Which country was formerly known as Abyssinia?

Ethiopia was formerly known in English as Abyssinia.

Abyssinia was a historical name used especially for the Ethiopian highlands and the Ethiopian Empire. The term is related to “Habash,” an old regional name, and was used by foreign writers for centuries. Modern English usage generally prefers Ethiopia, the country’s official name.

Ethiopia has one of Africa’s longest recorded histories and developed distinctive political, religious, and literary traditions. Its highland kingdoms included Aksum, which flourished in the first millennium CE and issued its own coinage. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church became central to the country’s history.

Abyssinia should not be treated as an exact synonym for every territory within modern Ethiopia at every historical period. Borders changed over time, and the name was used in different ways by different sources. Ethiopia also has the distinction of remaining independent during the main European partition of Africa, apart from the period of Italian occupation from 1936 to 1941.