Ethiopia

History of Ethiopia

Brief history of Ethiopia summarized

A brief summary of the history of Ethiopia, a country belonging to Africa.

Ancient Ethiopia

People have lived in Ethiopia for thousands of years. However, the first well-known kingdom in Ethiopia arose in the 1st century AD Around 100 AD there was a kingdom in Ethiopia called Axum. Axum traded with Rome, Arabia, and India. Axum converted to Christianity in the 4th century AD

In 642 the Arabs conquered Egypt. In 698-700 they took Tunis and Carthage and soon controlled the entire North African coast. The Arabs were Muslim, of course, and soon the entire North African coast was converted to Islam. Ethiopia remained Christian, but the Muslims cut it off from Europe.

In the Middle Ages, Ethiopia flourished. The famous church of Saint George was built around the year 1200. However, in the 16th century Ethiopia declined in power and importance, although it survived. At that time the Portuguese reached Ethiopia by sea.

Modern Ethiopia

In 1848 the Emperor of Ethiopia imprisoned British subjects, and the British sent an expedition to rescue them. The British withdrew. However, in the late 19th century, Europeans divided Africa among themselves. Soon all of Africa was in European hands, except Liberia and Ethiopia. The Italians invaded Ethiopia in 1896, but were defeated by the Ethiopians at the Battle of Adwa.

In 1923 Ethiopia joined the League of Nations. Then, in 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia. The Italians behaved with great brutality using weapons such as poison gas. Soon they completely invaded Ethiopia. However, in 1941 the British liberated Ethiopia. Emperor Haile Selassie was restored to the throne from him.

However, in 1974 the communists seized power in Ethiopia and the emperor was deposed and assassinated. Led by Mengistu, the communists introduced a tyrannical regime. They killed thousands of their opponents (although resistance continued in Eritrea). They also cause great suffering through forced deportations. Ethiopia also suffered from terrible famines during the communist era.

Fortunately, the communist regime in Ethiopia was overthrown in 1991. In 1993 Eritrea became independent. In Ethiopia, a new constitution was introduced in 1994 and elections were held in 1995.

In the early 21st century, Ethiopia’s economy grew rapidly. Although Ethiopia remains poor, there are many reasons to be optimistic about its future. Today the population of Ethiopia is 105 million.

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