Ethiopia (/ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə/; Amharic: ኢትዮጵያ, ʾĪtyōṗṗyā), officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north and northeast, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Sudan and South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south. With nearly 100 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the second–most populous nation on the African continent after Nigeria. It occupies a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres (420,000 sq mi), and its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.
Some of the oldest evidence for anatomically modern humans has been found in Ethiopia, which is widely considered as the region from which modern humans first set out for the Middle East and places beyond. According to linguists, the first Afroasiatic–speaking populations settled in the Horn region during the ensuing Neolithic era. Tracing its roots to the 2nd millennium BC, Ethiopia was a monarchy for most of its history. During the first centuries AD, the Kingdom of Aksum maintained a unified civilization in the region, followed by the Ethiopian Empire circa 1137.
Ethiopia derived prestige with its uniquely successful military resistance during the late 19th–century Scramble for Africa, becoming the only African country to defeat a European colonial power and retain its sovereignty. Subsequently, many African nations adopted the colors of Ethiopia’s flag following their independence. It was the first independent African member of the 20th–century League of Nations and the United Nations. In 1974, at the end of Haile Selassie I’s reign, power fell to a communist military dictatorship known as the Derg, backed by the Soviet Union, until it was defeated by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, which has ruled since about the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
- 200,000 Years Ago: Homo Sapiens emerged out of Ethiopia
- 6,000 BC: Agriculture is developed leading to an age of settlement in the region
- 800 BC: The kingdom of Da’mt is established in northern Ethiopia, and became the center of trade in ivory, gold, silver, and slaves to Arabian merchants.
- 300 BC: Trade route courses are turned east rather than west to gain easier access to coastal ports; the kingdom of Da’mt is absorbed into a small city–states due to the decline in trade, and eventually overtaken by the Kingdom of Aksum
- 1st Century AD: Aksum flourished as a regional trading power
- 341 AD: Coptic Christianity is introduced to the Axum Empire by Frumentius, from Syria
- 500 AD: The Axum Empire boundaries are extended across the Red Sea to Yemen
- 700 AD: The First Migration (Hijra) of the companions and relatives of the Prophet Muhammad took place to Ethiopia. Note that Ethiopia celebrates the birth of freedom of expression and beliefs, whereas, the second migration of the Prophet Muhammad to the Madina celebrates the end of oppression
- 900 AD: The declining stage of Axum Empire due to internal and external factors
1137—1270: The dynasty was known for its role in the expansion of Christianity and building churches out of a single rock.
1270: Yekuno Amlak restored the Solomonic Dynasty
- 1508: Portuguese traders made contact with Ethiopian Emperor Lebna Dengel, and assisted with aid during the Ethiopian–Adal War
- 1531: Ethiopia is invaded by Muslim leader Ahmad Gran
- 1543: Ahmad Gran is killed at the Battle of Wayna Daga; the Ethiopian Emperor struggled to regain control, however under Gran’s ten year occupation thousands of citizens had converted to Islam
- 1557: Neighboring regions are conquered by the Ottoman Empire limiting Ethiopia’s access to the rest of the world
- 1624: Years of revolt and unrest followed Emperor Susenyos’ conversion to Roman Catholicism
- 1632: The state religion of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity is reinstated, and Jesuit missionaries are expelled along with other Europeans and Gondar become the permanent capital as well as trade center, named Camelot of Africa
- 1755—1855: Ethiopia entered an age of isolation, referred to as the Zemene Mesafint (“Era of the Princes”)
- 1855: Ethiopia is united and the power of the Emperor is restored under the reign of Emperor Tewodros II
- 1868: The Battle of Mekedela against British; Emperor Tewodros II committed suicide
- 1889: A friendship treaty known as the Treaty of Wichale between Ethiopia and Italy is signed; Italy would recognize Ethiopia’s sovereignty in order to obtain control of an area north of Ethiopia
- 1889: Addis Ababa is declared the capital city of Ethiopia
- 1895: Ethiopia is invaded by Italy following an attempt by the latter to expand their territorial claims
- 1896: Italian forces are defeated by Ethiopians during the Battle of Adwa
- 1923: Ethiopia is granted membership to the League of Nations
- 1931: A written constitution is drafted and subsequently adopted
- 1935: Italy invaded Ethiopia, claiming a border infraction; ill’equipped to defend themselves, Ethiopia is merged into Italy’s East African colony
- 1936: Addis Ababa is captured by Italy, and the Italian king is declared Emperor of Ethiopia
- 1941: Italy is defeated, by Ethiopian’s patriot with the aid of British troops, and the independence is restored
- 1963: The Organization of African Unity (OAU) is established
- 1974: A discontented middle class sparked demonstrations and Haile Selassie I was deposed of in a military coup
- 1977: Ethiopia’s Ogaden region is invaded by Somalia
- 1987: Mengistu Haile Mariam is elected president under a new constitution and one–party system
- 1991: Addis Ababa is captured by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front
- 1994: A new constitution is adopted leading to Ethiopia’s first multiparty election
- 1995: Negasso Gidada is elected president; Meles Zenawi is appointed Prime Minister
- 1999: The Ethio–Eritrean war erupted following border disputes
- 2002: Ethiopia and Eritrea reached a new common border agreement, with the town of Badme remaining a disputed territory
- 2013: Ethiopia and Egypt agreed to discuss plans for a dam on the Blue Nile
