History: Some of the earliest human fossils have been discovered in Ethiopia. It is an ancient culture with many ethnic groups. It is also a very poor country and was one of the only nations of Africa that escaped control by a colonial power. It was ruled by a series of emperors and warlords, and more recently, by a communist government from the mid-1970s until the mid-1990s. A poor people in a poor nation, many Ethiopians are willing to work for extremely low wages just to survive.

Unusual for an African nation, the majority of Ethiopians are Christian.

Background The previous system of governments, including warlords and comm unist dictatorships has left a legacy of small arms and rule by military might. Whoever has the biggest guns gets to rule. W idespread abuse of their powers by the police and military has led to many unlawful deaths, including political deaths of many opposed to the ruling party.

Coffee has been grown and consumed in Ethiopia for centuries by local people, especially in religious ceremonies. The first coffee plants were probably grown in Ethiopia and coffee drinking is an important aspect of cultural life.

Today, Ethiopia's economy is primarily subsistence agriculture. One of its most important products is coffee which is grown and sold to large corporations to export to other nations. 60% of all exports is coffee. Coffee farmers are getting paid less and less for their coffee while big companies like Starbucks and Nestle are making increasing profits. This has led to many coffee farmers growing khat instead, a recreational drug which is banned in many nations.