Ethiopia

A Landlocked Spectacle.

During the Neo-Imperialism era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the Europeans proceeded on their journey for the “Conquest of Africa”; they never anticipated that they would face defeat at the hands of an African country. However, even after spreading their claws of control to cover over 90% of the continent by 1914, the European powers were compelled by Ethiopia to retreat to the coastal region.

But, this was not the first time a foreign power was blocked in its attempt to tame the ‘Horn of Africa’. Way back in 1896, Italy too, was defeated twice in its endeavour of invading the country.

Political structure

Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries of the world (established in around 980 BC) and finds mention in the Quran, the Bible, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Earlier called Abyssinia, the word Ethiopia originates from the Greek word ‘aitho’ meaning ‘I burn’ and ‘ops’ meaning ‘face’, which together reads as ‘scorched faces’.

Presently, the official name of Ethiopia is preceded by three big words - Federal Democratic Republic - making Ethiopia a sovereign nation that chooses its representatives to form the government. On May 24, 2015, parliamentary elections were held in Ethiopia in which the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) swept a clean majority, winning 500 of the 547 seats. The nation draws its strength from its history of being the only African country to have never been colonised in over 2,000 years. This historical feat speaks volumes about the military strength of the land at that time. Even today, it remains the third most powerful military in Africa and the 42nd in the world.

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