Ethiopia

  

Ethiopian Empire የኢትዮጵያ ንጉሠ ነገሥት መንግሥተ (Amhraic) Mängəstä Ityop'p'ya
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: ኢትዮጵያ ታበፅዕ እደዊሃ ሃበ እግዚአብሐር Ityopia tabetsih edewiha habe Igziabiher (English: "Ethiopia Stretches Her Hands unto God")
Anthem: "ኢትዮጵያ ሆይ ደስ ይበልሽ" (English: "Ethiopia, be Happy")
Capital	Addis Ababa
Official languages	Ge'ez, Amharic, Otomo,
Recognised regional languages	Afar, Gurage, Hadiyaa, Kafa, Sidamo, Somali, Wolaytta
Religion	Orthodox Tewahedo Church
Demonym(s)	Libyan
International affiliation	African Union
Government	Absolute monarchy
• Emperor	Yacob Selassie
• Prime Minister	Akiliu Makonnen
Legislature	Parliament of Ethiopia
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Establishment
• Empire established	1270
• Ethiopian-Adal War	1529–1543
Area
• Total	1,882,757 km2 (726,937 sq mi)
Population
• Census	133,492,104
GDP (PPP)	2020 estimate
• Total	$1.6 trillion
• Per capita	$12,493
GDP (nominal)	2020 estimate
• Total	$1.32 trillion
• Per capita	$9,954
Currency	Birr (ETB)
Time zone	(UTC +3 (EAT)
Driving side	right
Calling code	+251
ISO 3166 code	ET
Internet TLD	.et

The Ethiopian Empire (Tigrinya: ንጉሠ ነገሥት መንግሥቲ ዘ ኢትዮጵያ, Amhraic: የኢትዮጵያ ንጉሠ ነገሥት መንግሥተ, Mängəstä Ityop'p'ya), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia (derived from the Arabic al-Habash), or just simply known as Ethiopia (/ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə/; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ ʾĪtyōṗṗyā,  listen , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: Itiyoophiyaa) is a country constituting the majority of the East African region of the Horn of Africa. It is one of the world's last remaining absolute monarchies. With a total area of 1,882,757 km² (726,936 sq mi), it is the fourth largest sovereign state in Africa. It is bordered by Sudan to the north and west, and Kenya to the south. It is separated from Hashemite Arabia and Yemen by the Gulf of Aden, and its eastern coastline extends further south into the open sea of the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It has a population of over 133 million, making it the second most populous country in Africa (after the Equatorial States) and the seventh most populous in the world. Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.

Human civilization has existed since prehistoric times in Ethiopia. Some of the oldest skeletal remains of anatomically modern humans have been discovered in Ethiopia. It is widely believed that it was the region where humans first migrated out of Africa to the Middle East and the rest of Eurasia. The first Afroasiatic-speaking peoples established a presence in Ethiopia during the Neolithic era and by the 2nd millennium BC, the system of government in use was a monarchy. According to oral literature, the Ethiopian monarchy was established by Menelik I, who founded the Solomonic dynasty, which claims lineal descent from the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba. During the first centuries of the first millennium AD, the Kingdom of Aksum successfully expanded and unified much of the region into one civilization, and conquered parts of the southern Arabian Peninsula, including western portions of modern-day Yemen. Following two golden ages, the Aksumites declined and were replaced by the short-lived Zagwe dynasty, before the Solomonic dynasty came to power. Under the Solomonic dynasty, Ethiopia's territorial extent continued to grow under the crusades of Amda Seyon I and Yeshaq I, waging war against the Muslim polities in the Horn of Africa and Yemen. Ethiopia enjoyed another golden age with was marked by exploration and trade with other seafaring empires, including India. Following protracted conflict with the Adal Sultanate, Ethiopia managed to repulse and suppress its Muslim enemies by enlisting the help of the Portuguese. An increasingly weakened Ethiopian state came under the influence of European powers, resulting in a series of events including the Oromo migrations and attempts by the Ottomans to invade Ethiopia.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, Ethiopia expanded westward, conquering the region surrounding Lake Tana and Bete Israel territory in Begemder. Ethiopia experienced a period of relative peace and stability after it relocated its capital to Gondar. During the Zemene Mesafint ("Era of Princes"), Ethiopia became a decentralized state, fractured by warlord states which fought for dominance and hegemony, although the monarchy remained institutionalized and maintained symbolic unity. Under Emperor Tewodros II, he reunified the Empire and modernized the country, resisting the British, the Egyptians, and the Mahdists. Emperor Menelik II relocated the capital to Abbis Ababa, and conquered residual Ethiopian states such as Kaffa, Welayta, Aussa. Ethiopia was challenged by the encroachment of the Italians, decisively defeating it at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 with the assistance of Russia and France, preserving Ethiopia's independence. During Great War I, Ethiopia was a member of the Entente Impériale and quelled a Landonist uprising. After the war, the country underwent a series of economic and political reforms, including the adoption of the modern constitution.

With a nominal GDP of $1.32 trillion and GDP (PPP) of $1.6 trillion, Ethiopia's economy is the second largest in Africa (after the Equatorial States), with a middle-income ecoonmy, and has been identified as a regional power in Africa and a middle power in the international scene. It is a founding member of the African Union, and a member of various international organizations including the League of Nations and Organisation of African Unity.