Welcome back from Spring Break 2016.
We're back on the VES Flying Bus. This week we've traveled to a rugged, landlocked country split by the Great Rift Valley. With archaeological finds dating back more than 3 million years, it’s a place of ancient culture. Among its important sites are Lalibela and its 12th-13th century rock-cut Christian churches, and Aksum, the ruins of an ancient city with obelisks, tombs, castles and Our Lady Mary of Zion church.
This country is considered the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world (may be traced to the Aksumite Kingdom, merged in the first century B.C.)
Official language: is Amharic
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
Eastern Africa, west of Somalia
Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 38 00 E and is slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Climate: tropical monsoon with wide topographic-induced variation
etymology: the country name derives from the Greek word "Aethiopia," which in classical times referred to lands south of Egypt in the Upper Nile region
Agriculture - products: cereals, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, vegetables, khat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats; fish
Imports - commodities: food and live animals, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, motor vehicles, cereals, textiles
Imports - partners: China 19.2%, US 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.7%, India 5% (2014)
Enjoy more information from our 5th graders!