TEN FUN FACTS ABOUT ETHIOPIA!

1. Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and the only African nation never to be colonized by European powers. It has been independent for over 2,000 years, other than a brief occupation by Italians during World War II.

2. Ethiopia is one of the most ancient nations in the world, and is mentioned frequently in the Bible. It has the largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa. Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley is one of the oldest sites of human existence known today.

3. Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in Africa, with the 8th highest population growth rate in the world. The median age is 16.9 years. Life expectancy is 55 years. There are 80 different ethnic groups.

4. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world; Christianity was adopted as the state religion in the 4th century. Religious breakdown is Christian 60.8% (Orthodox 50.6%, Protestant 10.2%), Muslim 32.8%, traditional 4.6%, other 1.8% (1994 census)

5. Ethiopia is one of the very poorest countries in the world. The GDP per person is $900, compared to $46,000 in the US. Ethiopia ranks 213 out of 227 countries in GDP/person. The economy is based on agriculture, accounting for 85% of total employment. Coffee first originated here, and remains a major crop.

6. The country is a land of natural contrasts, with spectacular waterfalls and volcanic hot springs. Ethiopia has some of Africa’s highest mountains as well as some of the world’s lowest points below sea level. It is twice the size of Texas.

7. When other African nations received their independence following World War

II, many of them adopted the colors of Ethiopia’s flag, and Addis Ababa became the location of several international organizations focused on Africa.

8. Ethiopia is one of a few African countries to have its own alphabet. It also has its own unique time system (different than the 24 hour day used in the rest of the world) and unique calendar.

9. Christian relief organization World Vision cares for more children in Ethiopia (over 63,000) than anywhere else in the world; Ethiopia also has more children waiting for World Vision sponsors (over 11,000) than anywhere in the world. In

2009, Ethiopia ranked #2 in the world as the source of foreign children adopted by

US families (almost 2,800; China was #1 with 3,000).

10. Addis Ababa, the capital, is often referred to as “the political capital of Africa,” due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent. It has 3.5 million people and is snuggled in the Entoto Mountains at 7,500-8,000 feet above sea level.

10 Facts about the School where Rich will become

Professor of Systematic Theology!

1. The Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (EGST) is the first and only

Graduate level institution of its kind in the Horn of Africa.

2. EGST had a humble beginning. When it was started in 1997, it operated out of small rented facilities with only 15 students enrolled in a single program.

3. Today, EGST operates from its own premises with over 100 students enrolled across the five post-graduate programs. A large building campaign recently completed a new six story building occupied last fall; a second larger building will begin in 2010.

4. Since its founding, EGST has graduated 117 people.

5. Over the next 10 years, it seeks to become an institution of international standing, known both for its strong academic standards and the quality of men and women it produces to serve Church and society in Ethiopia and beyond.

6. All classes at EGST are taught in English.

7. The faculty includes about 14 full and part-time professors, equally mixed between Ethiopians and western missionary faculty like the Hansens.

8. Post-Graduate Degrees offered at EGST include: Post Graduate Diploma in

Biblical and Theological Studies, the Master of Theology (MTh), Master of Arts in Leadership and Management, Master of Arts in HIV and AIDS in Relation to Theological Studies.

9. EGST stands in the traditions of the evangelical, Protestant Reformation, and is owned jointly by the three primary Protestant denominations in Ethiopia.

One of them is the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) which was founded by Presbyterian missionaries in the 1950’s; the EECMY is the mission partner inviting the Hansens to work at EGST through the PCUSA.

10. One American faculty member wrote the following: “My greatest joy in teaching at EGST is seeing students who have been shaped and formed by their time at EGST take up key ministry roles and thrive in those roles. I think compared to the average seminary grad in the US, the students who graduate from EGST take up roles that are disproportionately influential. One or two lead entire denominations, a number have teaching or leadership roles in most of the lower-level English language schools in the country.”

Hansen Family