ABSTRACT
‘Thirteen months of sunshine‧ say the travel posters. This refers to the fact that Ethiopia has never reformed its calendar – not the only strange thing about this country where the overworked word ‘unique‧ is not out of place. Until 1974 Ethiopia was ruled by emperors, said to be descended from the Queen of Sheba‧s visit to the bed of King Solomon. The Ethiopian church is older than most in Europe, and the national alphabet is equally ancient. As if this was not enough, the last emperor, Haile Selassie, is the Ras Tafari worshipped by Rastafarians.
