Ethiopia
"Thirteen months of sunshine"
Welcome to Ethiopia
Ethiopia the oldest independent nation in Africa was known anciently as Abyssinia.
Legend has it that Ethiopian monarchs are descendants of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Ethiopians converted to Christianity during the Axumite period, primarily under the reign of King Ezana in the fourth century AD. Christian Ethiopia began warring with neighboring Islamic states in the 13th century and was nearly defeated in the 16th century by Ottoman Turks. Islam first gained influence in Ethiopia in the 17th century.( Ethiopia: history)
Government structure and Economy
Ethiopia's prime minister is head of the government and has strong executive authority. A ceremonial president is head of state. Members of parliament's upper chamber the House of the Federation, are elected by state assemblies( "Ethiopia:Government")
Nearly all Ethiopians are subsistence farmers with little or no access to the resources necessary to pursue goals beyond feeding and clothing a family. The nation's GDP per capital is one of the lowest in the world. Only about 15 percent of the land is arable.("Ethiopia :Economy")