Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. Founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik, the site of the city was chosen by Empress Taytu Betul. It is also the capital of the African Union. Being a chartered city, it achieved the status of both city and state. The city achieved the status of capital after Menelik became the Emperor of Africa. The city then flourished and was captured by the Italian troops in 1936 after which they made it as the capital of Italian East Africa. Later, in 1963, Emperor Haile Selassie helped form the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The OAU was dissolved in 2002 and African Union (AU) made Addis Ababa its headquarters. The city is now the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union.

Transportation: Bole International Airport and Lideta Airport serve the city. The city also has a railway connection that links it with other regions. Minibuses, taxis, public buses etc include the public transportation in the city.

Hotels: Addis Ababa offers various hotels to the tourists as well as to its residents with all amenities. The hotels, which provide outstanding services, are often opted by tourists on their visit to the city. The famous hotels in the city include Ghion Hotel, Hilton Addis Ababa, Sheraton Addis, Damu Hotel, Baro Hotel, Taitu Hotel, National Hotel and Finfine Restaurant And Hotel.

Tourist Attractions: The monuments in the city are often visited by the tourists.

Places of Attraction: Museums are the highlights of the city. The Ethiopian Ethnological Museum, the Addis Ababa Museum, the Ethiopian Natural History Museum, the Ethiopian Railway Museum and the National Postal Museum are the main museums in the city that tells the story of the city and its ancient rulers. St George's Cathedral and Holy Trinity Cathedral -once the largest Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral are the miraculous churches in the city often visited by pilgrims. The tomb of Emperor Haile Selassie, National Palace formerly known as the Jubilee Palace, The Hager Fikir Theatre, Merkato market, the Jan Meda Race Ground racecourse and Bihere Tsige Recreation Center are the other interesting sites in the city.

COUNTRY	Ethiopia
LOCATION	The city lies at the foot of Mount Entoto, and is home to Addis Ababa University.
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES	Latitude 9.03º N, Longitude 38.74º E
AREA	530.14 sq. km
POPULATION	3,627,934 (2007)