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Ethiopia shocked the world in 1974 when photographs of the country’s horrible famines were published. Many people got the mistaken notion that Ethiopia was nothing but a vast, dry desert where food was unavailable for either people or beasts. Nothing could be further from the truth. Much of Ethiopia receives ample rainfall, in some places distributed all through the year, although a few places must rely on seasonal rains. Because much of the country is highly elevated, large areas range in temperature from cool to cold throughout the year. In Ethiopia, temperature depends more on the elevation of the land than on the tropical latitude. But, it is true that large areas of Africa suffer from scant and often unreliable rainfall, resulting in frequent drought. Ethiopia is no exception. It is also one of the poorest nations on Earth. The country faces many difficulties in providing for the needs of its 65 million people. Nevertheless, Ethiopia has a rich history and an amazing diversity of people, climates, land features, and ecosystems. Until 1974, Ethiopia had an unbroken line of kings and emperors dating back to biblical times. It would be sad if all people ever thought about when considering Ethiopia was famine. There are many more exciting things to know about this fascinating country.