Teff (eragrostis) is an edible crop that provides 2/3 of the food needs in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Teff is used to make flour and is also used in the preparation of alcoholic products (such as the Ethiopian beer called tella). It is also used to make a traditional Ethiopian dish called injera. Abyssinian teff is used similarly to millet or quinoa; however, its seeds are much smaller, which significantly reduces energy consumption during processing. ¹⁾

Around 316 AD. Frumentius and his brother Edesius of Tyre were taken into Ethiopian captivity. There they were given a position that secured the king's trust, and they converted members of the royal court to Christianity. Ethiopia, the largest empire at the time, was the second country to officially adopt Christianity (Armenia was the first). ²⁾

Young women of the Mursi tribe have their lower lip cut open and a clay disc placed in it. Over time, the discs are replaced with larger and larger ones. The larger the disc in a woman's lip, the more attractive she is in the eyes of the tribe, and the more cows a man willing to marry her is willing to give to her family. ³⁾

Haile Selassie was born as Tafari Makonnen Woldemiael. As governor of Harer Province, he was known as Ras Tafari Makonnen (“Ras” means prince). It is from his name that Rastafarianism, a movement started in the 1930s in Jamaica, takes its name. Rastafarians see Haile Selassie as the messiah foretold in the Bible. Today, there are between 200,000 and 800,000 Rastafarians in the world. ⁴⁾

Hailing from Ethiopia, the Falashas are a Cushitic people known as the “Black Jews. According to Falaish tradition, they are descendants of Menelik, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who brought them from Jerusalem to Ethiopia. The majority of the Falashas are Jews, hence they are also known as “Black Jews,” although some of them profess Christianity. The Falashim now live mainly in Israel. ⁵⁾

Ethiopia's capital city is Addis Ababa, home to more than 3 million people. ⁶⁾

The official means of payment is the birr, which was introduced into circulation in 1894 by Emperor Menelik II. ⁷⁾

The highest point in Ethiopia is the extinct volcano Ras Dashan (14,926 feet). This fourth highest peak on the African continent is located in the Semien Mountains. ⁸⁾

The rectangular-shaped Ethiopian flag consists of three horizontal stripes and a blue circle with a star in the center. Three traditional colors - green, yellow, and red - are combined on a flag with more than a thousand years of tradition. ⁹⁾

According to Ethiopian church tradition, the biblical Ark of the Covenant (or an exact copy of it) is housed in the Chapel of Our Lady of Zion in the former capital of the Ethiopian Empire, Axum. ¹⁰⁾

The country uses the Ethiopian calendar, also known as the Gyyz calendar. The year according to this calendar consists of 12 months, each of which has 30 days, and one additional month that lasts 5 days (a day longer in leap years). ¹¹⁾

Ethiopia can undoubtedly be called the home of coffee. This country is one of the largest producers of this stimulant in the world. ¹²⁾

Preparing coffee is an extraordinary ritual performed mostly by women. Oddly enough, Ethiopians sometimes add salt or spices to their coffee. ¹³⁾

Making a Skype call in Ethiopia can land you in jail for up to 15 years. While the use of the program itself is not banned, as a government spokesperson explains, it can be used to make an “unauthorized call.” It's just the kind of call that's not so easy to control. ¹⁴⁾

Traffic on Ethiopian streets has its own rules. Although there are written rules on how to drive, drivers don't care. The most important thing is to get to your destination. This is one reason for the high death rate on Ethiopian roads. Few people wear seatbelts and driving while intoxicated is perfectly legal. ¹⁵⁾

Ethiopia was electrified rather late, only in 1896. The circumstances, or rather the intentions, of this progress were not very friendly. Menelik II, who was in power, brought in the electric chair to execute prisoners, but when the chair proved useless without electricity, he decided to bring electricity to Ethiopia in addition to the chair. ¹⁶⁾

Tej is a traditional Ethiopian drink prepared mainly at home. The drink is simply mead or honey wine, which is traditionally served in a round tureen called byryllie. ¹⁷⁾

Injera is a kind of sourdough bread that resembles moist, thin pancakes. Various kinds of sauces can be put on it. ¹⁸⁾