Bottom
Tour and Travel Agencies
Please Click here to get information about the
Tour
and Travel Agencies.
Health Requirements
Prior to entry, visitors should be in possession of a valid health
certificate for yellow fever. 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 import are permitted for up to: 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars,
1/2 lb of tobacco, 1 litre of alcoholic beverages, two bottles of
perfume. Visitors may export souvenirs with a value not exceeding
Birr 500, although some articles (such as animal skins and antiques)
require an export permit.
Air Transport
Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport is a gateway to the rest
of Ethiopia. The airport also serves many destinations in Africa,
Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America. The country's national
carrier Ethiopian Airlines has an extensive domestic network flying
to 43 airfields and an additional 21 landing strips. There are many
other airlines that also serve Ethiopia. Please Click
here to get information about Airlines
Offices in Addis Ababa.
Road Transport
Roads: There are some 4,100 kilometers of asphalt roads with a further
19,000 kilometers of gravel and dry-weather roads. Railway: A 778
kilometers railway line links Addis Ababa with Djibouti, and carries
both freight and passengers.
Time
Ethiopia is in the GMT + 3 hours time zone. Ethiopia follows the Julian
calendar, which consist of twelve months of 30 days each and a 13th
month of 5 or 6 days.
Currency Bottom
Top
The local currency is the Ethiopian Birr made up of 100 cents. Visitors
may import an unlimited amount of foreign currency, providing declaration
of such currency is made to customs on arrival. Foreign currency may
be changed only 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.
Climate
There are two seasons: the dry season prevails from October through
May; the wet season runs from June to September.
Topography
Ethiopia is on an elevated central plateau varying in height between
2,000 and 3,000 meters. In the north and center of the country, there
are 2 mountains whose peaks rise over 4,000 meters.
Economy
About 90 percent of the population earns their living from the land,
mainly as subsistence farmers. Agriculture is the backbone of the
national economy and the principal exports from the sector are coffee,
oil seeds, pulses, flowers, vegetables, sugar and foodstuffs for animals.
Language
Ethiopia is a multiethnic state with a variety of languages spoken
in the country, of which there are 83 with 200 dialects. The main
three languages are Amharic, Tigrigna and Oromigna. English is also
widely spoken.
Electric Supply
Ethiopia uses 220 volts 50 cycles AC.
People
The population is estimated at 65 million, over 50 per cent of whom
are under 20 years old. The average number of inhabitants per square
kilometer is 49.
Excursions
Excursions within Ethiopia, whether for a day or for a month, may
be organized by any of the travel agencies or tour operators.
Hotels
Addis Ababa has hotels that cater to all budgets, from the luxurious
Sheraton and Hilton hotels to the tourist class hotels. All tourist
resorts offer a choice of modern hotels.
