Ethiopia is strategically located in the Horn of Africa and has easy access to major ports. Ethiopia is bordered by the Sudan on the west, Somalia and Djibouti on the east, Eritrea on the north and Kenya on the South. Although Ethiopia lies within 15 degrees north of the equator, due to high altitude, the central highlands, where the vast majority of Ethiopian peoples live, enjoy pleasant climate, The sparsely populated low lands have sub-tropical and tropical climates. The history of Ethiopia, known to many as Abyssinia, is Ancient. The first recorded account of the region dates back 5,000 years when the Egyptians sent expeditions down the Red Sea in quest of gold, ivory, incense, and slaves. The country's rich history is woven with traditions of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and the Ark of the Covenant that is said to rest in Axum. Ancient Ethiopians were Jews, and Ethiopian Jews lived in the country until the late 1980s, Ethiopia is the only African country which was not colonized by Europeans. Italy began to colonize Eritrea in the mid 1880s. In 1896, Ethiopia defeated Italy at The Battle of Adwa, which was considered the first victory of any African nation over a European colonial power.

The son of the Queen of Sheba, Menelik I, is regarded as the first emperor of Ethiopia - his dynasty ended with Haile Selassie, who ruled from 1930 until 1974 when the military rebellion ended the Haile Selassie regime. In 1994, a new constitution was written and In May 1995 Dr. Negasso Gidada was elected President. Capital City Addis Ababa was founded in 1887, and has a population 3 million. With a total population of about 62 million, Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic and language composition of its Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic and Nilotic peoples. The Ethiopian peoples comprise about seventy eight nationalities of which the Amhara and the Oromo constitute the majority, with about 60 percent of the total population. Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia. English, French, Italian and Arabic are also widely spoken. Local Time: Ethiopia is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. The 12 hour clock is sometimes used locally and this can be confusing to visitors. The first cycle starts with "one" at 7 A.M. and goes on to "12" at 6 P.M. The second cycle starts at 7 P.M. "one" and goes on to 6 A.M. "12"

Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar, which consists of twelve months of thirty days each and a thirteenth month of five days (six days in a leap year). The calendar is about eight years behind the Western (Gregorian) calendar.

The first ever evangelistic radio program is being broadcast into Ethiopia.This program called "The day of salvation" reaches 20 million Amharic speaking people in that East African nation and different parts of the world. The producer, Alex, met his savior more than 9 years ago.He is a print media journalist with 9 years experiance. (Visit wwwalemayehubooks.com)

Many people in Africa have short-wave radios.. .and use them daily.The program is broadcast through WWCR, which uses two primary short-wave radio stations that target Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and India-- ncluding the 10-40 window. For more information please contact Alemayehu Mammo 11123 Nicolas Drive Silver Spring, MD 20902 Phone: 301-649-4933 E- mail: alexwrites@hotmail.com

MUSIC OF MEXICO