Ethiopia

[ee-thee-oh-pee-uh]

noun

Formerly Abyssinia. a republic in E Africa: formerly a monarchy. 409,266 sq. mi. (1,060,000 sq. km). Present boundaries include Eritrea. Capital: Addis Ababa.

Also called Abyssinia. an ancient region in NE Africa, bordering on Egypt and the Red Sea.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ethiopia

Contemporary Examples of ethiopia

At least 70 percent of the children were adopted from overseas, including Russia, China, Ethiopia and Ukraine.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking
Tina Traster
December 30, 2014
Rwanda and Ethiopia, symbols in the past of death and mayhem, are now among the fastest-growing economies in the world.
How I Got Addicted to Africa (and Wrote a Thriller About It)
Todd Moss
September 9, 2014
After it reached Ethiopia, the contents were distributed and sold out in under two weeks.
'Made in China' Now Being Made in Africa
Brendon Hong
August 23, 2014
In the early 2000s, an acquaintance told Sun about the possibility of doing business in Ethiopia.
'Made in China' Now Being Made in Africa
Brendon Hong
August 23, 2014
Throughout its history, Israel has helped airlift vulnerable Jewish populations in countries like Yemen and Ethiopia to safety.
Europe’s Jews Punished for Israel’s War
Eli Lake
July 25, 2014

Historical Examples of ethiopia

We had turned our backs upon medieval Cairo, and our faces toward Ethiopia.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
In Ethiopia engraved stones are employed, of which a Lacedaemonian could make no use.
Eryxias
An Imitator of Plato
Her mother was queen of Ethiopia, she said, and very, very beautiful.
A Book of Myths
Jean Lang
They were six in number, evil-eyed men of Ethiopia, and seated in a circle.
The World's Desire
H. Rider Haggard and Andrew Lang
He was now returning from Ethiopia with a wealth of treasures.
Arachne, Complete
Georg Ebers

British Dictionary definitions for ethiopia

Ethiopia

noun

a state in NE Africa, on the Red Sea: consolidated as an empire under Menelik II (1889–1913); federated with Eritrea from 1952 until 1993; Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by the military in 1974 and the monarchy was abolished in 1975; an independence movement in Eritrea was engaged in war with the government from 1961 until 1993. It lies along the Great Rift Valley and consists of deserts in the southeast and northeast and a high central plateau with many rivers (including the Blue Nile) and mountains rising over 4500 m (15 000 ft); the main export is coffee. Language: Amharic. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: birr. Capital: Addis Ababa. Pop: 93 877 025 (2013 est). Area: 1 128 215 sq km (435 614 sq miles)Former name: Abyssinia

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ethiopia

Ethiopia

Latin Aethiopia, from Greek Aithiopia, from Aithiops (see Ethiop). The native name is Abyssinia.

ethiopia in Culture

Ethiopia

Country in northeastern Africa bordered by Eritrea to the northeast, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, and Sudan to the west. Formerly called Abyssinia. Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.

Note

Ethiopia is Black Africa's oldest state, tracing its history back more than two thousand years.

Note

Of all African nations, it most successfully withstood European attempts at colonization, remaining independent throughout its history, with the exception of a six-year period (1935–1941) during which it was occupied by Italy, which was then governed by fascists (see fascism).

Note

Ethiopia is one of the world's oldest Christian nations, having been converted in the fourth century.

Note

Ethiopia was ruled from 1930 to 1936 and again from 1941 to 1974 by the powerful and charismatic Emperor Haile Selassie I (born Ras Tafari Makonnen). Called the “Lion of Judah,” he claimed direct descent from the biblical King Solomon and Queen of Sheba.

Note

Selassie was overthrown by a military junta, which proclaimed a communist government and became closely allied with the Soviet Union.

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The junta was overthrown in 1991 and the first multiparty elections were held in 1995.

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The country was plagued by famine and economic chaos in the 1980s and 1990s.