Ethiopia in Depth - A Peace Corps Publication

Ethiopia is home to more than 80 ethnic and linguistic communities. Proud to be an African state that was never colonized, the Kingdom of Ethiopia dates back to the first millennium. King Menelik I, the legendary son of Queen Sheba and King Solomon of Israel, established his kingdom in Axum. After the rise of Islam in the seventh century, the kingdom became isolated as Arabs gained control of the Red Sea trading routes. In the 12th century, the successor of the Axumite dynasty had expanded ...