The Ethiopian calendar has 12 months and 30 days, almost like the Gregorian (solar calendar) we are using. But the slight difference is that they have a 13th month (only five to six days). These extra days are called “epagomenal” days, and are essentially leap days. These additional dates ensure that the calendar follows the seasons and phases of the Moon. This addition has resulted in huge differences in the Ethiopian calendar and the normal calendar (7 years behind ours). The Ethiopians also follow a very different clock system. They obey a 12-hour clock, as opposed to the 24-hour time system that the rest of the world obey. While most people start the day at midnight (0 o’clock), Ethiopians start the day at dawn. So when the world is at 7:00 a.m. in this African country it will be 1 a.m. daytime time for Ethiopians. At 12 noon, it will be 6 o’clock during the day in Ethiopia (This is quite similar to China, Vietnam and some other feudal co-writers, using a 12-hour system, each watch and hour will be corresponds to 12 o’clock, but the beginning of the day will be counted as Little, starting at midnight). Despite international standards, this timing system exists to this day. 2. In 2017, although Ethiopia had become the fastest growing economy in the world, nearly a third of the population was still below poverty. According to the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects, Ethiopia was the fastest growing economy in the world in 2017. While global growth is forecast to be 2.7%, Ethiopia is projected to be 8.3%. ! Although these numbers may sound astonishing, in fact, with high growth rates, Ethiopia is still deep in public debt. 3. Ethiopia is home to the world’s most salty lake When someone talks about salty waters, the first thing that comes to your mind is the Dead Sea. But there are lakes that are much more salty than the Dead Sea. In fact, the Dead Sea is in seventh place and the waters that occupy first place is Ao Gaet’ale located in Afar, Ethiopia. It was formed in 2005 after an earthquake caused an underground hot spring to form on the surface. The water in Gaet’ale Pond has a salt concentration of up to 43.3%. 4. Ethiopians do not have surnames Worldwide naming conventions dictate a person’s given name, which will be preceded or followed by a parent’s surname (depending on culture). But in Ethiopia, the naming rules are going to be a little bit different. The names of the people here will include their own name, followed by the name of their father. From time to time, people can also take the name of a grandfather or any other male ancestors in the family. In addition, women cannot change their names after getting married. 5. Ethiopia is one of the lowest calorie consuming countries in the world Out of 172 countries, Ethiopia occupies the 167th place in calorie consumption. The average Ethiopian consumes 1,950 calories per day. Even lower than the minimum daily caloric intake prescribed by the World Health Organization (2,200 calories). For many communities in Ethiopia, daily survival is a very difficult thing because they often have to fast for many days because they cannot find food. According to a 2008 study, 16% of Ethiopia’s population earns less than $ 1 a day. Only 65% ​​of rural households make enough money to meet the minimum daily food intake of 2,200 calories. 6. Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia There is a saying in Ethiopia – “Buna dabo naw”, which means “Coffee is our bread”. This clearly shows how important coffee is to the people of Ethiopia. There is a widespread belief that Ethiopia may be the birthplace of coffee. This country has a popular legend associated with this. A goat herder named “Kaldi” was busy grazing his goats when he noticed a strange expression that seemed to be extremely excited. After that, this goat kept jumping up on his hind legs and didn’t stop resting all night. Then, Kaldi realized that the goat had eaten some red berries from a small shrub. Out of curiosity, he tried it and was surprised when it filled him with energy. He then brought these to a nearby monastery. At first, the monks were skeptical about this fruit, but when they tried their seeds with hot water, they found it very interesting. In fact, there is no conclusive evidence of this legend, but it coincides with the time when coffee started being planted in Ethiopia. 7. The oldest fossil human skeleton discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 Ethiopia is one of the most talked about countries when it comes to the paleontological world. In 1963, Gerrard Dekker, a Dutch hydrologist, discovered many stone tools were used about 1 million years ago. Another important discovery was made by Tim D. White, a paleontologist. when he discovered a hominid fossil 4.2 million years old. But the most mentioned hominid fossil would be Lucy. The skeleton belongs to a woman, hence the name “Lucy”, and she lived 3.2 million years ago. She belongs to the species Australopithecus afarensis, an extinct hominid species. She is the oldest human skeleton discovered to date. 8. Raw meat is considered to be the palate of Ethiopia This trend is mainly seen in the city of Addis Ababa, where raw meat is slowly becoming a sought-after dish. The type of meat eaten raw most often is beef. There is also goat meat, but its price is quite high so people will eat it on special occasions. 9. Many Ethiopian holy places forbid women from entering The point above may make you laugh, but it’s 100% true. Those who have visited Ethiopia will confirm that. Known as “Mount Athos”, this monastic facility follows rules drafted back to the 800s C.E. There are about 20 monasteries on the campus, and this is home to 2,000 monks. These monks live a completely separate life from the rest of the world. They were so isolated that anyone who wanted to visit the sanctuary had to climb a great wall, and that could only happen with the permission of the monks. Women and animals are prohibited from entering the sanctuary. 10. In the Ethiopian city of Harar, humans and hyenas have been living together in harmony since the 16th century A common sight in the walled Harar city in Ethiopia are hyenas roaming the streets in search of food. Here, hyenas do not harm humans, and humans are not afraid of animals. Hyenas live in caves just outside the city, and whenever they need food, they look for it in the city. They are seen as agents of nature sent to clean up the mess that people have created in the city. Since the 16th century, people have offered hyena food to mark the birth of the prophet Mohammed. They believe that if the hyenas accept the food, a good time will come and vice versa.

A temple in Kalmykia during the Buddha’s birthday. Where heaven and earth are in harmony Kalmykia is located in southern Russia, on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. In Kalmykia, there is no shortage of natural reserves, the most famous of which is the natural diversity reserve called Chornye Zemli next to Manych-Gudilo, the largest saltwater lake in Kalmykia. Every year, this lake welcomes millions of spotted cauldrons, white-necked ducks and many different types of wild geese returning from the winter migration. Another animal in the reserve that gets a lot of attention is the moose. Like birds, individual groups of elk migrate from Chornye Zemli to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in winter, and then in spring they return. The best time to see the elk falls around March and April, when their plumage changes from brown to red. Russians have long known the therapeutic uses of Manych-Gudilo and other salt-water lakes in Kalmykia. The Soviet government (former) built a number of combined healing resorts next to saltwater lakes, the most prominent of which are the two villages Berezovoe and Solenoye on the shores of Lake Yashalta. Many Kalmykian herbal remedies have been recognized worldwide, especially for skin and respiratory diseases. From Berezovoe and Solenoye, tourists can head up north to reach the Ergeni hills. Contrary to the grasslands stretching out of sight, Ergeni is the only place with forests and mountains in Kalmykia. Tourists can explore the scenery or hunt for many valuable medicines in the forests. The Sarpa Freshwater Lake area is especially famous for its fishing and hunting activities. People in the area today also offer sand bath services. Tourists who want to see the Caspian Sea with endless stretches of white sand, come to Lagan. From a small fishing village, Lagan has now become a famous homestay tourist destination. Visitors need to keep in mind only one thing: Russian naval forces regularly patrol this coast. So, remember to bring your own documents, preferably with a tour guide. Chess is everywhere in life in the capital Elista. The city of temples Located on the transport axis connecting Central Asia with Northern Europe, Kalmykia has long absorbed many different cultures. The Kalmyk ancestors, the main ethnic group in this country, migrated from Xinjiang, China, to Kalmykia. They preserve their Central Asian culture while receiving activities and art from the Mongolian, Turkish and Russian communities living next to them. By the beginning of the 5th century, Tibetan Buddhism was introduced into Kalmykia and popularized until now. Kalmykia is also known with the nickname: “The only Buddhist republic in Europe”. Elista, the country’s capital and largest city, is also known as one of the few Buddhist centers in Europe. Tibetan Buddhism plays a key role, but there are also traditional features of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism here. The largest temple in Europe is the Golden Temple, located in the center of Elista. The temple was started construction in 2004 under the witness of the Dalai Lama during his visit to Kalmykia. Today, the Golden Temple is an attraction for Buddhists to pilgrimage from all over the world, with the tallest Buddha statue in Europe (9m high). Right next to the temple is the National Museum of Kalmykia, where guests can learn more about the history of Buddhism in particular and the history of Kalmykia in general. In addition to Buddhism, the capital Elista has many other interesting things to explore. Former President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov of Kalmykia was former President of the World Chess Federation. He put a lot of effort into making chess into the national sport. Nowadays, chess is included in the curriculum in schools, so wherever you go you can see people setting up chess boards or watching chess. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s greatest achievement is “Chess City”. It is a sports complex associated with the athletes village built on the occasion of the 1998 Chess Olympics and is now a tourist destination. Even the architecture here is also influenced by the chessboard that creates amusing, such as the International Chess Museum. In addition to watching the international chess tournaments held regularly, the favorite activity of tourists in the chess city is to play chess on the outdoor chess boards with giant chess pieces.