16th July: Ethiopian Constitution Day

Ethiopian Constitution Day Celebrates the day in 1931 when Emperor Haile Selassie I implemented Ethiopia’s first constitution. Today, 10 facts about Ethiopia.

1. The capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.
2. Ethiopia is thought to be the place where modern humans first appeared on Earth, and from where they set out to colonise the rest of the planet.
3. The Coffee bean also originated here, and Ethiopia is still the biggest coffee producer in Africa.
4. Most of Ethiopia's rivers flow to the North West, towards the Nile.
5. A remote settlement, Dallol, holds the record for the hottest inhabited place on Earth. The average temperature was recorded as 35°C (96°F) was recorded between the years 1960 and 1966. It has no transport links, not even a road. The only way to get there is by Camel.
6. During the 19th century, Ethiopia was unique in that it successfully resisted takeover by colonial powers. Other nations in Africa acknowledged this by adopting Ethiopia's colours for their flags when they became independent - so Ethiopia is the reason why so many African national flags include Green, Yellow and red.
7. Ethiopia is where the Rastafari movement began - Emperor Haile Selassie I was crowned in 1930. He had led the modernisation of the country since 1916. His regnal name means "Power of the Trinity". As well as the many titles given him by Rastafarians: "King of Kings", "Lord of Lords", "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah", "Elect of God," He was also named Time Magazine's Man of the Year in 1935, following a powerful address to the League of Nations.
8. The Ethiopians have a different system for measuring time to western countries. Whereas we reckon a day to start at 12am, in Ethiopia, the day starts at 6am, which is the time that the sun rises throughout the year. This means there is a 6 hour difference between Ethiopian time and western time. They have a different calendar, too - the Ethiopian Calendar is about seven years behind the Gregorian Calendar.
9. The population is around 92,000,000, making it the most populous landlocked country in the world, and the second most populated nation in Africa (Nigeria being the first).
10. Ethiopians don't have family names. They have a given name, to which is added the given names of their father and grandfather. For administrative purposes, such as passports, the grandfather's given name is taken as a surname.