The highest city in Africa, Addis Ababa is located at 8,000 feet (2,450 meters) above sea level. It is the capital and economic center of Ethiopia. The city lies on a well-watered plateau at the country's geographic center and has grown haphazardly among more than 90 square miles (230 square kilometers) of forested hills and valleys. Modern Addis Ababa stands out in contrast to a largely poor and underdeveloped country. Although Addis Ababa is the hub of Ethiopia's transportation system, only the major roads are paved, and these are mostly in commercial areas. Most residential areas have bumpy cobblestone streets or muddy dirt paths. Only main roads have official names, and there are no regular addresses because of the twisted street patterns. Vehicles move slowly, impeded by pedestrian and animal traffic. Ethiopia's government ministries are located in Addis Ababa, as are the houses of parliament and the headquarters of international organizations. Nearby are the city's showplaces—the imperial palaces and the imperial dens, where dozens of lions live. Elementary and secondary schools in the city are mostly government-operated. However, there are also many private, mission, and Eastern Orthodox church schools. Addis Ababa University, formerly Haile Selassie I University, was established in 1961. The city has a government-owned radio station and television station. The latter has broadcasts in both Amharic, the “working” language, and English. The Ministry of Information publishes three daily newspapers in Amharic and English. Addis Ababa's most popular spectator sport is soccer. Major matches are played at Haile Selassie I Stadium. Addis Ababa is Ethiopia's main distribution center for agricultural and consumer goods. Products manufactured in the city for the local market include textiles, shoes, food, beverages, wood products, plastics, and chemical products. Most of Ethiopia's export and import trade goes through Addis Ababa on its way to or from the ports of Aseb and Djibouti. In 1917 a railway was built between Addis Ababa and Djibouti to connect the isolated inland city to the Indian Ocean. As the capital of Italian East Africa from 1935 to 1941, Addis Ababa had some of the features of a modern town, but rapid development did not really begin until the 1960s, when the number of housing units in the city doubled. New construction included high-rise office and apartment buildings, luxury villas, and low-cost housing projects. The city was founded in 1887 by the empress Taita and her husband, Menelik II. As the population increased, the city experienced shortages of the firewood that was necessary for survival in the cool mountain climate. As a remedy the city imported several varieties of fast-growing eucalyptus trees from Australia in 1905. The trees spread, creating a forest cover throughout the city. (See also Ethiopia.) Population (1994), 2,112,737. |