Useful Info /..
Ethiopia as large as France and Spain combined, has a surface of 1.235.000 squared Kms. About the 65% of the land is arable; 15% currently cultivated.
There are two seasons: the dry season that has prevailed since October through May and the rainy season from June to September.
Ethiopia has a central stage with an elevation that varies from 2.000 to 3.000 meters high. In the north and in the central part of the country they are around 25 mountains whose peaks rise over 4.000 meters. The most famous Ethiopia river is the Blue Nile (or Abbay), wich runs a distance of 1.450 kilometers from its source that is the lake Tana, to join with the White Nile to Khartoum
Roads: There are around 4.100 street kilometers with further 19.000 kilometers of footsteps and proper roads for the dry season there.
Railroad: A railway line of 778 kilometers links Addis Abeba with Gibuti and transports both people and loads.
By air: The Etiopian Airlines has an extensive domestic network flying with 43 airports and other 21 footsteps of landing.
About 90% of the population earns to live from the earth, mainly as agriculturists of subsistence. agriculture is the backbone of the national economy and the principal exports they are the coffee, oil seeds, vegetables, flowers, vegetables, sugar and animal products. There is besides a prosperous sector of breeding, export of livestocks and skins
Ethiopia is a state multi-ethnic with a great variety of languages spoken to the country, 83 with 200 dialects. The three principal languages are the Amharic, the Trigrigna and the Oromigna. English is also widely spoken. .
Ethiopia uses 220 Voltses 50 cycles AC
Different newspapers are published in foreign language in Ethiopia, understood the daily paper Etiopian Herald, published in English and the weekly Al-Alem in Arab
thiopia is in the GMT +3 hours time zone. Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar which consists of twelve months of thirty days every and a thirteenth month of five or six days.
The population is esteemed at 55 million, of which it is below the 20 years of age over 50%. The average of the number of population for squared Km is of 49 people.
Visas are required for all visitators to Ethiopia (ecxept nationals of Gibutina and Kenya) and can be obteined from Ethiopian diplomatic missions abroad. Except in the case of few nationals, passengers transiting Ethiopia whithin 12 hours only for connection purpose, holding confirmed onwoard bookings and entry visa for the country of their destination. However in this case passports are held at the airport until departure and a pink-colored receipt card issued.
For Italian and some others citizien of Europe, and USA the Visas are released directly to Addis Abeba Airport. We suggest to ask and confirm this information from your Ambassy.
In Ethiopia you can ask two type of Visas.
Tourist Visa: permission to enter Ethiopia for maximum of 30 days.
Visa Multiplier: is the permission to enter Ethiopia, and if you cross the border, makes it possible to return to Ethiopia, without seeking additional permits.
The multiple-entry visa is issued by the consulate of Ethiopia in Rome.
Via Andrea Vesalio 16. Tel. 06/4403653 - 4403652 to 4402602. 06/4403676 Fax.
The local currency is the Etiopian Birr, made up of 100 cents. Visitors may import an unlimited amount of foreign currency,providing declaration of such currency (on appropriate blue-coloured form) is made to customs on arrival. Foreign currency may only be changed at authorized banks and hotels. The currency declaration form must be retained as this will be required by customs on departure. Visitors however will be able to change back any excess Ethiopian Birr to foreign currency at the airport before departure. If you do have Ethiopian Birr to cash in the airport, you must, in addition to the currency declaration form, bring with you all receipts for exchange transactions
Duty-free Import is permitted for up to:
a) 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 1/2 lbs of tobacco
b) 1 liter of alcoholic beverages
c) 1/2 liter or 2 bottles of perfume
The visitors can export souvenirs with a value not exceeding E. Birr 500, although some articles (such as animals skins and antiques) required an export permit.
Addis Abeba has hotels that cater for all pockets, from the luxurious Sheratons and Hilton to the Hotels of tourist-class as the Ghion, the Ras and the Wabi Shebelle. All tourist resorts offer a choice of modern hotels
The Taxis are luxurious Mercedes limousines. The are stationed outside all the major hotels and at the airport. They have a fixed rates and a receipt is given for the fare.
Overall health care –services in the country are rather poor. In Addis Abeba and in some other towns there are public and private hospitals with modern, unfortunately not perfectly functioning equipment . Hygiene is not always satisfactory and healthcare professionals, including physicians and nursing staff, are often unequal to emergencies. We recommend to sign an insurance – policy before departure, covering health-care expenses as well as repatriation costs in case of emergency. We recommend to travel with first-aid medications, specifically dysentery-control drugs, anti-allergic drugs, parasiticides, malaria drugs. We recommend to drink bottled beverages only and to avoid raw vegetables.
The Yellow Fever Vaccine (amarillic typhus) is compulsory. If you are going to visit extra-urban areas we recommend Plasmodium Falciparum induced -malaria prophylaxis. We also recommend anti-typhoid vaccine
For the tourism in the zones of historical interest, archaeological, ethnographic and naturalistic it is to submit well him to the evaluations of the Rocky Valley Safari or others reliable and well you organize local agencies, in degree to appraise the real situations, politics and social of the moment.
The RVS exclusively uses guides and personnel with real mastery of the local languages. We remember in fact that in Ethiopia exist around 83 languages and 200 dialects. A guide RVS is safety symptom.
In every case for opportune knowledge we signal you www.viaggiaresicuri.it the site of the Italian Office of the Foreign Business
Not only for the Ethiopia, but for any trip that has a variable "adventurous" a service of the Office of the Foreign Business that allows Italians that temporarily go him to the foreign countries to signal exists - on voluntary base - the personal data and of the trip. www.dovesiamonelmondo.it
When visiting sites of historical, archaeological, ethnographic, or environmental interest we advise to use local, reliable, properly organized agencies able to assess current circumstances and with staff speaking local languages
Address: "Villa Italia" - Kebenà - P.O.Box 1105 - Addis Abeba
site : Ambassy
Tel. 00251 11 1235717 | 1235684 | 1235685
Fax. 1235689
Police of Addis Abeba
Tel. 991 (for emergency call)
Tel. 0111551922 (central)
Tourist Office
Ethiopian Tourism Commission
P. O. Box 2183