Abyssinia, known historically as a part of the Ethiopian empire, gradually became recognized as modern-day Ethiopia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ‘Ethiopia’ has roots in ancient Greece, referring to a kingdom in the region, but it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the name came to be associated with the unified nation we know today.
In 1896, the First Italo-Ethiopian War culminated in the Battle of Adwa, where Ethiopian forces decisively defeated the Italian army. This victory marked a significant moment in the country’s history, solidifying Ethiopia’s sovereignty and establishing it as a symbol of African resistance to colonialism.
With the coronation of Menelik II in 1889 and his efforts to merge various regions and ethnic groups, the modern state of Ethiopia began to take shape. It wasn’t until the adoption of a new constitution in 1931 that the name Ethiopia was formally recognized in a modern context, completing the transition from Abyssinia to Ethiopia as we know it today.