Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a landlocked nation located in the Horn of Africa.

It is situated in East Africa and shares borders with six different countries. To the north lies Eritrea and to the northeast is Djibouti. Somalia sits to the east, while Kenya is to the south. South Sudan is located to the west and Sudan is to the northwest. The country covers a total land area of 1,104,300 square kilometres. As of 2025, Ethiopia has approximately 135 million inhabitants. This population makes it the 14th-most populous country in the world.

The geography of the region is shaped by significant tectonic activity. The national capital, Addis Ababa, is the largest city in the country. It sits several kilometres west of the East African Rift. This rift is a massive geological feature that splits the land. It separates the African tectonic plate from the Somali tectonic plate. The capital city serves as a major hub for the nation.

Ethiopia is a site of immense importance for palaeontology and human history. It is considered one of the earliest sites where anatomically modern humans, or Homo sapiens, emerged. Scientists have found the Omo remains in the Omo Kibish area. These fossils date back to the Middle Paleolithic period, around 200,000 years ago.

Another famous discovery is the Australopithecus afarensis specimen known as Lucy. Found in the Awash Valley in 1974, Lucy lived about 3.2 million years ago. Researchers also found a 30,000-year-old rock shelter in the Bale Mountains. This site proves that humans occupied high altitudes very early in history.

Ancient civilizations established deep roots in the Ethiopian highlands. The Kingdom of D'mt was established around 980 BC in the Tigray region. Later, the Kingdom of Aksum emerged in the 1st century AD. Aksum was a major power that lasted for about 900 years. The Persian prophet Mani listed Aksum as one of the four great powers of his era. Christianity arrived in the kingdom in 330 AD. Islam also began to influence the region during the first Hijra in 615 AD.

The history of the Ethiopian Empire is marked by powerful dynasties. In 1270, the Solomonic dynasty began after the Battle of Ansata. This dynasty claimed a lineage through the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. The empire grew through territorial expansion during the 14th century. However, the Ethiopian–Adal War from 1529 to 1543 caused significant fragmentation. This led to a period of decentralization known as Zemene Mesafint. Emperor Tewodros II eventually ended this period in 1855 to reunify the nation.

Ethiopia has navigated complex political changes through the modern era. In the late 19th century, Emperor Menelik II expanded the territory. Ethiopia remained independent during the Scramble for Africa. However, Italy invaded and annexed the country in 1936. Full sovereignty was restored in 1944 following the Second World War. In 1974, a Soviet-backed military junta called the Derg took power. They deposed Emperor Haile Selassie and ruled for nearly 17 years. After the Derg dissolved in 1991, the EPRDF began a period of ethnic-based federalism.

Today, Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with over 80 different ethnic groups. Christianity is the most widely practiced religion, led by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Islam is the second largest faith. The economy is growing quickly, making it an emerging power in sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture is the largest economic sector, accounting for over 37% of the gross domestic product as of 2022.

Despite this growth, the country faces challenges like poverty and a 60% literacy rate. Ethiopia remains a central player in global politics as a founding member of the United Nations.