Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the Northeast, East and Southeast, Kenya to the South, South Sudan to the West, and Sudan to the Northwest. Ethiopia covers a land area of 1,112,000 square kilometres. As of 2023, it is home to around 128 million inhabitants, making it the 13th-most populous country in the world, the 2nd-most populous in Africa after Nigeria, and the most populated landlocked country on Earth. The national capital and largest city, Addis Ababa, lies several kilometres west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the African and Somali tectonic plates.
A Homo sapiens idaltu hominid skull
Aksumite currency of the Aksumite king Endubis, 227–35, at the British Museum.
Fasil Ghebbi, one of the key castles of the Gondarine period.
Emperor Tewodros II (r. 1855–1868) brought an end to Zemene Mesafint
The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa. Located on the easternmost part of the African mainland, it is the fourth largest peninsula in the world. It is composed of Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Although not common, broader definitions include parts or all of Kenya and Sudan. It has been described as a region of great geopolitical and strategic importance, since it is situated along the southern boundary of the Red Sea; extending hundreds of kilometres into the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel, and Indian Ocean, it also shares a maritime border with the Arabian Peninsula.
Deka rock art in Deka Arbaa, Debub region of Eritrea
King Ezana's Stela at Aksum, symbol of the Aksumite civilization.
The citadel in Gondershe, an important city in the medieval Ajuran Sultanate
The Lalibela churches carved by the Zagwe dynasty in the 12th century