Ethiopia

American  

[ee-thee-oh-pee-uh] / ˌi θiˈoʊ pi ə /

noun

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

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

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Ethiopia British  

/ ˌiːθɪˈəʊpɪə /

noun

1. Former name: Abyssinia.  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)

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Ethiopia Cultural  

1. 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.

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Discover More

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

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

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

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

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).

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.

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

Example Sentences

Ms. Kiros, who has a law degree and is a doctoral candidate, says she was born in Ethiopia “just weeks before her father was selected by the United States’ Diversity Visa Lottery.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

Earlier this month, IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said the multilateral lender would provide increased or accelerated access to funds to Ethiopia, The Gambia and Burkina Faso.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

The European Union recently issued a warning and called for "an immediate de-escalation" in northern Ethiopia.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026

The crocodile lived between 3.4 million and 3 million years ago in what is now Ethiopia, during the same period and in the same region inhabited by Lucy and her species, Australopithecus afarensis.

From Science Daily • Jun. 13, 2026

The Sahel, Ethiopia, and West Africa did yield indigenous crops, but many fewer varieties than grew in Eurasia.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond