Ethiopia

Dallol has some of the highest average temperatures on the planet and colorful sulfur springs.

Only Nigeria has more people, with Ethiopia's population above 120 million.

The high plateau contains the continent's largest area of mountains above 3,000 meters.

The Blue Nile supplies most of the Nile's water when it reaches Egypt.

On March 1, 1896, Ethiopian forces under Emperor Menelik II decisively defeated the Italian army at the Battle of Adwa, killing or capturing roughly 40% of the Italian force. It was the most significant victory by an African nation against a European colonial power in the 19th century. The treaty that followed forced Italy to recognize Ethiopia's full independence.

The UNESCO World Heritage site of Lalibela boasts eleven monolithic churches, intricately carved downwards out of single blocks of rock in the 12th and 13th centuries. These architectural marvels are still active places of worship today.

Ethiopia uses its own ancient calendar, based on the Coptic calendar, which is about 7 to 8 years behind the Gregorian calendar. It has 12 months of 30 days each, plus a 13th "Paguemē" month of 5 or 6 days, making every year a "new year."

The fossilized skeleton of "Lucy" (Australopithecus afarensis), an early hominin species, was found in Ethiopia's Afar Region in 1974. At 3.2 million years old, she provided crucial insights into human evolution and bipedalism.

Unlike most of Africa, Ethiopia maintained its independence throughout the "Scramble for Africa," famously defeating Italy at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. This makes it a unique symbol of African sovereignty and resilience.

Legend says a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee after noticing his goats became energetic from eating berries. This led to the cultivation and global spread of this beloved beverage from the Kaffa region.