Ethiopia (Pharaonic Survival)

Ethiopian Empire
መንግሥተ ኢትዮጵያ (Ge'ez)
Mängəśtä ʾItyop̣p̣ya
የኢትዮጵያ ንጉሠ ነገሥት መንግሥት (Amharic)
Yäʾityop̣p̣ya Nägusä Nägäst Mängəśt
Ethiopian Empire መንግሥተ ኢትዮጵያ (Ge'ez); Mängəśtä ʾItyop̣p̣ya; የኢትዮጵያ ንጉሠ ነገሥት መንግሥት (Amharic); Yäʾityop̣p̣ya Nägusä Nägäst Mängəśt
Flag	Coat of Arms
	Motto: ; ኢትዮጵያ ታበፅዕ እደዊሃ ኀበ እግዚአብሔር; Ityopia tabetsih edewiha ḫabe Igziabiher; (English: "Ethiopia Stretches Her Hands unto God") (Psalm 68:31)
	Anthem: ; ወደፊት ገስግሺ ፣ ውድ እናት ኢትዮጵያ; "Wedefīt Gesigishī Wid Inat ītiyop’iy"; (English: "March Forward, Dear Mother Ethiopia"); https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/File:PS_Ethiopia_National_Anthem.mp3; Royal anthem: ; ኢትዮጵያ ሆይ ደስ ይበልሽ; Ityoṗya hoy des ybelish; (English: "Ethiopia, Be happy"); https://althistory.fandom.com/wiki/File:PS_Ethiopian_Empire_Anthem.mp3;
	Location of Ethiopia (Pharaonic Survival)
Capital; (and largest city)	Addis Ababa
Official languages	Amharic, Afar. Oromo, Somali, Tigrinya
Regional languages	Harari, Sidama, Languages of Ethiopia
Religion	67.3% Christianity 43.8% Ethiopian Orthodoxy; 22.8% P'ent'ay; 0.7% other Christian; ; 31.3% Islam; 0.6% traditional faiths; 0.8% others / none
Demonym	Ethiopian
Government	Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Legislature	Federal Parliamentary Assembly
Establishment
Area
Population
GDP (PPP)	2025 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2025 estimate
Gini (2025)	32
HDI (2025)	0.710
Currency	Birr (ETB)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Date formats	dd/mm/yyyy
Drives on the	right
Internet TLD	.et
Calling code	+251

Ethiopia, officially the Ethiopian Empire (Amharic: ኢትዮጵያ, Ityop'iya), formerly known as Abyssinia or Upper Æthiopía, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second most populous country in Africa after Nigeria.

It has a population of about 181 million inhabitants. The capital, main economic and financial center, seat of government and largest city of the country is Addis Ababa. Its main industrial center is Dire Dawa, and its main port is Djibouti. Its territory is divided into a federal city, fifteen states and a special administrative region—Eritrea.

Anatomically modern humans emerged from present-day Ethiopia and left for the Near East and other places during the Middle Paleolithic period. Southwestern Ethiopia has been proposed as a possible homeland of the Afroasiatic language family. Ethiopia is one of the oldest states in the world with over 3000 years of history.

Ethiopia is the second oldest nation in the world to adopt Christianity as its official religion after Armenia, however, it was the first kingdom to adopt Christianity, being a monarchy of Israelite origin. Ethiopia is unique among African countries in that it had never been colonized, and maintained its independence during the partition of Africa, except for the brief Italian occupation as Italian East Africa, until 1945. Haile Selassie's absolutism led to his forced abdication in 1973, leading to the implementation of democratic reforms. By the 1980s Ethiopia would solve its problem with the breakaway region of Eritrea under the principle "One country, two systems."

Ethiopia was a member of the League of Nations, signed the United Nations Declaration in 1942, founded the UN headquarters in Africa, was one of the original 51 members of the organization and is one of the founding members of the former Organization of African Unity and current African Union, during the government of Negus Haile Selassie.

With an HDI of 710, Ethiopia is one of the most developed, modern and advanced countries in the entire African continent, being its second largest economy, after Egypt, focused on agriculture, especially coffee, well-known internationally, manufacturing, minerals and tourism, being a great center of international trade thanks to its strategic location between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, as an important cultural and economic center, after South Africa and Egypt.

Toponymy[]

The name "Ethiopia" is derived from the Greek Αἰθιοπία Æthiopia, which in turn comes from Αἰθίοψ Æthiops, 'Ethiopian', which in Greek means 'burnt-faced' (αιθ- burned, ὄψ faz). However, ancient Ethiopian sources claim that the name derives from "'Ityopp'is" (who was the son of the biblical Cush, brother of Nimrod, nephew of Mizraim, Fut and Canaan, and great-grandson of Noah), legendary founder of the city of Axum.

History[]

Pre-Cold War[]

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Cold War and reforms[]

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Present[]

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Goverment and Politics[]

Foreign Relations[]

Since the Land of Punt, Ethiopia has been a trading nation, exporting mainly goods such as gold, ivory, exotic animals, and incense. Many historians concluded that Ethiopia's modern diplomatic relations began under the reign of Emperor Tewodros II, who sought to establish the Ethiopian border and was later unsuccessfully undermined by the British expedition in 1868. Since then, the country was considered superfluous by world powers until the opening of the Suez Canal due to the influence of the Mahdist War.

Today, Ethiopia maintains strong relations with countries such as China, Israel, Mexico, Egypt, and India, as well as neighboring countries.

Former President Barack Obama was the first to visit Ethiopia in July 2015, while giving a speech at the African Union, in which he highlighted the fight against Islamic terrorism. Ethiopia has concentrated emigrants in countries in Europe and Asia, mainly in Italy, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, and Australia. Ethiopia has Jewish emigrants in Israel around 155,300 as of 2019. They are collectively known as Beta Israel. Ethiopia is a founding member of the Group of 24 (G-24), the Non-Aligned Movement, and the G77. In 1963, the Organization of African Unity, later renamed the African Union, was founded in Addis Ababa as the political center of the Union. In addition, it is also a member of the Pan-African Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Standby Force, and many of the global NGOs focused on Africa.

Ethiopia is one of the African countries that was a founding member of the League of Nations, now the United Nations, at least since the end of the colonial era in 1923. The UN's tasks in Ethiopia focus primarily on humanitarian and development issues. For example, the UN Country Team (UNCT) in Ethiopia has representatives from 28 UN funds and programs and specialized agencies. Some of its agencies have a regional liaison mandate with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union.

Armed Forces and Security[]

The origins of the Ethiopian military and its military traditions date back to the earliest history of Ethiopia. Due to its location between the Middle East and Africa, Ethiopia has long been in the middle of Eastern and Western politics and has been subject to foreign invasions. In 1579, the Ottoman Empire's attempt to expand from a coastal base at Massawa during the Ottoman conquest of Habesh was defeated. The Ethiopian Empire Army also managed to defeat the Egyptians in 1876 at Gura, led by the Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV. The Battle of Adwa is the best-known victory of Ethiopian forces over foreign invaders. It maintained Ethiopia's existence as an independent state. Fought on 1 March 1896 against the Kingdom of Italy near the town of Adwa, it was the decisive battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War.

The modernisation of the Ethiopian military took place under the regency of Tafari Mekonnen, who later reigned as Emperor Haile Selassie I. He created an Imperial Guard, the Kebur Zabagna, in 1917 from the earlier Safari Mahal that had traditionally assisted the Ethiopian emperor. Its elite were trained at the French military academy of Saint-Cyr.

The Ethiopian army, under the Kagnew battalion unit, participated in the Korean War from 1950, fighting as part of the United Nations Command. Some publications claimed that Ethiopian troops remained for 15 years, although others claimed they left as late as 1975, as part of the UN Command. The battalion numbered 6,037 troops at the time of the war.

The Ethiopian Army is the largest and most powerful in Africa. It is led by the Emperor who is the supreme commander, alongside the Prime Minister. Equipped with a large amount of Israeli equipment, the Ethiopian army acts as the main UN force in peacekeeping operations in Africa. However, the large amount of training it receives from Israel has led some to accuse Ethiopia of being Israel's right-hand man in Africa, although this is entirely false.

Since the 1980s, Ethiopia has begun producing its own series of military equipment and weapons, such as the E-95 tank (an Ethiopian-made version of the T-90 tank), the AK-74 (inspired by the AK-47) and the M-6 Carbine (based on the M-4), making it one of the largest arms producers on the African continent after Egypt.

The Imperial Ethiopian Armed Forces are divided into four factions.

The Imperial Ground Forces are the second largest army in Africa. It has a strength of approximately 290,000 combat-ready soldiers divided into 20 divisions. There are 10 infantry divisions consisting of 40,000 men equipped with its own assault rifles such as the FA-12 and M-6 Carbine. It also has a large amount of modern weapons and tanks, mostly of Israeli, Russian and American origin, such as the E-95 and E-96, a tank of its own manufacture.
The Imperial Ethiopian Air Force is the largest of the 3 branches of the army, with a fleet of almost 130 aircraft, most of them of Israeli, Japanese, Russian or American origin. This variety of suppliers is represented by the wide variety of equipment it uses, the main fighter aircraft being the Su-27, Yak-41, Northrop F-20, Antonov An-12, Mil Mi-24 and the Mi-8.
The Imperial Ethiopian Navy is the smallest of the military branches, with only 10 riverine combat vessels, 20 patrol vessels and 7 gunboats. Its mission is to protect Ethiopian riverine waters on the Nile River. The navy has undergone a huge expansion since the late 1990s. The Imperial Ethiopian Navy also conducts riverine exercises with the navies of Egypt, Kenya and others.
The Kebur Zabagna is the elite personal guard of the Emperor and the royal family, which is responsible for protecting them and acting at most ceremonial events where the former or an important member of the royal family attends. Although they have special training separate from the real armed forces, they are considered the de facto fourth faction of the latter.

Geografy[]

With 122,679,127 km², Ethiopia is the twenty-seventh largest country in the world. For comparison purposes, the size of its territory is similar to that of Bolivia, Mexico or Peru. Its coastline along the Red Sea is 2,548 km², similar in size to that of Vanuatu or French Polynesia.

Most of Ethiopia lies in the Horn of Africa, which is the easternmost tip of Africa. To the west it borders Sudan, to the north the Red Sea, to the east Somalia, and to the south Kenya. The Great Rift Valley crosses the country from northeast to southwest, creating a depression that is the basin of several lakes.

The Ethiopian plateau stands out in the west, the Harar massif in the east and the Somali plateau on the easternmost slope. Ethiopia's hydrographic network includes the Blue Nile (1,450 km, of which 800 in Ethiopia), the Omo (760 km), the Awash (1,200 km), the Wabi Shabele (1,130 km) and the Genale (480 km) rivers. The largest lake is the Tana, which drains into the Blue Nile.

Ecology[]

Ethiopia's ecology is determined primarily by altitude. Savannas predominate in the lowlands; WWF divides Ethiopia's savannas into five ecoregions:

Sahel acacia savanna in the northwest
Eastern Sudanese savanna in the west
Somali bush savanna in the centre (Great Rift Valley) and east
Kenyan bush savanna in the southwest
Lake Victoria basin forest-savanna mosaic, in an enclave in the southwest, on the border with Sudan.
Beach on the Gulf of Tadjoura
Beach on the Gulf of Tadjoura, Ethiopia.

The deserts are represented by the Ethiopian xerophilous grassland and scrubland, and the Masai xerophilous grassland and scrubland in the far southwest.

In the Ethiopian massif, the predominant biomes are the umbrophilous forest - Ethiopian montane forest, from 1,100 to 1,800 meters above sea level - and the montane grassland, the latter represented by two ecoregions: the Ethiopian montane grassland and high forest, between 1,800 and 3,000 meters above sea level, and the Ethiopian montane paramo above 3,000 meters.

Climate[]

The predominant climate type is tropical monsoon, with wide variations induced by topography. The Ethiopian Highlands cover most of the country and have a climate that is generally considerably cooler than that of other regions with a similar proximity to the Equator. Most of the country's major cities are located at an altitude of between 2,000 and 2,500 m above sea level, including historic capitals such as Gondar and Axum.

The modern capital, Addis Ababa, is situated at the foot of Mount Entoto, at about 2,400 metres above sea level. Its climate is mild throughout the year. With fairly uniform temperatures throughout the year, the seasons in Addis Ababa are largely defined by rainfall: a dry season from October to February, a light rainy season from March to May, and a heavy rainy season from June to September. Average annual rainfall is about 1,200 millimetres.

There is an average of seven hours of sunshine per day. The dry season is the sunniest season of the year, although even in July and August, at the height of the rainy season, there are usually several hours of sunshine per day. The average annual temperature in Addis Ababa is 16 °C, with daily highs averaging 20-25 °C throughout the year and nighttime lows averaging 5-10 °C.

Most of Ethiopia's major cities and tourist sites are at a similar altitude to Addis Ababa and have a comparable climate. In lower elevation regions, particularly in the xeric grasslands and shrublands of eastern Ethiopia, the climate can be much hotter and drier. Dallol in the Danakil Depression in this eastern area has the highest average annual temperature in the world, 34 °C (93.2 °F).

On the coast, it is summer by European standards all year round, and Djibouti is one of the hottest cities in Africa. In January, temperatures range between 27 and 30 °C, while at night they drop to around 20-22 °C. From April onwards, temperatures begin to rise sharply, reaching 39-42 °C from June to August.

At night, the temperature rarely drops below 30 °C. It is not until October that temperatures stabilise again around 30 °C. The heat records in Ethiopia are 45.9 °C in the months of June and July and 45.8 °C in August. The absolute minimum is 16 °C, which was measured on nights in January and February.

Humidity is quite high on the coast throughout the year, with 70-75% in the winter months and a slight drop to around 45% in the height of summer. This often makes the heat unbearable. Rainfall is scarce throughout the year, with an average of only 15 rainy days per year, totalling 140-170 mm. The scarce rains usually fall in winter or during storms.

Sea temperatures range from 25-27 °C in winter and often reach 30 °C in summer. Winter morning fog is common on the coasts. The depressions and salt pans, especially around Lake Assal, have similar climatic conditions. The interior (e.g. Danakilberge), which lies at an altitude of 500 to almost 2000 metres, is somewhat wetter, but here precipitation also occurs only in the form of infrequent showers. Temperatures continue to drop at night, but during the day they are more or less the same as on the coast, except at higher altitudes.

Ethiopia is vulnerable to many of the effects of climate change. These include rising temperatures and changes in precipitation. Climate change in these forms threatens food security and the agriculture-based economy. Many Ethiopians have been forced to leave their homes and travel to the Gulf, southern Africa and Europe.

Topography[]

The natural environment of Ethiopia plays a special role within Africa. Together with Lesotho, Ethiopia is the highest country on the continent: 50% of its area exceeds 1,200 metres, more than 25% is above 1,800 metres and more than 5% even reaches altitudes above 3,500 metres. However, most of the highlands have the character of low mountain ranges. A temperate climate prevails here. The edges of the highlands and the incisions of the rivers (Blue Nile, Omo, Tekeze) are very steep.

Most of Ethiopia is occupied by the Abyssinian Highlands; the capital, Addis Ababa (2,370 m), is also situated in these extensive high mountains. The highest mountain in the highlands is Ras Dashän (4,533 m); Other peaks of 4,000 metres are Talo (4,413 m), Guma Terara (4,231 m) and Guge (4,203 m). The Great African Rift Valley (also called the Abyssinian Rift Valley) runs through the centre of the country from northeast to southwest. On its south-east side is the Somali Plateau with the Deemtu (4,377 m). The lowest point on earth is 116 m below sea level in the Koba Depression (or Afar Depression), at Lake Karum.

Ethiopia's mineral resources are mainly gold, tantalum and precious stones. In addition, the country has proven deposits of platinum, niobium, nickel, copper, chromium, manganese, limestone, sandstone, gypsum, clay, lignite, opal, oil shale, laterite, iron ore, bentonite, perlite, diatomite, potash and rock salt. Oil and natural gas deposits are suspected in Gambela and Somali, among other places.

Geology[]

In the Precambrian Era, following the breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia (about 750 million years ago), three major blocks (East Gondwana, Central Gondwana and West Gondwana) collided 600 million years ago; during this time colossal mountain ranges were formed that constituted the Pan-African Orogeny. The Precambrian-Proterozoic basement (visible at Mekele) was also formed during the same period. Over 375 million years, a process of erosion eroded these mountains into low plains on the periphery of Ethiopia. In the Mesozoic Era (250-70 million years ago), an uplift of northern Ethiopia occurred in parallel with a subsidence of the south.

It was during the Oligocene (35 million years ago) that a major geological event occurred that shaped the current geology of Ethiopia: the Arabian-Ethiopian plate was suddenly lifted up by a mass of molten magma rising from hot spots located between 2,900 and 700 km below the surface. The mass of the material and the resulting high temperature increase (from 100 to 300 °C) weakened and then caused the Earth's crust to collapse. Three fractures then appeared, two of which led to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the third to the Rift Valley.

As a result of the collapse of the Earth's crust - some areas sank up to 120 m below sea level - the Red Sea invaded the depression formed in northeastern Ethiopia. The persistence of volcanic eruptions subsequently formed basaltic dikes that led to the formation of an inland sea.

The sea is gradually evaporating, leaving behind kilometre-thick salt beds and a few salt lakes. Still-active volcanoes, in the region of Africa where they are most numerous, bubbling springs and geysers continue to bear witness to these times.

Vegetation[]

Ethiopia has extremely diverse vegetation due to the country's wide variety of climates and geographical features. In this sense, the Ethiopian region is one of the eight ecozones identified worldwide by biologist Nikolai Vavilov, i.e. regions of the globe where there is a very high genetic diversity of specific species that can be identified as the centre of origin of that species. The diversity is such that new species continue to be discovered today. In high altitude areas (above 3,800 m), only alpine-type vegetation remains (lichens, heathers). Several plants are characteristic of these regions, in particular the giant lobelia.

In mountainous regions (2400 m - 3800 m), the climate is milder and the soil richer. It is in these regions, which constitute the historical heart of Ethiopia, that the majority of agricultural exploitation (tef, sorghum, maize) is still found today, as well as the Ethiopian forests, which are largely subject to progressive deforestation.

Along the Sudanese border in the west, the tropical climate and abundant rainfall give rise to lush vegetation, especially along the rivers. At lower elevations in the southwest, the drier climate contributes to the development of a savannah-like environment (tall grasses, shrubs), as well as plants resistant to extreme climatic conditions (succulents). Finally, in the peripheral desert regions, the arid climate and almost non-existent rainfall contribute to the development of xerophytic or short-lived vegetation, with weaker vegetation (acacias, palm trees) around the few water courses.

Fauna[]

Ethiopia has a large number of endemic species of both mammals and birds that make up the Ethiopian fauna. The biodiversity of species is due in particular to the establishment of human activity in fairly delimited areas.

In this respect, it is possible to distinguish the mountain ranges from the peripheral lowlands. In the highlands, human presence has historically modified the environment through sedentary agricultural practices; In the highlands, human presence has historically modified the environment through sedentary agricultural practices; some areas of steep terrain have been naturally protected, such as the Simien massif, which is now a natural park where many endemic species thrive (notably the walie ibex (Capra walie), the Abyssinian wolf (Canis simensis), the mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), the raven (Corvus crassirostris), the gelada baboon).

Nomadic practices in the lowlands, centred on cattle raising, have had much less impact on their environment. Today there are nine national parks, three sanctuaries and eight wildlife reserves across the country.