Official Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Alternate Names: Ethiopia, Ityop'iya

Former Names: Abyssinia, Italian East Africa

Capital City: Addis Ababa

Flag: The national flag of the FDRE has three horizontal colours with green at the top, yellow in the middle and red at the bottom, and bears an emblem sketched on blue circular background falling in its center. The emblem is made of direct and equal converging lines in yellow and a star illuminated by direct and equal lines in yellow jumping from converging points is the line of a ray.

Date of Independence: oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years

National Anthem: Ethiopian National Anthem

Population: 67,851,281

Size/Area: 1,127,127 sq km;slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land Locked: Yes

Bordering Countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan

Administrative Divisions: 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations* (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba* (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa*, Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples)

Major Cities: Addis Ababa, Aksum, Bahar Dar, Gondar, Lalibela

Languages: Amharic, Tigrinya, Oromigna, Guaragigna, Somali, Arabic, other local languages, English

Religions: Muslim, Ethiopian Orthodox, animist

Major Holidays: Genna, Epiphany (Jan 19), Victory of Adowa (Mar 2), Patriots' Victory Day (Apr 6), Labor Day (May 1), Good Friday, Id al-Fitr, Ethiopian New Year (Sep 11), Revolution Day (Sep 12), Meskel (Sep 28), Id al-Adha, and Birthday of Mohammed.

Currency: Birr

Currency Code: ETB

Highest Point: Ras Dejen 4,620 m

Lowest Point: Denakil Depression -125 m

Bordering Bodies of Water: Lake Rudolf (whith Kenya)

Bodies of Water: Lake Rudolf, Blue Nile River, Lake Tana, Lake Abiata, Lake Shala, Lake Langano, Lake Abaya, Lake Chamo

Climate: The central plateau has a temperate climate, with an average annual temperature of 60°F. The main rainy season occurs between mid-June and the end of September, and there's also a bit of light rain in March and April.

Major Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, metals processing, cement

Major Agricultural Products: cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, sugarcane, potatoes, qat; hides, cattle, sheep, goats

Natural Resources: small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower