The Land of Thirteen Months of Sunshine — 9 Facts 🇪🇹
Ethiopia is a country of great antiquity, culture and tradition dating back more than 3,000 years.
In this article, we will introduce you to this ancient country through nine quick facts.
9 Quick Facts About “The Land of Thirteen Months of Sunshine”
1️⃣ Ethiopia is located in the tropical zone lying between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer.
2️⃣ The Ethiopian Highlands cover most of the country and have a climate which is generally considerably cooler than other regions at similar proximity to the Equator.
3️⃣ Most of the country’s major cities are located at elevations of around 2,000–2,500 m (6,562–8,202 ft) above sea level, including historic capitals such as Gondar and Axum.
4️⃣ The modern capital Addis Ababa is situated on the foothills of Mount Entoto at an elevation of around 2,400m (7,874ft).
5️⃣ The temperature in Addis Ababa is fairly uniform throughout the year making it a healthy and pleasant climate year round.
6️⃣ The seasons in Addis Ababa are largely defined by rainfall, with a dry season from October–February, a light rainy season from March–May, and a heavy rainy season from June–September.
7️⃣ The dry season is the sunniest time of the year, though even at the height of the rainy season in July and August there are still usually several hours per day of bright sunshine.
See where the classic phrase — “Thirteen months of sunshine” came from?
8️⃣ This famous tourism slogan “Thirteen Months of Sunshine” was first coined by Mr. Habte Selassie Tafesse who is also known as the “Father of Ethiopian Tourism”.
9️⃣ Now, you’re probably wondering where the “thirteen’s month…” part of the phrase came from. Here’s the answer, Ethiopia has it’s unique calendar with twelve months (thirty days each), and a thirteenth month which has five days, with a sixth in leap year.
This is not the end of your astonishment with the Ethiopian calendar, but a trip here will make you a few years younger. Just don’t miss the next article to learn how 😉