High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Addis Ababa (sometimes spelled Addis Abeba, the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority) is the capital city of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa has the status of both a city and a state. It is where the African Union and its predecessor the OAU are based. Addis Ababa is therefore often referred to as "the capital of Africa", due to its historical, diplomatic and political significance for the continent.[citation needed] The city is populated by people from different regions of Ethiopia the country has as many as 80 nationalities speaking 80 languages and belonging to a wide variety of religious communities. It is home to Addis Ababa University.