2. There are a variety of languages used in ethiopia these include: Amharic Tigrinya Orominga Guaraginga Somali Arabic There are a range of local languages and more commonly English is emerging as a popular language and is often taught in Ethiopian schools The Ethiopians love to celebrate, whether important events in their history, major landmarks in the religious calendar or simply special family days. Best clothes are worn, food and drink are plentiful, musicians play and people dance and sing. National holidays are held to celebrate the victory over the Italians at Adwa in 1896, the Liberation from the Italian occupation in 1941 and the downfall of the Derg in 1991. But it is the major Ethiopian Orthodox festivals that represent the people at their most colourful and festive. Meskal is a two-day festival at the end of September celebrating the Finding of the True Cross. Bonfires are lit and singing and dancing take place around them, while the priests don their full ceremonial regalia. Timkat Timkat usually falls on the January 19, 12 days after Christmas according to the Julian calendar. Festivities take place the day before as well as the day after.

3. Religion in Ethiopia is an important part of peoples everyday life. The Ethiopian language is full of references to religion. Christianity came to Ethiopia in ancient times in the early 4 th century and became the official Ethiopian religion soon after. For centuries Islam has existed along side Christianity and in some places become more popular for example in the east of the country particularly strong in the city of Harar this being officially the fourth most holy Muslim site in the world. Scattered throughout Ethiopia there are small communities of ‘Falashas’ a Jewish denomination of Ethiopians however many fled in the 20 th century with operation Solomon

4. The Government and Political System Ethiopia adopted a new constitution that established the Federal Democratic Republicof Ethiopia (FDRE) in 1995.The federal government is responsible for national defense, foreign relations and general policy of common interest and benefits. The federal state comprise nine autonomous states vested with power for self-determination. The FDRE is structured along the lines of bicameral parliament, with the council of Peoples’ Representatives being the highest authority of the federal government while the federal council represents the common interests of the nations, nationalities and peoples of the states. Members of both councils are elected by universal suffrage for a five-year term. The federal state is headed by a constitution president and the federal government by an executive prime minister who is accountable to the council of peoples’ Representative. Each autonomous state is headed by a state president elected by the state council. The judiciary is constitutionally independent. The Federal Democratic Republic is composed of state which are delimited on the basis of settlement patterns, language, identity and consent of the peoples concerned.

5. The Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) is one of the largest military forces in Africa along with Egypt and Morocco, 29th largest in the world. Force sizes recently varied considerably in light of the end of the war with Eritrea in 2000. In January 2007 during the war in Somalia, Ethiopian forces were said to be about 200,000 troops. This is down from the 252,000 estimated troops in 2002, which was roughly the same number maintained during the Derg regime that fell to the rebel forces in 1991. Since the early 1990s, the ENDF has been in transition from a rebel force to a professional military organization with the aid of the U.S. and other countries. Training in de-mining, humanitarian and peace-keeping operations, professional military education, and military justice are among the major programs sponsored by the U.S.