Ethiopia, in the Horn of Africa, is a rugged, landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley. With archaeological finds dating back more than 3 million years, it’s a place of ancient culture. Among its important sites are Lalibela with its rock-cut Christian churches from the 12th–13th centuries. Aksum is the ruins of an ancient city with obelisks, tombs, castles and Our Lady Mary of Zion church.Ethiopia is known as the Cradle of Mankind, with some of the earliest ancestors found buried in the soil. Lucy (3.5 million years old), the most famous fossils found, were unearthed in Hadar. Ethiopia remains one of the only nations in Africa never to be colonized.With about 109 million people (2018), Ethiopia is the second most populous nation inAfrica after Nigeria, and the fastest growing economy in the region. However, it is also one of the poorest, with a per capita income of $790.
