Horns of Arica and Heritage
Letter board that sits in front of a dandelion-knit blanket with the words “When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind,” according to an African Proverb.
Editor’s note: This post will continue to evolve as I do.
Welcome, explorers! Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or someone just beginning to see the world with new eyes, this stop in our Around the World series takes us to where horns, highlands, and heritage meet. A region layered in rhythm, tradition, and resilience, yet too often overlooked by much of the world.
From the soaring Ethiopian Highlands to the Gulf of Guinea’s coastal roots, these nations: Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, and Guinea, carry legacies as old as kingdoms and as vibrant as their music, languages, and lands. Here, heritage isn’t just remembered, it’s lived, sung, and seen in every market, mountain, and shoreline.
So grab your passport, we’re wheels up to explore the horns, highlands, and heritage that bring these six nations to life.
ESWATINI
Official name: Kingdom of eSwatini
Pronunciation: eh-swaa-ti-nee
Capital: Mbabane and Lobamba
Official language: Swati and English
Location: Near the Southern coast in Southern Africa. Also, in the Southern Hemisphere
Surrounding countries: South Africa
Climate: Subtropical
Most known for: Vibrant cultural traditions. The Umhlanga Reed Dance is the best known cultural event. According to the “The Kingdom of Eswatini: A Royal Experience” website, where further details this 8-day ceremony. You can read about the Umhlanga Reed Dance article here. Also, here is a volunteer from Peace Corps sharing her own experience of participating in the Umhlanga Reed Dance.
Fun fact: Per Gerald Imray, “Eswatini, wedged between South Africa and Mozambique, is the last absoluteMonarchy is Africa, and one of the few remaining in the world” (Africa’s Eswatini, one of the last absolute monarchies, holds an election without political parties, 2023). To continue reading, click here.
Recent news article: Eswatini Government Announces Arrival of 11 US-Deported Migrants in October 2025 Amid Controversial Third-Country Deal
My knowledge: I have no further knowledge of Eswatini, nor have I met anyone from the country.
ETHIOPIA
Official name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Pronunciation: ee-thee-ow-pee-uh
Capital: Addis Ababa
Official language: Amharic, Tigrigna, Somali, Oromo, and Afar
Location: In the Northeastern part of Africa within the Northern Hemisphere
Surrounding countries: South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia, and Kenya
Climate: Arid
Most known for: Birthplace of coffee as coffea arabica is a native plant
Fun fact: Not only do Ethiopians run on their own time with a 12 hour time system but they also have a 13 month calendar. Making them seven years behind the Gregorian calendar. To put things into perspective, they celebrated the new millennium on September 11th, 2007 (10 Facts About Ethiopia You Probably Didn’t Know, Absolute Ethiopia Tours: Building Absolute Vacations).
Recent news article: Thousands celebrate Ethiopia’s Thanksgiving Festival
My knowledge: I am aware of Ethiopia as the hydroelectric bridge Egypt was working on was with Ethiopia but that is really the extent of my knowledge.
GABON
Official name: The Gabonese Republic
Pronunciation: ga-bown
Capital: Libreville
Official language: French
Location: Country in Central Africa located at the equator in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere
Surrounding countries: Cameroon and Republic of the Congo
Climate: Equatorial
Most known for: Being one of the most biodiverse nations on Earth, and the most carbon positive according to Discover Gabon: The Last Eden.
Fun fact: Loango National Park is known as the “land of the surfing hippos” after hippos have been photographed playing in the ocean waves there. To read more about this phenomenon, read here.
Recent news article: Gabon’s Minister of Universal Access to Water and Energy Joins AEW 2025 Amid Power Expansion
My knowledge: I am unfamiliar with Gabon.
GAMBIA
Official name: The Republic of The Gambia
Pronunciation: gam-bee-uh
Capital: Banjul
Official language: English
Location: In Western Africa along the coast within the Northern Hemisphere
Surrounding countries: Senegal
Climate: Tropical
Most known for: “Smiling Coast” nickname given to Gambia due to it’s warm, friendly, and smiling people, making it a very tourist-friendly destination (The Gambia: The Smiling Coast of Africa)
Fun fact: Unique Marble Voting System where citizens roll a dice into a hole instead of using paper ballots. To more about this voting system, click here
Recent news article: Media Literacy in Gambia: Students Learn to ‘Pause. Reflect. Research’
My knowledge: I haven’t met anyone from Gambia nor do I have any prior knowledge.
GHANA
Official name: Republic of Ghana
Pronunciation: gaa-nuh
Capital: Accra
Official language: English
Location: In West Africa in the Northern Hemisphere
Surrounding countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo
Climate: Tropical
Most known for: Rich cultural traditions. More specifically, for its music like Highlife and Hiplife.
Fun fact: Home to Lake Volta, largest man-made lake in the world.
Recent news article: Ghana to host 7th edition of Agrofood & Plastprintpack Exhibition in October
My knowledge: I do not know anything or anyone from Ghana but I am interested in learning more.
GUINEA
Official name: Republic of Guinea
Pronunciation: gi-nee
Capital: Conakry
Official language: French
Location: In West Africa along the coast. It is in the Northern Hemisphere
Surrounding countries: Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone
Climate: Tropical
Most known for: Its vast natural resources, such as bauxite (holding half of the world’s reserves)
Fun fact: Three of West Africa’s major rivers: the Gambia, Niger, and Senegal, originate in Guinea. Making it known as “Africa’s natural power station”
Recent news article: Guinea announces first post-coup presidential vote on December 28th
My knowledge: Only that it is one of four countries in the world with “Guinea” in it.
As we tuck our passports away after this stop, one thing becomes clear. The Horns and Highlands of Africa aren’t just destinations on a map. They’re living chapters of heritage, faith, and rhythm that continue to echo through time. Each nation we’ve visited, from Eswatini to Guinea, carries a heartbeat that reminds us why we travel in the first place: to understand, to connect, and to keep discovering.
Because travel, at its best, isn’t about how far you go, it’s about how deeply you see. Whether by plane or through posts like these, every journey invites us to notice the beauty in differences and the threads that tie us all together.
Our Around the World series, is a reminder that every country holds a story worth hearing, and every story, a lesson worth learning. So let’s keep exploring, not just to collect stamps, but to grow in perspective, empathy, and wonder.
Before you go, don’t forget to enter the giveaway, happening now through Thursday at 12am! It’s my way of saying thank you for coming along on this global adventure. Details are in the post “1st Lap Around the Yard.” And trust me, you’ll want your name in that draw.
Here’s t o open passports, open minds, and the world that’s waiting to be discovered.
As a signature of my blog, I’d like to end this post with a suggestion to “Pass on kindness.” There’s no time like the present to Inspire Those Who Inspire You. Acts of kindness, no matter how big or small, can have a direct, positive impact on someone else. Go out there today and change someone’s life for the better!
***These are my personal opinions and may not be those of my employer.***
