Ethiopia may not rank among the most alluring and gorgeous tourism destinations of the world but it has certain kind of unique feeling attached to it that is simply impossible to ignore. Situated in the eastern most part of the African continent, the country terrain resembles the curvature of the Horn of Africa perfectly. Visitors to Ethiopia will be absorbed by the views of lush coffee plantations, rustic country roads and not to forget the historical treasure of the Axum obelisk. The country displays a fairly complex geographical combination. Spread over an area of 1,127,127 sq km, Ethiopia is host to massive highland, mountains, dissected plateaus, lowlands, steppes and semi desert regions. It is also home to part of the Great Rift Valley and nestles the Lake Tana in the north, which is the source of the Blue Nile. Moreover, if you wish to have a glimpse of the Gelada Baboon, Walia Ibex and the Ethiopian wolf amidst natural surroundings, step in to Ethiopia, home to these endemic species.
Originally called Abyssinia, Ethiopia is sub-Saharan Africa's oldest state. The mention of Kingdom of Aksum around the first century AD brings the first recorded history of the country followed by descendent dynasties from King Solomon and the queen of Sheba. Semitic traders from Arabia, the Roman and Byzantine Empires ruled the region in successive centuries. Modern Ethiopia emerged under Emperor Menelik II, who fought out the Italian forces, the sole incidence of invasion in Ethiopian history that lasted for five years only.