5 Facts about Ethiopia, a Country that was Never Colonised, Their Soldiers Fought Side by Side with Lions

5 Facts about Ethiopia, a Country that was Never Colonised, Their Soldiers Fought Side by Side with Lions

Ethiopia joins an exclusive list of countries around the world that have never been colonised since their existence.

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The country located in the Horn of Africa along with Liberia are the only two on the African continent in that group.

Facts about Ethiopia
The country is one of the two African countries that haven't been colonised Photo Credit: LinkedIn/Abdulkadir Nasidi, Absolute Ethiopia, Big Seven Travel
Source: UGC

Apart from this fact, the East African country is home to many fascinating stories and histories.

Legit.ng highlights five facts about the country whose soldiers were said to have fought their enemies in the past side by side with dangerous animals as lions, bees, elephants and cheetahs.

1. Ethiopia was the first country to accept Islam as a religion

Ethiopia is said to be the first country in the world to embrace Islam as a religion.

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According to Mo Afrika Tours, Ethiopia was reported to have provided shelter to Prophet Muhammad, his family, and followers when they faced persecution from pagan Arabians.

At the moment, 35% of the country's population practice Islam.

2. Dallol in Ethiopia is the hottest inhabited place on earth

With an average temperature of 35°C (95°F), recorded between 1960 and 1966, Dallol in the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is the hottest inhabited place on planet earth, Absolute Ethiopia reports.

The average daily maximum temperature as at the periods of 1960 and 1966 when it was recorded stands at 41°C (106°F).

3. Over 80 languages are spoken in Ethiopia

The country Ethiopia is multi lingua with more than 80 languages spoken there.

Big Seven Travel reports that some of the languages spoken in Ethiopia include Oromo, Amharic, Somali and Tigrinya.

English is a language used for its educational systems.

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4. Ethiopia has the longest existing lava lake

Dubbed locally as the Gateway to Hell, Ethiopia's Erta Ale Volcano is the longest existing lava lake in the world.

Absolute Ethiopia has it that the lake has been in existence since 1906. Known for its searing hot temperature, the volcano is one of the most active in the world.

5. Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia

Coffee widely consumed around the world today have its birth place in Ethiopia, Absolute Ethiopia reports.

While there is no universally accepted account about events leading to its discovery in Ethiopia, it is believed that coffee moved from there to other parts of the world through slave trading and other means.

Meet Abbas Yussuf: Fearless Man Who Happily Lives with Domesticated Hyenas

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a man in Ethiopia has left many stunned with his somehow crazy idea of living with some of the world's most feared animals.

A man in Ethiopia has left many stunned with his somehow crazy idea of living with some of the world's most feared animals.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Stefan Mack avatar

Stefan Mack (Editor) Stefan Mack is an English and history teacher who has broadened his horizons with journalism. He enjoys experiencing the human condition through the world's media. Stefan keeps Briefly News' readers entertained during the weekend. He graduated from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2010 with a Bachelor of Education (BEd), majoring in History and English. Stefan has been writing for Briefly News for a number of years and has covered mainstream to human interest articles.

Kelly Lippke avatar

Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.