ETHIOPIA

You're adopting from where? ETHIOPIA!!!!

Official Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Geography and people:
Ethiopia is one of the oldest locations of human life and widely considered the region in which homo sapiens initially set out for the Middle East. It's roots can be traced back to the 2nd millennium BC.  Ethiopia is now home to more than 80 million people speaking more than 80 languages. Ethiopia is home to one of the largest populations of orphans in the WORLD: 13% of children in Ethiopia are missing one or both parents. THAT IS 4.6 MILLION ORPHANS! (Children's Hope Chest, 2014). Sitting in East Africa, Ethiopia borders Eritrea to the north, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, and Sudan to the west. Ethiopia is a country twice the size of Texas.
Varied landscapes fill the land, ranging from rugged highlands to dense forests to hot lowland plains. The slow drying of Africa’s Sahel region has increased droughts in eastern and northeastern Ethiopia.
Although deforestation has hurt crop production, over 80 percent of Ethiopians work in agriculture. Major crops include coffee, potatoes, grain, sorghum, and castor beans. Natural resources consist of small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, natural gas, and hydro power.
The second most populous country in Africa, Ethiopia has over 70 different people groups. In many areas, local dialects have replaced the official language of Amharic in primary school instruction. Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, and English also are spoken. The capital of Addis Ababa is home to the African Union headquarters. The people of this poverty stricken country are at high risk for infectious diseases and only 42.7% of adults are literate (CIA). 
Most Ethiopians live in rural areas, many with their extended families in a clustered group of thatched huts. They sometimes refer to their cousins as “brother” or “sister” and to their aunts and uncles as “mother” and “father.” (World Vision, 2014)

History:
Unlike most African nations, Ethiopia was never a European colony. Ethiopia became a socialist state in 1974; in 1994, Ethiopians adopted a constitution and held the first multi-party elections a year later.
Ethiopia suffered from the effects of severe economic troubles, civil war, and millions of displaced persons in the early 1980's. A succession of four devastating famines in that decade killed approximately 2 million people.
A 2.5 year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Voting irregularities in the 2005 parliamentary elections led to mass protests and more than 100 deaths.
In 2006, Ethiopia sent troops into the neighboring country of Somalia to help restore order after Islamist conflicts. However, tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia continue.
Ethiopians still experience a high level of food insecurity today after droughts in 2008 and 2009 and ongoing flooding (World Vision, 2014).

Interesting Facts:
- Ethiopia has the world's largest outdoor market
-People eat with their right hand
-Shoes should be removed before entering places of worship
-"The 16th century Church of St. Mary of Zion is the holiest Christian sanctuary in Ethiopia, and Ethiopians believe that this church houses the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tables which Moses wrote the Ten Commandments." (Selamta, 2014)
-Religion is very important and many Ethiopians belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Many are also Muslim or practice ancient Judaism
-Never refuse coffee as this is consider disrespectful