Amharas.
A fact that everybody is aware of, either with pride or with resentment!A reason for these feelings might be the inclination of a ruler to favor his own people.
This is the same in many countries.
Even in Ethiopia today, it is enough that your name sounds like a Tigray name, and you will be given special consideration.
Needless to say, the ruling party is Tigrean! But there are many tribes and people who live far away from all this politics.
Nomads, farmers, shepherds- what do they care about who is king or president? All that matters to them is whether the rains will come on time or not, and whether they will get a child soon.
Their lives are usually hard, from morning to evening.
What many people don't know about Ethiopia is that it is very fertile.
Mostly Ethiopia has been in the news with droughts and starvation.
These also exist, even now in certain places, but in many parts it is a question of mismanagement that causes problem.
When people can earn more money growing the legal drug, chat, they choose not to plant food.
As a result, the soil gets destroyed and there is a shortage of food.
It leads to an unbalance in nature.
Ethiopia's people have suffered a lot because of politics and natural disasters.
But they are a tough people, and have found different ways of surviving.
Agriculture remains a main source of income, but the style is changing gradually.
Co-operatives, aid-projects, irrigation-projects, etc are helping the people to utilize their resources.
With the influx of foreigners, new crops are developing.
There are now farms where apples, strawberries and other foreign products are being produced.
Because of Ethiopia's stable climate, it is not so difficult to try out new things.
The people of Ethiopia are diverse and fascinating, there is no doubt about this.
To get to know them all would take more than a life-time, also because of the diversity in languages.
One has to be content with a little sample of the different cultures and, at times, manage to get a little closer to some.
It is well worth the effort!
More than 80 million people live in the 1 million sq.
km country.
Among them they speak almost a 100 languages! The access to many of these people has been difficult because of the topography of the country.
Mountains, difficult to get over or around have made communication scarce.
Because many villages have been isolated from the surrounding people, very distinct cultures have developed.
The Amharas of the North although in minority, have long been the rulers.
At the moment, the ruling party is not from this tribe, but throughout the centuries most kings and rulers have been Amharas.
A fact that everybody is aware of, either with pride or with resentment!A reason for these feelings might be the inclination of a ruler to favor his own people.
This is the same in many countries.
Even in Ethiopia today, it is enough that your name sounds like a Tigray name, and you will be given special consideration.
Needless to say, the ruling party is Tigrean! But there are many tribes and people who live far away from all this politics.
Nomads, farmers, shepherds- what do they care about who is king or president? All that matters to them is whether the rains will come on time or not, and whether they will get a child soon.
Their lives are usually hard, from morning to evening.
What many people don't know about Ethiopia is that it is very fertile.
Mostly Ethiopia has been in the news with droughts and starvation.
These also exist, even now in certain places, but in many parts it is a question of mismanagement that causes problem.
When people can earn more money growing the legal drug, chat, they choose not to plant food.
As a result, the soil gets destroyed and there is a shortage of food.
It leads to an unbalance in nature.
Ethiopia's people have suffered a lot because of politics and natural disasters.
But they are a tough people, and have found different ways of surviving.
Agriculture remains a main source of income, but the style is changing gradually.
Co-operatives, aid-projects, irrigation-projects, etc are helping the people to utilize their resources.
With the influx of foreigners, new crops are developing.
There are now farms where apples, strawberries and other foreign products are being produced.
Because of Ethiopia's stable climate, it is not so difficult to try out new things.
The people of Ethiopia are diverse and fascinating, there is no doubt about this.
To get to know them all would take more than a life-time, also because of the diversity in languages.
One has to be content with a little sample of the different cultures and, at times, manage to get a little closer to some.
It is well worth the effort!