Ethiopia questions

Haile Selassie I was an Ethiopian regent from 1916 to 1930 and emperor from 1930 to 1974. He is a defining figure in contemporary Ethiopian history.

Ogaden is the unofficial name of the Somali Region, the territory comprising the eastern portion of Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somalis. The region, which is around 200,000 square kilometres, borders Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya.

Addis Ababa lies at an elevation of 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) – making it the fourth highest capital in the world, after Andean and Himalayan capitals.

The African Union Headquarters complex was built in 2012 by China State Construction Engineering Corporation as a gift from the Chinese government. It accommodates a 2,500-seat plenary hall and a 20-story office tower, among other facilities.

Fasil Ghebbi is a fortress-enclosure located in Gondar, Ethiopia. It was built in 1636 by Emperor Fasilidies, who broke with the old tradition of the Ethiopian Emperors to travel around their possessions, living off the produce of the peasants and dwelling in tents. The unique architecture of Fasil Ghebbi shows diverse influences, including Nubian, Arab, and Baroque styles.

In about 316 AD, Frumentius and his brother Edesius from Tyre were taken to the Ethiopian court as slaves. They were given positions of trust by the monarch, and converted members of the royal court to Christianity. Ethiopia, a major empire at the time, was the second country to officially adopt Christianity (after Armenia).

The House of Solomon was the former Imperial House of Ethiopia. Its members claim lineal descent from Solomon of Israel and the Queen of Sheba, the latter of whom tradition asserts gave birth to Menelik I after her Biblically described visit to Solomon in Jerusalem. These claims of Solomonic descent make the Ethiopian royal house among the two oldest in the world (the other being the Imperial Dynasty of Japan)

Haile Selassie was born as Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael. As Governor of Harer, he became known as Ras Tafari Makonnen (Ras means Duke). Among the Rastafari movement, which began in Jamaica in 1930s, Haile Selassie is revered as the returned messiah of the Bible, God incarnate. Currently, the movement has between 200,000 and 800,000 followers worldwide.