Ethiopia

This book is the most complete, accessible, and up-to-date resource for Ethiopian geography, history, politics, economics, society, culture, and education, with coverage from ancient times to the present.Ethiopia is a comprehensive treatment of this ancient country's history coupled with an exploration of the nation today. Arranged by broad topics, the book provides an overview of Ethiopia's physical and human geography, its history, its system of government, and the present economic situation. But the book also presents a picture of contemporary society and culture and of the Ethiopian people. It also discusses art, music, and cinema; class; gender; ethnicity; and education, as well as the language, food, and etiquette of the country. Readers will learn such fascinating details as the fact that coffee was first domesticated in Ethiopia more than 10,000 years ago and that modern Ethiopia comprises 77 different ethnic groups with their own distinct languages.Sidebars provide brief encapsulations of topics relevant to Ethiopian history, society, and cultureFigures and tables summarize statistics quoted in the text, offering up-to-date data on the economy of the country and other aspects of Ethiopian lifeA reference section provides extensive information such as addresses, telephone numbers, and websites of major institutions and businesses and economic, cultural, educational, exchange, government, and tourist bureausAn annotated bibliography facilitates in-depth research

"Invaluable for persons about to take up temporary or longer-term residence in the country, and indeed for citizens looking for an introduction to areas with which they may not be familiar. . . . Milkias is to be congratulated on this achievement. . . . [He] exhibits admirable diligence in contributing to the body of important reference works such as Ethiopia, which continue to earn the admiration and gratitude of many students and scholars." - Horn of Africa Journal, "[Milkias] has infused the narrative with his own experiences as a native-born Ethiopian who spent time as a student leader and government officeholder. . . . Recommended." - Choice

Paulos Milkias, PhD, is associate editor of Horn of Africa journal and has taught humanities and political science at Marianopolis College, Westmount, Canada, and at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, for over two decades.