In the world, Ethiopia is a country apart. Considered by many researchers as the cradle of humanity. This large country of East Africa, with 113.7 million inhabitants, is also one of the most populated of the continent. Ethiopia is also a large country in terms of size as it covers 1,127,127 square kilometers. This vast African country is located in what geographers call the Horn of Africa. A complex and relatively unstable geopolitical area. Note that Ethiopia is a landlocked country (it has no direct access to the sea).
1. Addis Ababa, the country’s largest city
The population of Addis Ababa is estimated at 4.8 million inhabitants. This emblematic city of Ethiopia is also the headquarters of the African Union (OAU) since 1963. The largest city in the country, it is the capital of the continent. As far as Ethiopia is concerned, Addis Ababa is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country.
If this city is so densely populated it is because it is located on the high plateaus bordering the Great Rift Valley. The capital of Ethiopia is at an altitude of 2,355 meters and as such, it is one of the highest capitals in the world.
The area of the city of Addis Ababa is 526.5 square kilometers, with a density of more than 9,000 inhabitants per square kilometer.
What to do and see in the Ethiopian capital?
The capital of Ethiopia is also one of the most tourist places on the continent. It is indeed a big metropolis full of museums where you can find eclectic architecture, both modern and classical. As far as museums are concerned, you cannot miss the Ethiopian Ethnographic Museum or the Natural History Museum.
2. Diré Daoua
With nearly 500,000 inhabitants, Diré Daoua is the second most populated city in the country. A city that owes its development to the creation of a railway line between Djibouti and Addis Ababa. This city was the terminus of the railway line between 1902 and 1917. The year when the line to Addis Ababa was finally completed.
This city is quite particular because on one side there is the old colonial city created by the Franco-Ethiopian railway company (in 1902) and on the other side there is the indigenous city. So there is Gezira, the old colonial town on one side, and Magala, a district of Diré Daoua that has kept the spirit of the African village. Magala is with its narrow streets and houses built of bricks and mortar the popular district of the city.
3. Nazareth, one of the largest cities in the country
This city is also called Adaama. Located in the regional state of Oromia, in the center of the country, Adaama is about 100 kilometers south of the capital Addis Ababa. With nearly 360,000 inhabitants, the city of Nazareth is one of the largest cities in Ethiopia. It occupies a strategic place in Ethiopia since it is a crossroads in the exchange of goods between the Eritrean ports and the Ethiopian cities.
What to do in Adaama (Nazareth)?
This city is famous throughout the world for its thermal springs. The small town of Sodere, for example, is just a short distance from Nazareth, where you can experience the benefits of the naturally warm thermal waters of Adaama. The Awash River flows in an idyllic setting just a few steps from a hotel complex dedicated to thermal tourism. A river that is not free of any danger, since it shelters a small colony of crocodiles as well as some hippopotamuses.
4. Gondar, an ancient capital
Gondar is a historical city in Ethiopia, as it was the former capital of the country. It is located in the Amhara region about 50 kilometers north of the Tana, one of the most emblematic places in the country. It is estimated that this city was created around 1 635 by the emperor Fasilides.
Gondar lies at an altitude of 2130 meters and covers an area of 192 square kilometers. The figures concerning the number of inhabitants are not really reliable. It is estimated that the population is around 330,000.
This city is populated by 90% of the ethnic group of Amharas, followed by the Tigrayans who represent 6% of the population followed by the Qemant who form a small community of 2% (about 7 000 people).
In terms of religion, 84% of the inhabitants practice Orthodox Christianity, 12% Islam, and 1% Protestant.
5. Mekele
This city in the Tigray region is located in the north of the country. It is a beautiful town that lies at an altitude of over 2,250 meters. Its population is estimated at just under 300,000. It is therefore one of the largest cities in Ethiopia.
What to do in Mekele?
The things to do in Mekele are the visit the museum of Yohannes IV, discover the castle of Abraha Araya, or visit the market of Melele.
It is worth noting that there are some very nice things to see around Mekele. For example, the pink salt canyon is not far from the incredible acid lakes of Dallol volcano.
6. Dessie
Located more than four hundred kilometers from its capital, the city of Dessie is one of the largest cities in Ethiopia. It is located on the road that links the capital to nearby Eritrea. In Amharic, the local language, it means “my joy”.
The population of Dessie is estimated to be around 220,000. This puts the city in sixth place in the ranking of the largest cities in Ethiopia.
7. Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar is a city with a population of about 200,000 people and is located at an altitude of 1,840 meters. This city is known as the city of the source of the Blue Nile.
Bahir Dar is therefore a city of the northwest. It is an important city that is the capital of the Amhara region which is located on the shores of Lake Tana.
8. Jimma
This city would count a little more than 210 000 inhabitants. A large Ethiopian city that is located in the Oromia region, which is in the center of the country.
Note that the city of Jimma was the capital of an autonomous state that joined Ethiopia in the late 19th century.
9. Debre Zeit
This city of 160 000 inhabitants has the strange title of veterinary capital of the country. Indeed it is in Debre Zeit that the National Veterinary Institute of Ethiopia is located. An institute that was created in the early sixties and which is today the place of the main production of vaccines in Ethiopia.
10. Hawasa
Another big Ethiopian city is located in the Rift Valley and is bordered by Awasa Lake. The population of the city is estimated to be around 150,000.
Awasa is located at an altitude of 1700 meters. Because of its close proximity to the lake of the same name, the main economic activity is fishing. Lake Awasa covers 129 square kilometers and is 16 kilometers long, with a maximum width of nine kilometers.