Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sculpted with clay, rubbed with mud, put in buns and tied in countless different fashions. In the Omo Valley, hair-
styles are sometimes so elaborate and valued that special wooden headrests are used as pillows to preserve them.
In rural areas, the heads of children are often shaved to discourage lice. Sometimes a single topknot or tail plait
is left so that 'God should have a handle with which to lift them unto Heaven', should he decide to call them.
The Tigrayans
Much like the Amharas, the Tigrayans are fiercely independent and zealously attached to
their land. They disdain all manual labour with the single exception of agriculture.
Most live in the Tigray region, where both Christianity and Islam were introduced to
Ethiopia. Ninety-five per cent of Tigrayans are Orthodox Christian, and most devoutly so.
Tigrayans are Ethiopia's third-largest ethnic group, comprising around 6.1% of the popu-
lation.
As a result of the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) playing the major role in
the bringing down of the Derg (
Click here
)
, many Tigrayans feature in Ethiopia's gov-
ernment. This has caused resentment among other groups.
The Somali
The arid lowlands of the southeast dictate a nomadic or seminomadic existence for the
Somali. Somali society is 99% Muslim, strongly hierarchical, tightly knit and based on the
clan system, which requires intense loyalty from its members. In the harsh environment in
which they live, ferocious competition for the scant resources leads to frequent and some-
times violent disputes (thanks to an abundant supply of AK-47s) over grazing grounds and
sources of water.
The Somali make up 95% of the Somali region's people, and 6.2% of Ethiopia's popu-
lation.
The Sidama
The Sidama, a heterogeneous people, originate from the southwest and can be divided into
five different groups: the Sidama proper, the Derasa, Hadiya, Kambata and Alaba. Most
Sidama are farmers who cultivate cereals, tobacco,
enset
(false-banana tree found in much
of southern Ethiopia) and coffee. The majority are animists and many ancient beliefs per-
sist, including a belief in the reverence of spirits. Pythons are believed to be reincarnations
