In the first three centuries AD, Semitic-speaking people were building a ‘South Arabian’ (or ‘North Ethiopian’) type of civilisation in Eritrea, later centring about Aksum in Tigrai Province. As early as the middle of the fourth century, military expeditions may have reached the area later known as Amhara. By the mid-ninth century, a distinctive Amhara region was recognised. The conquering Semitic-speakers spoke a language which was
perhaps only four to seven centuries removed from a common origin with Giiz, the classical language of the Aksum Empire and of Medieval Ethiopian religion and literature. This
pre-Amharic may have been as similar to Giiz as Icelandic is to Norwegian, or even more so. Today, it is the second most spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the
‘official working’ language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and thus has
official status and use nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working language of several of the states within the federal system, including Amhara Region and the multi-ethnic Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region, among others. It has been the working language of government, the military and of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church throughout modern times. Outside Ethiopia, Amharic is the language of some 2.7mn emigrants (notably in Egypt, Israel and Sweden), and is spoken in Eritrea by some Eritreans of the pre-independence generation and younger deportees from Ethiopia.
VITAL STATISTICS
ETHIOPIA: COUNTRY FACTS
Full Name
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Capital City
Addis Ababa
Area
1,098,000 sq km
Population
64,000,000
Time Zone
GMT+3
Languages
Amharic (official)
Tigrinya (official)
Oromo (official)
Arabic (essential)
Religion
Ethiopian Orthodox, Muslim, animist
Currency
Ethiopian Birr (Br)
Electricity
220V 50Hz
Electric Plug Details
South African/Indian-style plug with
two circular metal pins above a large
circular grounding pin
European plug with two circular metal pins
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