A brief history
Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa, one of the oldest in the world.
4th century – Coptic Christianity introduced from Egypt.
Missionaries from Egypt and Syria reached Ethiopia in the fourth century and introduced Christianity. In the seventh century. The rise of Islam meant Ethiopia was then isolated from European Christianity. The Portuguese re-established contact with Ethiopia in the 1500s, primarily to strengthen their control over the Indian Ocean and to convert Ethiopia to Roman Catholicism. A century of religious conflict followed resulting in the expulsion of all foreign missionaries in the 1630s.
This period of bitter conflict contributed to Ethiopian hostility towards foreign Christians and Europeans which persisted until the twentieth century and was a major factor in Ethiopia’s isolation until the middle of the nineteenth century.
The Greek historian Herodotus, of the fifth century BC, describes ancient Ethiopia in his writings, while the Bible’s Old Testament records the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Jerusalem where “she proved Solomon with hard questions”. Matters clearly went further than that because legend asserts that King Menelik – the founder of the Ethiopian Empire – was the son of the Queen and Solomon.
1889 – Addis Ababa becomes Ethiopia’s capital.
Emperor Menelik II reigned from 1889 to 1913, fending off the encroachment of European powers.
1895 – Italy invades Ethiopia.
1896 – Italian forces defeated by the Ethiopians at the Battle of Adwa; treaty of Wuchale annulled; Italy recognizes Ethiopia’s independence but retains control over Eritrea. (*This was the first victory of an African nation over a colonial power.)
1913 – Menelik dies and is succeeded by his grandson, Lij Iyasu.
1916 – Lij Iyasu deposed and is succeeded by Menelik’s daughter, Zawditu, who rules through a regent, Ras Tafari Makonnen.
1930 – Zawditu dies and is succeeded by Ras Tafari Makonnen, who becomes Emperor Haile Selassie I.
1935 – Italy invades Ethiopia.
1936 – Italians capture Addis Ababa; Haile Selassie flees; king of Italy made emperor of Ethiopia; Ethiopia combined with Eritrea and Italian Somaliland to become Italian East Africa.
Haile Selassie then appealed to the League of Nations, but that appeal fell on deaf ears and he fled to exile in the UK, where he spent five years until the Ethiopian patriotic resistance forces, with the help of the British, defeated the Italians and he returned to his throne.
Haile Selassie then reigned until 1974 when he was deposed and a provisional council of soldiers (the Derg – meaning committee) seized power and installed a government which was socialist in name, military in style. Fifty nine members of the Royal Family, ministers and generals from the Imperial Government were summarily executed. Haile Selassie himself was strangled in the basement of his palace in August 1975.
1995 – Established Government. Negasso Gidada becomes titular president; Meles Zenawi assumes post of prime minister.
Interesting Facts
The green-yellow-red flag appeared in October 06, 1897. It was the flag of Ethiopia that became the basis for the Pan African colors (flags from other African nations). Before the end of the Ethiopian Empire the colors were interpreted as: red for power and faith; yellow for church, peace, natural wealth and love; and green for land and hope.
There is a Christian majority still (since the 4th century), though 1/3 of the country is Muslim.
It is the birthplace of the coffee bean.
Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world, and the second-most populated nation on the African continent.
It is one of the oldest locations of human life known to scientists and so it is referred to as the birthplace of humanity. What are believed to be the oldest remains of a human ancestor ever found, which have been dated as being some five million years old, were discovered in the Awash Valley in Ethiopia. This beats the discovery of “Lucy”, a 3.2 million year old skeleton, who was unearthed in the same area in 1974.
Ethiopia is a land of natural contrasts; with jungles, rivers, deserts, caves and the worlds largest continuous mountain ranges. The landscape varies dramatically, and so does the weather.
Female circumcision is still practiced in some areas. The practice is almost universal in the regions of Dire Dawa, Somali and Afar; in the Oromo and Harari regions, more than 80% of girls and women undergo the procedure.
Ethiopia has its own calendar.
This information was gathered from
Henze, Paul B. Layers of Time – A History of Ethiopia. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag.Ethiopia – A Brief History. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/fact file/a-z/history.htm>.
BBC. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13351397>.
Quarles, Ashley. “Ethiopia – My Peace Corps Country of Service.” Ashley Quarles. N.p., 16 Feb. 2014. Web. 13 June 2016. <http%3A%2F%2Fashley-quarles.blogspot.com%2F2014%2F02%2Fethiopia-my-peace-corps-country-of.html>.
“Ethiopia.” Ethiopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2016. <http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/et.html>.
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