Trivia in Ethiopia

National symbols

Flag: A horizontal tricolor flag of green, yellow, and red with a blue disc and golden five-pointed star radiating light at the center

Emblem: National emblem depicting a golden five-pointed star with rays on a blue circle

Country considered the birthplace of coffee, with Kaffa region as the word's origin
Uses 13-month Ethiopian calendar running about 7 years behind Gregorian
Daily time starts from sunrise as hour zero in unique "Ethiopian time"
Addis Ababa means "new flower" in Amharic
African Union headquarters located due to history as uncolonized nation
Lucy fossil (about 3.2 million years old) exhibited at national museum
Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile, the country's largest lake
Injera is a gluten-free food made from fermented teff flour
Abebe Bikila was the first African to win Olympic marathon, running barefoot
Coffee ceremony etiquette requires drinking three cups before leaving
International currency code ETB stands for "Ethiopian Birr"
Ethiopian Airlines is one of Africa's most profitable airlines
Danakil Depression at about -120m below sea level is one of Earth's hottest regions
Geez script still used today for Amharic and Tigrinya
Tej, honey wine sipped through bamboo straws, is traditional alcoholic beverage