OF
CONTRASTS
By Reda’e Halefom
Table
of Contents
Content
Page
Acknowledgement----------------------------------------------1
Section
One
Introduction-------------------------------------------------------2
1.1 Statement of Intent--------------------------------------------2
1.2 Objective of the Project---------------------------------------2
1.3 Relevance of the Project--------------------------------------2
1.4 Scope of the Project-------------------------------------------2
1.5 Limitation of the project--------------------------------------3
1.6 Methodology---------------------------------------------------3
1.7 Organization---------------------------------------------------3
Section
Two
Brief Profile of Ethiopia
2.1 History---------------------------------------------------------4
2.2 Economy-------------------------------------------------------5
2.3 Population-----------------------------------------------------6
2.4 Calendar and
Alphabet---------------------------------------6
2.5
Religion--------------------------------------------------------7
2.6
Climate---------------------------------------------------------8
2.7
Topography-----------------------------------------------------8
2.8 Wild Life-------------------------------------------------------9
2.9 Strategic
Importance------------------------------------------10
Section
Three
3.1 Natural Contrasts---------------------------------------------12
3.2 Social Contrasts----------------------------------------------16
Section
Four
Conclusion
and Recommendations
4.1
Conclusion-----------------------------------------------------23
4.2 Recommendations---------------------------------------------24
Bibliography-------------------------------------------------------25
Acknowledgement
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to
the Government of the Republic of India for giving me this golden opportunity to
experience the ongoing development efforts of India Republic of India in Ethiopia
Moreover, I owe a great many thanks to the English
and Foreign Languages University
I am delighted to thank my government (the
government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia) for giving me an
opportunity to train in Advance English abroad so as to improve my proficiency
in English. And I want to express my priceless gratification for my wife for
her constructive inspiration enabled me to participate in this course.
Then I would like to thank Dr. Nikhila for her determined guidance
and proper correction that in turn made this project real.
Section One
Introduction
This paper/project (paper or project are
interchangeably used across this material) tries to introduce readers to one of
the oldest countries in the world, which had never been colonized by any
European Imperialist. It mainly focuses on the everlasting social and natural
contradictions found in the nation.
The project also aims to familiarize readers with
the social and natural incredible peculiarities that together make the country
one of the emerging tourist destinations in Africa .
Moreover, brief profile of the country-Ethiopia-
1.1 Statement of Intent
1.2 Objective of the Project
The objective of this study is to introduce readers
to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) in general and to the
natural and social contrasting elements of the country in particular.
1.3 Relevance of the Project
This paper primarily tries to introduce readers to
the FDRE and the incredible natural and social contrasts that co-exist for
millions of years. Hence, interested
intellectuals may find the paper as a clue for further study.
Furthermore, it helps the writer to improve his
writing skills through properly implementing every constructive suggestion from
his advisor.
1.4 Scope of the Project
The project mainly focuses on social and natural
contrasts and developments in Ethiopia
1.5 Limitation of the project
This project mainly depends on the personal
knowledge of the writer and certain sources from the internet. It does not
include the perspective of the natives in the areas that directly concern their
way of life. Moreover, it does not incorporate the ideas of relevant
authorities that directly work on the focus areas of the paper. Thus, the project
lacks insights of natives, written materials and reports, and authoritative
information and suggestions.
The project is organized with in relatively shorter
duration of time. Hence, time may play its own role in producing accurate
outcomes on the focus area under consideration.
1.6 Methodology
This project mainly focuses on describing the social
and natural contradictions found in Ethiopia
This study basically depends on the personal
knowledge and experience of the writer and the internet as well. The official
websites of some governmental Institutions of Ethiopia are given due attention
to make the intention of the paper real.
Website sources out of these governmental organs are used only after
critically evaluated their reliability from several corners.
1.7 Organization
This project is organized in to four sections in
which section one deals with the introduction of the paper which in turn
consists of statement of intent, relevance, scope, limitation, methodology and
organization of the project.
Section two tries to highlight brief profile of the
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia while the third section describes the
social and natural contrasts found in the country. Likewise, the last part
summarizes the conclusions and also forwards certain recommendations.
Section two
Brief Profile of Ethiopia
2.1 History
Though there are various
discourses about the historical emergence of Ethiopia ,
“the country’s history as an organized and independent polity dates back to
about 100 BC with a kingdom at Axum in the
Northern Regional State of Tigray” (http://www.mfa.gov.et/
). This is primarily associated with the earliest locally known civilization
called DAMAT.
Outside
Ethiopia , the nation was
also once historically known
as Abyssinia. Even
today, people from several corners of the globe call the country by its
earliest name-Abyssinia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia ).
When
Africa was divided
up by
European Imperial powers, Ethiopia Adwa against fascist
Italia in 1896 was one of the glorious manifestations of Ethiopia Ethiopia
The capital City of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, has become the
seat of the Organization of African Unity (currently named as the African Union
Commission) first to speed up the struggle for independence and today to
consolidate cultural, economic, social and political integrity of the
continent. Furthermore, Ethiopia
has been the location of several international organizations that focus on Africa .
Modern
Ethiopia Ethiopia
“The
nation is also one of the oldest sites of human existence known to scientists
today, having yielded some of oldest humanity traces. It is the region from
which Homo sapiens first set out for the Middle
East
and points beyond” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopia ).
Currently, Ethiopia Africa ,
with 73,918,505 people (as
of the 2007 Housing and Census) on the area of 1,100,000 km2. Addis Ababa
is its capital. The country is bordered by
Eritrea to the North, Sudan to the West, Djibouti and Somalia to the East, and Kenya to the South.
2.2 Economy
Currently,
agriculture is the backbone of the Ethiopian economy which accounts 41.6% of
the GDP, more than 80% of exports, and 80% of the labor force. Almost any of
the rest economic activities directly or indirectly depend on agriculture,
including marketing, processing, and export of agricultural products.
Agricultural production is, in fact, overwhelming by small-scale farmers and
enterprises and a large part of commodity exports are provided by the small
agricultural cash-crop sector (Ibid).
Ethiopia
is often referred to as the "water tower" of Eastern Africa because several
International Rivers, including the longest River in the world-the Nile river,
spring from its high tablelands and empty to Mediterranean Sean and the Indian
Ocean as well. It also has the greatest water reserves in Africa
endowed with fertile and virgin land.
2.3 Population
According
to the Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency report of the 2007 Housing and
Population Census, the Ethiopian population has grown from 39,868,572 in 1984 to
73,918,505 in 2007. Sex composition of the Ethiopian society remains almost the
same across these 24 years (female consisted of 49.7% and 49.5% in 1984 and
2007 respectively) (www.csa.gov.et
).
This
census indicates that the Oromo (34.5% of the total population) is
the largest ethnic group in the country followed by Amhara (26.9%), Somali
(6.2%) and Tigray (6.1%) respectively. The Sidama (4.0 %,), Gurage (2.5%),
Walayta (2.3%), Afar (1.7%) and Hadiya (1.7%) are other prominent ethnic groups
in Ethiopia
According to some sources, the crude
rate of natural increase was estimated at 0.3% per annum at the beginning of
the present century. The slow annual growth rate was broken during the 1984
census with 2.9% population growth a year. The total population of Ethiopia
The 2007 Population and Housing
Census result also shows that the average annual growth rate of the Ethiopian
population was 2.6% between 1994 and 2007, down from 2.8% during the period
1983–1994. The country's population is highly diverse with a mixture of
historical cultural, linguistics etc backgrounds (www.csa.gov.et ).
2.4 Calendar and Alphabet
The Ethiopian
Calendar has 12 months of 30 days each, plus five or six additional days (known
as the 13th month), which are added at the end of the year to match the
calendar to the solar cycle. This 13th month is known as ‘PAGUME’-a
Greek word to mean additional (www.mfa.gov.et).
According to
the Ethiopian Calendar, the year is currently 2003. The Ethiopian New Year
commences on the 11th of September every year or on12th
of September before the Gregorian leap year.
The country
also has its own native numbers where almost each number has its own
independent representative symbol. The Ethiopian number system, which is called
the Ge’ez number system, has not place value for zero. It starts from one up to
ten. The numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 have separate symbols
which have not any symbolic relationship with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and
9. For instance, if one wants to write
101 he/she need to put 100 then 1 accordingly.
2.5
Religion
Besides,
there are countless traditional religions and cults in the nation. Almost all
the ethnic groups living in South, South West and South East have their own
indigenous traditional religious practices and cults.
The 2007 Housing and Population Census shows that the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church (43%) is the largest religious group followed by
Muslims (33.9%). Protestant,
traditional, and Catholic religions consist of 18.6%, 2.6% and 0.6% respectively.
Moreover, 0.6% of the total population follows other unidentified beliefs or
practices (www.csa.gov.et ).
Geographically,
Muslims as well as adherents of traditional cults lived in lowland parts of the
country while Christians dominantly live on the highlands. The ways of live
also varies along with these settlement patterns. Thus, Christians are mainly
agrarians while most of the Muslims and ethnic groups that follow traditional
cults prominently depend on pastoral and semi-pastoral economy.
2.6
Climate
The variation
in altitude triggers a variation in the amount of rain fall and precipitation
as well. As a result, mean annual rainfall ranges from 2000 millimeters over
some areas in the southwest highlands, and less than 250 millimeters in
lowlands. In general, annual precipitation ranges from 800 to 2200 millimeters
in the highlands ranged above 500 meters a.s.l to less than 200 to 800 millimeters
in the lowlands which are below 1500 meters a.s.l. Rainfall also declines
northwards and eastwards from the high rainfall pocket area in the southwest (www.fas.usda.gov/pecad2/highlights)
2.7
Topography
There are
differences in magnitude of Dallol depression- some say 148 while others say
136 and still the rest refer as 116m.a.s.l). The author of this project prefers
the safest way.
The
major features of Ethiopia Ethiopia
Resulting from
an extensive fault that cracked the old crystalline block of the African
continent along the eastern side, Ethiopia ’s
Great Rift Valley stretches from the eastern end of the Mediterranean
Basin down to Mozambique in the southeastern part Africa . The Great Rift Valley
system separates the western and the southeastern highlands. On each side of
the highlands, the Rift Valley system gives way to vast semi-arid lowland area
in the East, West and especially the South (Ibid).
2.8 Wild Life
2.9 Strategic
Importance of Ethiopia
The
country with a population of more than 80 million has widely opened potential for
domestic market in Africa . Furthermore, the
Ethiopian Investment Agency identified ten top factors why Ethiopia
The
country is witnessing rapid and sustainable economic development in the last
eight successive years. The Ethiopian Government is also doing its best efforts
to formulate and implement viable policy options. As a result, there are
countless legal and policy frameworks that intend to create amicable environment
for investment activities. Hence, dependable economic and political situations,
prevailing peace and tranquility, virgin lands still accessible for
development, relatively cheap human power coupled with enabling policy
environment makes Ethiopia today one of
the best investment destinations in Africa.
As
the country is found in the Horn of Africa, its geographical setting along with
its increasing global acceptance enables Ethiopia Indian Ocean today are frequently
attacked by terrorists. Somalia
as being failed state attracts terrorists from different corners of the world,
especially from the Middle East . Moreover,
there is state terrorism in Eritrea Ethiopia
most strategically important in Africa . Therefore, the struggle against terrorism in Somalia and the Indian Ocean could never meet
its targets without practical involvement of Ethiopia
The
capital of Ethiopia , Addis Ababa
The country has also one of the most powerful
militaries in Africa and Addis Ababa
is the Headquarter of the Continental African Standby Force (ASF). The establishment of this Standby Force
has been mainly intended:
(a) to complement the African Union
by establishing regional standby forces up to a brigade size; and (b) to make the
African Union capable enough at peacekeeping activities to handle missions with
varying degrees of complexity, thereby allowing the ASF to maintain a purely
supplemental role. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Standby_Force
These
all factors coupled with the commitment of the government of the Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopian to ensure rapid and sustainable development,
bring about lasting peace and order in the country and in the region as well ,
the ongoing democratization efforts, makes the country strategically most
important. That is why most of the world gives reasonable focus to the nation,
particularly in the global struggle against terrorism and in the issues of
international peacekeeping missions.
SECTION THREE
According to some sources,”Ethiopia Ethiopia
as a unique tourist destination in Africa ,
which is an exciting and unexpected surprise for many travelers” (http://www.africanadventuretours.net/ethiopia.html).
Moreover, Ethiopia
3.1 Natural contrasts
The
amount of rainfall varies across places in the country. There are place with
highest rainfall year round such as the South and south west of Ethiopia Rivers
of Ethiopia Ethiopia
The ever
green Semien Mountains
On
the contrary, places like the Kobar sink the North East of Ethiopia, receive
almost no rain over the year. It is difficult to get any sort of water in these
harsh places. Even the scarce Oases in these hot and dry deserts are most of
the time saline in nature. Of course, these parts of the country are famous in
their piles of potash, gypsum, several kinds salts, including the table salt
etc.
Likewise, the country experiences extreme kinds of
temperatures in which altitude remains the most important temperature controlling
factor in the country. It varies from less than 100C in the
Ethiopian highlands to more than 500C in the Danakil depression in
the Afar Regional State
The Erta’ele volcanic movement may be the first step in creating
a new Ocean in Africa , according to some
scientists’ speculations. The African News agency in its 5 November 2010 post emphasizes
this idea by explaining “Since
a gigantic rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia
in 2005, scientists have speculated the rift was the first step in a process
that will split eastern Ethiopia
and Somalia
Moreover,
this News agency explains that “…scientists from several countries have
confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are
nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans, and the rift is
indeed likely to be the beginning of a new sea” (ibid).
The Gift of Dallol
Restless Erta’ele
On the contrary, some parts of 
2006 Dire-Dawa
flood
Fertility of land also varies in different parts of the
country. It varies from the well-to-do south and south West of Ethiopia to the
semi-barren lands of the Danakil depression in
the North East. While the south and south western parts are mostly covered by
jungle forests and countless animals, birds and fish, the great depression
remains very hostile to plant and animal species.
To sum up, Ethiopia Danakil
depression experience restless active volcano eruption for ages.
3.2 Social Contrasts
The
USTV in its June 2007 broadcast described the country as Land of mystery and
contrasts. It stated that “Ethiopia Abyssinia , its culture and traditions date
back over 3,000 years. And far earlier than that lived "Lucy" or
Dinkenesh, meaning 'thou art wonderful', as she is known to the Ethiopians,
whose remains were found in a corner of this country of mystery and contrasts” (http://www.us-television.tv/programs/ethiopia-land-of-mystery-and-contrasts/
.
The
Great East Africa Rift Valley is commonly known for its Anthropological and
Archaeological importance for the study of human evolution. Place such as Hadar
and the Omo valleys in Ethiopia
According to the Ethiopian Airline Magazine called
Selamta, “One of the best preserved human remnants is a female skeleton found
at Hadar in Ethiopia
Many studies so far conclude that LUCY
(its Anthropological name is known as Australopithecus Afarensis) is the most
complete skeleton of hominids that found so far. Moreover, the Afar region has
become one of the open air archaeological and anthropological research sites in
the continent. And in fact a number of studies have been carried out in Hadar.
LUCY
Discovered
by Donald Johonson
And
Tom Gray in 1974
At
HADAR ETHIOPIA
Despite of the fact
that Ethiopia , especially
the Afar Regional State
The Afar woman The afar Men
(North East
Ethiopia )
(North East
Ethiopia )
Similarly, most of the Southern, South Eastern,
South Westerns and Western nationalities of Ethiopia live under a primitive way
of life in which their economic mainstay predominantly depends either on
pastoralism or on foraging and sometimes on the combination of these two.
HAMER WOMEN HAMER
(South Ethiopia ) (South Ethiopia )
Some sources indicated that of taming animals and
domestication of certain plants in Ethiopia Ethiopia
It is after the last two decades that farmers began
to access to improved seeds and other
modern farming inputs. But there some ethnic groups who are still unfamiliar
with agriculture though the government of the Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia is doing its best efforts to acculturate them with agriculture by
providing necessary trains and expanding irrigation schemes around these communities.
Primitive
Agriculture Mechanized farm
Floriculture
Farmers
collecting Coffee
Improve breads
Images from
Ethiopian Small
stock animals
Images from
The way of life in Ethiopia varies from the more extended and
personalized peripheries such as Hamer up to the individualized and mechanical
anonymous urban life in Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Orthodox
Christian Holidays Muslim Holidays
Images from
Traditional cults in south Ethiopia
Images from
Ethiopian traditional Houses
Ethiopian Multi-storey Buildings
Section
Four
Conclusion and Recommendations
4.1 Conclusion
The country experiences
extreme climatic zones ranging from its highest peak at mount Ras
The amount of annual
rainfall in the nation varies from more than 2200 millimeters in the Ethiopian
highlands to hardly any in the Dallol Depression.
The country is also gifted with various untold natural
contrasts ranging from countless waterfalls and the longest river in the world
to restless volcanic eruptions and tremendous hot springs
Despite of the
fact that Ethiopia ,
especially the Afar
Regional State
The way of life in Ethiopia varies from the more extended and
personalized peripheries such as Hamer up to the individualized and mechanical
anonymous urban life in Addis Ababa
4.2 Recommendations
The English and
Foreign Languages University of India would be benefiting more out of studying
the nature and developments of some indigenous languages across the globe by
witnessing the experiences in Ethiopia
Most of the
fertile lands of the country are still economically untouched and waiting for
potential developers. Hence, investors would benefit more by taking part in the
ongoing development activities of the nation.
Bibliography
FDRE
Constitution 1995 Addis Ababa ,
Ethiopia
FDER
Government
2010 Growth and Transformation Plan (2010/11-20014/15). Ministry
of Finance and Economic Development. Addis
Ababa , Ethiopia
Websites
www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=Ethiopia+Simien+mountains&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi#um=1) www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=Ethiopia+Simien+mountains&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi#um=1&hl www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=Ethiopia+Simien+mountains&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF- www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=Ethiopia+Simien+mountains&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=Ethiopia+Simien+mountains&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&so
www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&pwst=1&q=Ethiopia+Simien+mountains&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1024&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N
