Ethiopia holds the unique claim of being the only African country never subjected to colonial rule. Although the Italians successfully occupied what was then called "Abyssinia" between 1936 and 1941, the Second World War prevented Mussolini from consolidating control of this East African state. Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa, after Nigeria. It is both ethnically and religiously diverse, and the mix of languages and tribes is extensive. The main religions are Ethiopian Orthodoxy and Islam.

Ethiopia’s history is both extraordinary and global in its resonance. It is believed to be one of the oldest human settlements, the birthplace of the Semitic tribe, location of the earliest traces of Judeo-Christian culture, a historical Garden of Eden. Among its eight UNESCO world heritage sites are the Rock-Hewn Churches at Lalibela, referred to as the ‘New Jerusalem’, and the stunning landscapes of the Simien Mountains. And, moving forward to the twentieth century, Emperor Haile Selassie, who ruled for 43 years, was adopted as a God incarnate in the Rastafarian movement which settled in the small town of Shashemene, 250 kilometers south of Addis Ababa.

More recently, however, Ethiopia has been associated, not with its proud history, but with repeated droughts, famines and war. Severe famines in Wollo and Tigray during the 70s and 80s drew the world’s attention to the fragility of its economy and environment. One of the reasons for this downfall was a communist military junta called “Derg”, a brutal and repressive regime that oppressed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1991.

Then, war with its neighbor and former annexed region, Eritrea, sunk Ethiopia further into dire financial and environmental ruin. It is now considered to be among the ten poorest nations in the world. An influx of refugees from the civil war in southern Sudan, which lies to the west of Ethiopia, and the ‘failed state’ of Somalia to the East, has also destabilized the country.

The presence of foreign aid workers, especially in the capital, Addis Ababa, is one outcome of these crises. Addis Ababa is also the seat of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as the African Union, giving the city a truly international flavor.