What is the Capital of Ethiopia? Ethiopia’s capital is Addis Ababa. The city of Addis Ababa is between the height of the city and the high capitals of the city, meaning the name ‘New Flower’ in Amharic, and is also the capital of the African Union.
East African country Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, is located in the central region of the country. The city is located at an altitude of 2500-2700 and is located on the mountains.
When did Addis Ababa Become the Capital?
In 1886, his wife Empress Taytu Betul selected the area where the city was founded by Emperor Menelik II. The expression Addis Ababa, which gives the name of the city, means “new flower” in the Ethiopian language. The city became the capital of Ethiopia in 1889. The unplanned growth of the city has gained momentum after the completion of the Djibouti Railway in 1917. Occupied by Italian troops from 1936 to 1941, the city grew rapidly again in the 1960s, doubling its population and achieving many light industry operations. Addis Ababa is also the city where the agreement of the African Union Organization was signed in 1963.
One of the interesting traditions of Ethiopia in Northeast Africa is that every king who is a founder of a dynasty has to build a new capital for himself. Today’s capital, Addis Ababa, dates back to 1887 as a new dynastic period, begins with the Emperor Menelik II in a fairly recent time.
Features of Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa has a population of 3.38 million according to 2008 data. The surface area is 527 square kilometers. There are apparent rains in a hot and temperate climatic city. The average temperature for Addis Ababa is 16 ºC. When the city has an altitude of about 2,500 meters, the temperature difference between day and night is above normal.
Addis Ababa, which means the new flower, stretches between the eucalyptus trees, above the sea surface at 2,500 meters above the mountains. It is the second-highest capital of the world after La Paz, capital of Bolivia.
The main structures in the city are all whitewashed, roofed and tinned. The sheds on the sides of these structures, made of mud, give a town view to the city. Addis Ababa, connected to Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan by highways, is also connected to Djibouti along the Red Sea by rail. In addition, there is an airport that connects with European and Middle Eastern countries.
Important Places to See in Addis Ababa
Unlike many of the poorest cities in Africa, places to visit in Addis Ababa will be sufficient for you with its cultural and architectural richness. Religious places and museums are more touristy places. Furthermore, shopping and natural park areas are also pleasant places to catch your interest.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, the city’s largest Orthodox cathedral in Addis Ababa, the National Museum of Ethiopia and the Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum, where you can see important artifacts in terms of Ethiopian history, are the main places to see. Other than that, George Catedral, Entoto Hill, Mausoleum of Menelik II are among the places to see in Addis Ababa.