Learning About Her Country

Tonight I decided to do some more research on Ethiopia.  I figure we better get to know this country if we are ever going to tell our daughter all about where she was born, her birth country, and more.  Just so I don't ever forget this all, I also decided to post it here....you see, my memory, as my friends know, isn't always top notch. (I can remember your phone number a year later, but I can't remember what we talked about during the phone call.  Weird, I know.  Selective memory at its best :)


Anyway, here are the important facts I want to share with you and also remember forever:
*It is the 2nd most populated African nation with over 85.2 milllion people.
*Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Djubuti and Somalia to the east, an Kenya to the south.

*It is one of the oldest sites of human existence....some believe this just might be where the Garden of Eden was way back a LONG time ago.

*Ethiopia is one of a few African countries to have its own alphabet.

*Ethiopia is a beautiful land full of waterfalls, volcanic hot springs, and has some of Africa's highest mountains.

*This country is famous for its gold medalists, rock-hewn churches, and as the place where the coffee bean originated.

*It was one of the first Christian countries in the world, having officially adopted Christianity as the its religion in the 4th century. It still has a Christian majority, however now 1/3 of the population is Muslim. 

*Its economy is one of the fastest growing in the world.

*Ethiopia cuisine consists of various meat or veggie side dishes and entrées, usually a wat, or thick stew served atop injera, a large sourdough flatbread made of teff flour. Ethiopians tend to not eat with utensils, but rather use this injera to scoop up the entrées and side dishes.  Ethiopian cuisine employs no shellfish or pork of any kind, as they are forbidden in many faiths. 

A rock-hewn church in Ethiopia