What They Don't Tell You About Ethiopia 🇪🇹

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00][music] I don't think any country has surprised me more than Ethiopia. After just a few days here, you start to realize just how unique this country really is. It has its own alphabet, a 13-month calendar, ancient traditions, and a really strong cultural identity. And in this video, I want to show you what makes Ethiopia so unique.

[00:00:33]>> [music] >> One of the first things I noticed here was how friendly and hospitable people are. Even small interactions feel genuine. People smile, welcome you in, start conversations and there is a very strong sense of community in everyday life. And I actually experienced that myself almost immediately. So many people came up to me, some asking to take photos together, others just wanted to chat, and I even got invited to join a wedding celebration.

[00:01:07]>> Amazing.

[00:01:08]>> Yeah, it looks amazing.

[00:01:11][music] >> [music] >> I just got invited to a wedding and there are 500 people inside.

[00:01:33][music] [music] So I'm here in front of an Orthodox church. The majority of the population here in Ethiopia are Orthodox Christians and Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest in the world. Around half of the population follows Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, the Teaho Church, which is different from the Eastern Orthodox Church. It has its own ancient liturgy and even a larger Bible.

[00:02:13]Islam also has a significant presence here, practiced by roughly a third of the population. In recent decades, Protestants have grown significantly and now they make up nearly a fifth of the population along with smaller communities following other religions.

[00:02:32]And what makes Ethiopia even more interesting is just how diverse it is beyond religion. There are over 80 ethnic groups and nearly 90 languages spoken across the country. Oromo is the most spoken first language, but Tamaharik serves as the national working language.

[00:02:56][music] >> [music] >> Ethiopia is often called the land of origins. And one of the most important discoveries linked to this idea is Lucy.

[00:03:20]She's one of the oldest and most complete early human ancestors ever discovered. Dating back over three million years, and her remains help scientists better understand the origins of humanity.

[00:03:35]Today, a replica of Lucy can be seen in the National Museum of Ethiopia.

[00:03:47][music] [music] This monument behind me is a way more important than it looks like. This is Adva victory monument. So just a quick fact, Ethiopia is the only African country that was never colonized. So the reason goes back to the battle of Adva in 1896 when Ethiopia defeated the Italian army.

[00:04:29]At the same time, most African countries were colonized by European powers, but Ethiopia was able to keep its independence.

[00:04:39]Liberia is another country often mentioned in this context, but its story was very different. It was founded by formerly enslaved African-Ameans rather than fighting for its independence from colonial rule. That's why Ethiopia is often seen as the only African country that was never colonized.

[00:05:01]And this is not just about Ethiopia.

[00:05:05]It's about the whole of Africa.

[00:05:08]When African leaders realized that resistance was possible, entire colonial movements started.

[00:05:21]After Ethiopia's earlier victory against Italy, the country's independence [music] became a powerful symbol. But in 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia again and the country was occupied for a few years before being liberated during World War II.

[00:05:38]Hila Salasia who was the emperor of Ethiopia at that time was forced to leave the country but he continued to represent Ethiopia and speak [music] out against the occupation on the international stage. He later returned after Ethiopia was liberated and became a symbol of independence and anti-colonial struggle.

[00:06:00]This also influenced the Rastafari movement which started in Jamaica. Many Rastafarians see Hila as a symbol of African pride and freedom and some believe in the idea of returning to Ethiopia as a homeland. In 1948, Hila Salasia gave land in Shashaman, a town in southern Ethiopia to black people from the diaspora who supported Ethiopia during the Italian occupation. The idea was to create a place where people of African descent could return [music] and reconnect with their roots.

[00:06:47][music] And beyond history, there is something deeply rooted in everyday life. Coffee.

[00:06:56]Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and it was discovered in the Kafa region.

[00:07:01][music] According to legend, a goat herder named Kaldi noticed that his goats were very energetic after eating red berries from a bush. Curious, Kaldi tried them himself and felt more awake and full of energy. Today, coffee is still a huge part of Ethiopian culture. It's prepared through a traditional ceremony called Buuna where the beans are roasted, ground, and brewed in a clay pot called jabana. [music] It's usually served in three rounds. Citron getting lighter as more water is added. And it's usually served with popcorn on this side. But more than anything, it's a social ritual. People sit together for hours, talk, share stories, and just slow down.

[00:07:52]>> [music] >> This is one of the oldest capes in Adis.

[00:08:13]It's been operating since 1953.

[00:08:17]And here I got Makiato.

[00:08:19]And I'm going to try it now.

[00:08:34]The taste is so strong and I actually got a medium strong. It's definitely way stronger than I expected, but it's really good. [music] [music] Ethiopia is not only famous for its coffee, but food here is incredible, too. One of the most important parts of Ethiopian cuisine is inera. It's a soft, sour flatbread that's eaten with almost every meal. It's traditionally made from te flour and left to ferment for a few days, which gives it a unique slightly sour taste and spongy texture.

[00:09:27]Different ingredients are then placed on top of the inera from vegetables and lentils to meat stews and then people usually eat together using their hands.

[00:09:41]This is Ted, a traditional alcoholic drink made from fermented honey and a local plant called gasho.

[00:09:51][music] >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Hey, Heat.

[00:10:09][music] [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> One more thing that shows just how unique Ethiopia is is its calendar. It is about 7 to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar and it has 13 months 12 months of 30 days and a short 13th month with five or six days. This difference come from a different way of calculating the birth of Jesus Christ compared to western calendars. Ethiopia also celebrates its new year called Enkutatas every September 11 or September 12 in lap years. So while it's 2026 in most of the world in Ethiopia it is currently 2018.

[00:12:06]Beyond all the history and traditions, there is also a very modern side of Ethiopia. There are major development projects across the country and cities are transforming quickly.

[00:12:18]Ethiopia is one of the fastest developing countries in Africa with improving infrastructure, new roads and modern buildings appearing everywhere.

[00:12:28]Here you will find bike lanes, modern cafes, and even the largest science museum in Africa.

[00:12:34]And when you put it all together, the history, the culture, the traditions, and the modern life, you start to understand why Ethiopia feels so unique.

[00:13:00]>> [music] [music] >> Hey, [music] hey, hey. [music] All >> [music] [music] >> the Right. [music] [music] [music] Right.

[00:14:12][music] Oh, hey.

[00:14:29][music]