The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is home to a highly diverse and rapidly growing population of 82 million inhabitants. Slightly less than twice the size of Texas, it is second most populous nation in Africa.

Ethiopia is one of the oldest nations on Earth and its people are proud of their rich history, which includes a monarchy that pre-dates those of Europe’s by hundreds of years. Coffee is said to have first been discovered and cultivated here around 2,000 years ago (and is still an important part of life, culturally and economically). Ethiopia is also the supposed home to the Ark of the Covenant, the chest mentioned in the Book of Exodus as containing the original Ten Commandments.

Only about 17 percent of Ethiopia’s population lives in an urban area, a trend that is common throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Most people in the countryside engage in subsistence farming. Mining plays a large role Ethiopia’s economy, as do major exports like coffee, gold, leather products and oilseeds. Ethiopia’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is $29.9 billion; the per capita GDP is $365. It is the top coffee and honey producing country in Africa.

The Ethiopian health sector has made slow but steady improvements over the past decade but it remains riddled with problems. The average life expectancy of an Ethiopian man is just 53 years old; it is 56 for females. Women and infants dying during the birthing process is tragically commonplace, as is severe acute malnutrition in certain areas, and other tropical diseases that claim lives swiftly without intervention.

The official language is Amharic; however, many dialects are spoken by the inhabitants of Ethiopia. In total, more than 80 distinct ethnic groups reside within Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church is the largest religious group with 43.5% of the population; 18.6% are Protestants; Muslims make up 33.9%. The remainder of the spiritually-active population follows indigenous traditions.