Ethiopia’s Foreign Policy
Due to the strategic importance of the Horn of Africa and the many regional conflicts, Ethiopia has been drawn into the great power struggle for spheres of interest. The country cooperated with Britain during...
Tagged: Ethiopia
Religions in Ethiopia
About 62 percent of the population is considered Christian, of which about 43 percent are Orthodox, about 18 percent are Protestants and 0.6 percent are Catholics. Muslims make up about 34 percent and about...
Ethiopia’s Political System
Constitution and political system Prior to 1974, Ethiopia was a monarchy, with Haile Selassie as emperor. After the 1974 military coup, Ethiopia became a socialist republic and increasingly came to support the Soviet Union....
Economy and Business in Ethiopia
Ethiopia is one of Africa’s largest and most resource-rich states, yet one of the world’s economically least developed countries. Poorly developed infrastructure and a small modern sector have hampered the exploitation of the significant...
Ethiopia’s Defense
Ethiopia’s armed forces number a total of 138,000 active personnel (2018, IISS). After Eritrea declared its independence in 1993, Ethiopia undertook a comprehensive demobilization and reorganization of the defense. The navy, which was originally...
Literature of Ethiopia
Ethiopia was the only African country to have developed its own extensive writing tradition before meeting Europe, and there are a number of ancient works of historical, religious, moral and legal character written in...
Coins and Weight in Ethiopia
The coin denomination The coin unit is birr (symbol Br, currency code ETB) of 100 centimeters; it was officially introduced in 1945. The older Ethiopian coinage system was 1 Menelik dollar, locally referred to...
Music in Ethiopia
Ethiopia lies on the border between the Islamic-dominated African belt and black Africa. Ethnic and linguistic diversity is reflected in the music scene, although the Arab cultural influence is dominant. Strong elements of black...
Art in Ethiopia
Church paintings and icons are important in Ethiopian art, and the book paintings have also received a lot of attention. They are made on parchment by anonymous masters. Pictures from the 12th and 14th...
Theater in Ethiopia
There are traces of theater in Ethiopia dating back to the 500s when Bishop Grigentius issued a decree banning singers, harpists, actors and dancers. Under Emperor Menelik in the late 1800s, the territory of...