Imagup General Magazine 2024
Ethiopia is a famous country on the East side of Africa. It is preferable for traveling, getting an education, permanent living, and for many reasons. If you love traveling, then you should visit some of the huge cities in this country to explore the culture and life of people living there. The total population is around 10.92 crores, and every year, people visit the place for discovering the ancient culture of Africa.
In the following write-up, we will discuss significant cities in Ethiopia, where you can travel for many days. There are lots of castles, churches, tombs, etc., here and you can visit them to get detailed information about the deep history of the country. You need to have a visa for traveling here, and you must visit visagov.com to apply for it for different purposes like education, tourist, etc. Consider some of the country’s huge cities that are must explore.
1. Addis Ababa
If you are searching for the largest city in this country, then Addis Ababa is the one. It has 4,568,000 residents, which means that it is a perfect place to live or explore the culture. It is Ethiopia’s capital and is also known as the chartered city.
When it comes to the location, then it lies at the bottom of Mount Entoto and near river Awash. Emperor Menelik II is the one who founded this place in 1886. He became the emperor in 1889, then he declared its new name, i.e., Addis Ababa. There are several things to explore here because as a capital city, it is rich in diversity.
Many people across the globe come here for getting an education in various professional courses. If we talk about religion, then 75% of the people are Christians, 0.5% are catholic, 16% are Islamic, and 7% are the protestant Christians. There are many cultural places where you can enjoy while traveling with your friends and family.
2. Dire Dawa
No doubt that it comes in the second position in the list. The overall population is more than 1,275,000 and is also known as a chartered city. If we talk about the location, then it lies on the Dechatu river, which is on the east side of Ethiopia. In 1902, this city was introduced when the Imperial Railway Company connected with the village, known as Addis Harar. It was then renamed as Dire Dawa.
You can also see the diversity in religions here. There are different ethnic groups and communities. As a traveler, you can explore different universities, markets, industrial sectors, and much more. If you are willing to communicate with different people in this area, then you can make new friends and know more about their unique culture and diversity.
3. Mek’ele
It is another famous and huge city in the county with citizens more than 481,000. It is considered as the special zone and is known as the capital of the Tigray Region. In the 13th century, it was introduced, but it became one of the largest cities in 1870. There are few ethnic groups here, and hence, there is less diversity of people of a different religion. 93% of the residents follow Christianity, and 6% of others follow Islam.
All the matters of the country’s Northern part are solved here. As a traveler, you can explore various monuments, museums, and history of the city. Two landmarks are quite popular here. One is the Monument, i.e., Tigrayan’s Liberation Front and the second one is Yohannes IV’s Three Castles.
4. Gondar
It comes fourth in the list of biggest cities in Ethiopia with more than 358,000 residents. It is located near Lake Tana, Angereb river, and Simien mountains. The Solomonic Emperor founded it in 1635. In 1885, it was considered as Ethiopia’s capital. It happened at the time when the Emperor Tewodros II shifted to the place, Magdala.
90% of the population are Amharas, 6% are Tigrayan, and 2% are Cement. There are a few ethnic groups in the city. If we talk about religion, then most of the citizens follow Christianity, the other 12% follow Islam, and the last 1% are the followers of protestant Christianity. There is a ruin of the Ethiopian empires, which is located in Ghebbi.
It is the preferable tourist attraction in this place. If you need to explore the area as a traveler, then you must consider this place. You will get detailed information about the ancient life and culture of the people living here. There are several things that you must explore here, therefore, make a plan for many days.
5. Bahir Dar
If we check the list of the largest cities in Ethiopia, then it comes in the fifth number. It is a north-western city, which is the capital of the Amhara Region. It is also considered as the Special Zone. The history of its origin is not much clear because it might be invested in the late 16th or 17th century.
There is a surety that when the Spanish Jesuit Missionary, Pedro Páez constructed several buildings in this place. If we talk about the population, then it is around 349,000. If you are looking for a peaceful place to stay, then you can prefer this one. The total number of residents is divided between 93% of ethnic groups of Amhara, 4% of Tigrayan people, and 3% of other groups.
People living here are majorly following Christianity and some of the left ones follow Islam. Some of the attractions are Lake Tana, the Blue Nile river, Nile Falls, etc. This place got the peace price in 2002 for its superfast urbanization.
The Bottom Line
Many people are unaware of the huge cities in Ethiopia, where they can travel, get an education, or live permanently. After applying for the visa, it is possible to go to any of the major cities of the country. You can consider any of the above-listed ones. It is necessary to explore the place entirely if you are spending a lot of money to travel to any place worldwide.
