Battle of Backbone Mountain

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Introduction

P:FDRE

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 (472,000 sq. miles). , 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.

Anatomically modern humans emerged from modern-day Ethiopia and set out for the Near East and elsewhere in the Middle Paleolithic period. Southwestern Ethiopia has been proposed as a possible homeland of the Afroasiatic language family. In 980 BC, the Kingdom of D'mt extended its realm over Eritrea and the northern region of Ethiopia, while the Kingdom of Aksum maintained a unified civilization in the region for 900 years. Christianity was embraced by the kingdom in 330, and Islam arrived by the first Hijra in 615. After the collapse of Aksum in 960, the Zagwe dynasty ruled the north-central parts of Ethiopia until being overthrown by Yekuno Amlak in 1270, inaugurating the Ethiopian Empire and the Solomonic dynasty, claimed descent from the biblical Solomon and Queen of Sheba under their son Menelik I. By the 14th century, the empire had grown in prestige through territorial expansion and fighting against adjacent territories; most notably, the Ethiopian–Adal War (1529–1543) contributed to fragmentation of the empire, which ultimately fell under a decentralization known as Zemene Mesafint in the mid-18th century. Emperor Tewodros II ended Zemene Mesafint at the beginning of his reign in 1855, marking the reunification and modernization of Ethiopia. (Full article...)

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Ambo Mineral Water is a brand of naturally-carbonated bottled mineral water, sourced from the springs in Ambo Senkele, near the town of Ambo in central Ethiopia. It is a popular drink in Ethiopia, and has been described as the "oldest modern mineral water" and Ethiopia's "oldest mineral water bottler." It has been bottled since 1930. Since 2017, the company Ambo Mineral Water S.C. is owned by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. (Full article...)

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Amha Selassie in 1932

Amha Selassie (Amharic: አምሃ ሥላሴ; Āmiha Šilasē; born Asfaw Wossen Tafari; 27 July 1916 – 17 January 1997) was Emperor-in-exile of Ethiopia. As son of Haile Selassie, he was Crown Prince and was proclaimed monarch three times. He was first proclaimed Emperor during an unsuccessful coup attempt against his father in December 1960, during which he alleged that he was detained and compelled to accept the title. After his father was deposed in a later coup, he was proclaimed King (not Emperor) in absentia by the Derg on 12 September 1974 in an act which he never accepted as legitimate and that ended in the abolition of the Ethiopian monarchy on 21 March 1975. He was again proclaimed Emperor in exile on 8 April 1989. This time he sanctioned the proclamation and accepted its legitimacy. After his accession, his full reign name was His Imperial Majesty Emperor Amha Selassie I, Elect of God, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and King of Kings of Ethiopia. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various Ethiopia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Ethiopian Empire under Emperor Amda Seyon I (from Ethiopia)
Image 2Abebe Bikila, Ethiopia's first Olympic gold medalist (from Ethiopia)
Image 3Declining child mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa and Ethiopia since 1950 (from Ethiopia)
Image 4Emperor Tewodros II (r. 1855–1868) brought an end to Zemene Mesafint (from Ethiopia)
Image 5House of Peoples' Representatives is the lower house of the Ethiopian Federal Parliamentary Assembly (from Ethiopia)
Image 6Development of GDP per capita (from Ethiopia)
Image 7An Orthodox bible dated at least 1,500 years, being the oldest illustrated bible in the world, depicts Corinthian pillars (from Ethiopia)
Image 8Giyorgis of Segla, prolific religious author in the Late Middle Ages (from Ethiopia)
Image 9The Blue Nile falls during winter provides over 86 percent of the Nile river's water coming from melted snow in the Simien mountains below 0. (from Ethiopia)
Image 10Addis Ababa seen at nighttime, the financial epicenter of the country (from Ethiopia)
Image 11Former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi with the 44th U.S. President Barack Obama (from Ethiopia)
Image 12Ethiopian civil conflict: territorial control as of September 2023 (from Ethiopia)
Image 13Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 (from Ethiopia)
Image 14Aksumite currency of the Aksumite king Endubis, 227–35, at the British Museum. (from Ethiopia)
Image 15Relief map of Ethiopia (from Ethiopia)
Image 16Köppen climate classification of Ethiopia (from Ethiopia)
Image 17The Empire of Axum at its peak in the 6th century. (from Ethiopia)
Image 18Tsegaye Gebre-Medhin in 1980s one of Ethiopia's renowned writers (from Ethiopia)
Image 19Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (bottom row, fourth from left) in G8 Group meeting in 2007 (from Ethiopia)
Image 20An Ethiopian logistics shipping cargo docked at the Red Sea (from Ethiopia)
Image 21The Axumite stelae in the northern part of Ethiopia, dating well over a thousand years, serve as a remembrance of Ethiopia's past architecture. (from Ethiopia)
Image 22Emperor Haile Selassie I with U.S. President Roosevelt during the end World War II (from Ethiopia)
Image 23Yared in a piece of 15th century Ethiopian sacred art holding a mequamia (prayer stick) (from Ethiopia)
Image 24A Walia Ibex in Simien Mountains National Park, one of the national symbols of Ethiopia only found in the Northern parts of the country (from Ethiopia)
Image 25Entrance of Addis Ababa University (from Ethiopia)
Image 26The Church of Saint George, Lalibela a pilgrimage site for Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church; the site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela". (from Ethiopia)
Image 27Sheger Park is the largest park in the country, hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year since its opening (from Ethiopia)
Image 28The Addis Ababa Science Museum of Art and Science serves as the country's biggest hub which showcases the country's newest innovations (from Ethiopia)
Image 29A Homo sapiens idaltu hominid skull (from Ethiopia)
Image 30Cultural performance in Addis Ababa (from Ethiopia)
Image 31Fasil Ghebbi, one of the key castles of the Gondarine period. (from Ethiopia)
Image 32Map of regions and zones of Ethiopia (from Ethiopia)
Image 33Mengistu Haile Mariam was sentenced to death in absentia for committing crimes during his rule (from Ethiopia)
Image 34Ethiopian troops sent by the government under the Emperor Haile Selassie I during the Korean War fighting for South Korean independence (from Ethiopia)
Image 35Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) training under AMISOM, 2021 (from Ethiopia)
Image 36The Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation former headquarters in Addis Ababa (from Ethiopia)
Image 37This meal consisting of injera and several kinds of wat (stew) is typical of Ethiopian cuisine. (from Ethiopia)

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Selected pictures

Image 1

Haile Selassie I was Ethiopia's regent from 1916 to 1930 and Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. The heir to a dynasty that traced its origins to the 13th century, and from there by tradition back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, he is a defining figure in both Ethiopian and African history. Selassie is revered as the religious symbol for God incarnate among the Rastafari movement, whose name comes from Ras (literally "Head," an Ethiopian title equivalent to Duke), and Tafari Makonnen, Selassie's pre-coronation name.

Photo credit: American Colony, Jerusalem
Image 2

Saint George (died 23 April 303) was a soldier of Cappadocian Greek origin. A member of Roman emperor Diocletian's Praetorian Guard, he was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He is immortalised in the legend of Saint George and the Dragon and his feast day is celebrated on 23 April. Saint George is claimed as their patron saint by England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Catalonia and several other nation states, as well as by various cities, universities, professions and organisations.

Painting credit: Carlo Crivelli
Image 3

The plains zebra (Equus quagga, subspecies Grant's zebra pictured) is the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra. It ranges from the south of Ethiopia through East Africa to as far south as Angola and eastern South Africa. The plains zebra is mid-sized, smaller on average than the other two zebra species, and thick-bodied with relatively short legs. Adults of both sexes can stand from 1.1 to 1.47 m (3.6 to 4.8 ft) high at the shoulder, are 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) long (excluding the tail), and weigh 175 to 387 kg (386 to 853 lb), with males slightly heavier than females.

Photo credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Image 4

The black-headed lapwing (Vanellus tectus tectus) is a resident breeder located across sub-Saharan Africa, living in locations ranging from Senegal to Ethiopia.

Photo credit: Charles J. Sharp
Image 5

The black-chested snake eagle (Circaetus pectoralis) is a large African bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It resembles other snake eagles and was formerly considered conspecific with the short-toed and Beaudouin's snake eagles, to which it is closely related. As well as feeding on snakes, which may be swallowed while still alive, it feeds on lizards, small mammals, frogs and insects. It typically perches in an elevated position ready to swoop silently to capture its prey, before returning to its perch to eat.

Photo credit: Charles J. Sharp

Did you know - load new batch

... that Tsadkan Gebretensae, one of the top commanders of Tigray forces in the conflict against the Ethiopian government, previously served as chief of staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force?
... that Asfaw Yemiru's school educated over 120,000 Ethiopian students?
... that the government of Ethiopia's SNNP Region supported local governments calling for a referendum to secede from the region?
... that Aguil Chut-Deng took 22 child refugees from South Sudan to Ethiopia during civil war so that they could attend school?
... that Liberian paramount chief Tamba Taylor worked as a tailor and claimed to have sewn clothes for Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie and Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah?
... that Quintin Johnstone advocated giving control of an American-governed law school to native Ethiopians?

More did you know articles

In the news

12 April 2024 – War in Amhara: Two Fano militants are killed and a third is arrested during a shootout with police near the Millennium Hall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A civilian is also killed and two officers are wounded. (The Washington Post)
9 April 2024 –: The United Nations' International Organization for Migration reports that 38 people died when a boat, which has carried around 66 Ethiopian migrants, has sank off Godoria, Djibouti, a day before while on its way to Yemen. At least six more are still missing and presumed dead. (AFP via South China Morning Post)