Ethiopia

American

[ee-thee-oh-pee-uh] / ˌi θiˈoʊ pi ə /

noun

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

Ethiopia British

/ ˌiːθɪˈəʊpɪə /

noun

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)

"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

Ethiopia Cultural

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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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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ethiopia did not respond to queries on the subject.

From Barron's

Fears of a return to war in northern Ethiopia are driving many people to leave the region of Tigray just over three years after the civil war there ended.

From BBC

But in one case, the "war" between Egypt and Ethiopia was a dispute over the building of a dam and there was no actual fighting to end.

From BBC

Meanwhile, Abiy urged Turkey to support Ethiopia's quest for sea access, arguing that it was unjust for the country to remain landlocked.

From BBC

Okay, he guessed he couldn’t be from Bangladesh or Ethiopia or China.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023