Capital City Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia, was founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II it is the largest city in Ethiopia, with a population of 2,738,248 according to the 2007 population census. It is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union. Addis Ababa is therefore often referred to as “the capital of Africa”, due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. More than 90 embassies and consulates.
Addis Ababa lies at an altitude of 2,300 meters. The city lies at the foot of Mount Entoto. From its lowest point, around Bole International Airport, at 2,326 meters above sea level in the southern periphery, the city rises to over 3,000 meters in the Entoto Mountains to the north.
Ethiopia has often been called the original home of humankind due to various humanoid fossil discoveries like the Australopithecine Lucy. The fossilized skeleton, and a plaster replica of the early hominid Lucy (known in Ethiopia as Dinkinesh) is preserved at the Ethiopian National Museum in Addis Ababa. Meskel Square is one of the noted squares in the city and is the site for the annual Meskel festival at the end of September annually when thousands gather incelebration.
The city is has much to offer to international visitors. It has magnificent museums, monuments, and cultural heritages. The major attracting museums include the National Museum, Addis Ababa Museum, Baata Museum, Entoto Museum, St. George Cathedral Museum, Ethnographic Museum and the Museum of Zoological Natural History. Some of the monuments are Emperor Meneliks Monument, Abune Petros Monument, etc. There are also palaces, churches and mosques worth visiting.