117 Addis Ababa Facts About The Ethiopian Capital City

Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and home to around 2,739,551 people as of 2007.

Addis Ababa is of great significance to the entire African continent, especially known for its artistic, cultural and financial centers. Interestingly, Addis Ababa is not only the capital of Ethiopia; it is also the capital city of the regional state of Oromia, which is the indigenous home of the Oromo people.

The city of Addis Ababa is frequently referred to as the political capital of Africa, owing to its diplomatic significance.

A number of international headquarters are located in this city, including the likes of the African Union, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Organization of African Unity (OAU), and the Jubilee Palace. The entire city boasts a vibrant vibe due to the dominance of the country's youth.

Alongside exhibiting a strong fashion sense and a culture of thriving arts, Addis Ababa is Ethiopia's capital city and is leading this country towards upholding the honor of being the fastest economically growing country in the world.

This chartered city is the largest city of Ethiopia and is home to the well renowned Addis Ababa university, a landmark in East Africa. Additionally, the city hosts the National Museum of Ethiopia, depicting the history of the country and the city.

It shows the stark difference between old Ethiopia and modern Ethiopia. Ethiopia was invaded by the Italians in 1936.

This event has influenced the culture of Ethiopia to some extent, especially its architectural culture. The Piazza district, located in the city center of Addis Ababa, has a number of shopping malls and other tall buildings which depict the Italian style of architecture.

Tourists usually travel to Ethiopia to enjoy its vibrant lifestyle and lively culture. The most convenient way to travel to Ethiopia is by the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.

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Fun Facts About Addis Ababa

The city of Addis Ababa is not particularly old, as it was founded less than 200 years ago. Yet, it has seen a number of events and has undergone some drastic changes to emerge as one of the most important cities of the African continent.

Over a period of around 130 years, this city has amassed a population of more than three million and is now infamous for its crazy traffic.

It has also faced foreign invasions from countries such as Italy in the mid 20th century. Let us take a look at some potentially unknown facts about the capital city of Ethiopia.

The capital city of Addis Ababa is situated at a height of 7,726 ft (2,355 m), which makes it the highest capital city of all countries in Africa. In the entire world, it ranks third, and the cities of Bogota and Quito are the only ones ahead of it.

Among the people who have traveled to Addis Ababa, some have complained about shortness of breath and other altitude-related issues after staying for a few days in the city.

Contrary to the settling pattern of the majority of the African cities, Addis Ababa wasn't a village that turned into a city over time.

It was a military encampment to protect the then Ethiopian Emperor, Menelik II. With the passage of time, Ethiopians from various parts of the country traveled to the capital city and shaped it into the current day Addis Ababa.

Ethiopians love Mexico, and this affection grew when Mexico supported Ethiopia during the Italian invasion. If you visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, you can find a Mexican statue in the middle of the city for this very reason.

As mentioned earlier, another interesting fact about Addis Ababa is its crazy traffic. The Meskel Square of the capital city is known for its intersection; it is busy all the time and operates without any traffic signals. It is arguably one of the craziest ones in the world.

The capital of Ethiopia also expresses some typical behavior when it comes to temperatures. Even though Addis Ababa is quite close to the equator, the average temperatures are usually around the 77 F (25 C) mark.

On the other hand, if you travel to some other parts of the country, such as the Danakil Depression, you will experience some of the hottest temperatures on Earth.

Ethiopia as a whole is a very culturally diverse country, and a similar pattern is seen when it comes to the capital city of Addis Ababa. Amhara, Gurage, Tigray, and Oromo are some of the ethnic groups that live in Addis Ababa, and the official language of Ethiopia is Amharic.

However, hardly 30% of the population speaks it on a regular basis. A large chunk of the society speaks in Oromo, and there are more than 50 other regional languages spoken throughout the country.

Historical Facts About Addis Ababa

The history of the development of Addis Ababa is different from most of the other African cities. Most of the cities in Africa were under colonial rule, and there were villages that turned into towns and some into cities over time.

Addis Ababa, on the other hand, was founded by a king of the Shewa province, Emperor Menelik II, in 1886. The emperor's wife chose a location at the hot springs and decided to build her house there.

The emperor chose Mount Entoto for his military operations as it was on high land, but owing to unfavorable weather conditions and a lack of firewood, the emperor then came back to his wife's house and expanded it to make it the Imperial Palace.

The city then expanded around the house of the emperor, and it was made the capital of Ethiopia in 1889 when Emperor Menelik II was recognized by the Ethiopians as their emperor. The name was then changed to Addis Ababa, and city dwellers expanded the place.

In the early 1900s, a number of eucalyptus trees imported from Australia were planted all over the city to meet the shortage of construction material and firewood. The years that followed during the mid-1930s saw the Italian invasion of Ethiopia.

The Italians captured the city of Addis Ababa and made it their capital.

Soon, with the help of the British, the Ethiopians drove out the Italians and re-established Addis Ababa as Ethiopia's capital. Ever since then, there has been a population boom, drought, famine, military coup leading to the establishment of a socialist military government, and a rise in population due to refugees.

These have all gone down in the pages of history. In 2002, the African Union replaced the OAU and hasn't looked back ever since.

Facts About Addis Ababa's Geography

Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, is one of the highest capital cities in the world, at a height of 7,726 ft (2,355 m). The city is located in the southern part of Mount Entoto.

Interestingly, Addis Ababa lies just a few miles towards the left of the East African Rift, which is known for dividing Ethiopia into the Somali Plate and the Nubian Plate.

The entire city of Addis Ababa is divided into 10 sub-cities and 99 wards for better civil administration. Geographically, Addis Ababa is regarded as a grassland biome as it is an area that contains plants, animals, and soil organisms of a similar kind.

The city, at times, experiences significant temperature differences of up to 50 F (10 C) because it is close to the equator but is also at a great height.

The temperature of the city also depends upon the elevation and wind patterns. There was also a significant increase in the area under city cover from 1984-1994 due to a rapid population rise.

Facts About Addis Ababa's Economy

As of the latest 2007 survey, trade and commerce engaged the maximum number of people living in the city in comparison to some other professions, such as manufacturing and industry, homemakers, civil administration, and transport. The health and education sector employs 42,514 people; 32,685 people work in the hospitality industry; around 16,600 people work in the agriculture sector.

Addis Ababa is also home to the Merkato district, which is the largest open market in Ethiopia. As of 2019, Ethiopia ranks 130th when it comes to international trade.

Of all the goods exported by Ethiopia, more than 30% are coffee. Some of the other goods exported by Ethiopia include oil seeds and fruits, turbojets, gold, groundnuts, cut flowers, and flower buds.

In recent years, the city has witnessed a rapid growth in the construction of tall buildings and the establishment of luxury services, such as spas, indicating a rise in quality of life. People living in the rural areas of Addis Ababa are majorly involved in animal husbandry and crop cultivation.

The city is also suffering from overpopulation as refugees often travel to Ethiopia. It is the most populous landlocked country.

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