Country history · Africa

History of Ethiopia

37 recorded states lay in what is now Ethiopia, from Land of Punt (2500 BCE) to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. 2 of them have a full profile, and 3 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)10 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

26th century BCE

  1. Land of Punt2500 BCE – 1100 BCE · chiefdom

10th century BCE

  1. D'mt980 BCE – 400 BCE · kingdom

9th century

  1. Sultanate of Shewa896 CE – 1285 CE · sultanate

12th century

  1. Zagwe dynasty1137 CE – 1270 CE · kingdom

13th century

  1. Kingdom of Damot1200 CE – 1316 CE · kingdom
  2. Ajuran Sultanate1250 CE – 1700 CE · profile
  3. Hadiya Sultanate1250 CE – 1600 CE · sultanate
  4. Kingdom of Wolaita1250 CE – 1894 CE · kingdom
  5. Fatagar Sultanate1270 CE – 1550 CE · sultanate
  6. Sultanate of Dawaro1280 CE – 1580 CE · sultanate
  7. Sultanate of Ifat1285 CE – 1415 CE · sultanate

14th century

  1. Arababni1300 CE – 1450 CE · sultanate
  2. Dara Sultanate1300 CE – 1450 CE · sultanate
  3. Kingdom of Ennarea1300 CE – 1710 CE · kingdom
  4. Sharkha Sultanate1300 CE – 1450 CE · sultanate
  5. Sultanate of Bale1300 CE – 1580 CE · sultanate
  6. Kingdom of Kaffa1390 CE – 1897 CE · kingdom

16th century

  1. Kingdom of Dawro1500 CE – 1891 CE · kingdom
  2. Kingdom of Janjero1500 CE – 1894 CE · kingdom
  3. Funj Sultanate1504 CE – 1821 CE · profile
  4. Imamate of Aussa1577 CE – 1672 CE · other

17th century

  1. Harar Emirate1647 CE – 1887 CE · emirate
  2. Kingdom of Shewa1682 CE – 1889 CE · kingdom

18th century

  1. Aussa Sultanate1734 CE – 1936 CE · sultanate
  2. Tigray1748 CE – 1855 CE · other
  3. Kingdom of Jimma1790 CE – 1932 CE · kingdom

19th century

  1. Kingdom of Gomma1800 CE – 1886 CE · kingdom
  2. Limmu-Ennarea1800 CE – 1891 CE · kingdom
  3. Kingdom of Gumma1810 CE – 1902 CE · kingdom
  4. Kingdom of Gera1835 CE – 1887 CE · kingdom
  5. Kingdom of Gojjam1881 CE – 1932 CE · kingdom
  6. Dervish State1896 CE – 1920 CE · theocracy

20th century

  1. Italian East Africa1936 CE – 1941 CE · colony
  2. Derg1974 CE – 1987 CE · other
  3. People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia1987 CE – 1991 CE · republic
  4. Transitional Government of Ethiopia1991 CE – 1995 CE · republic
  5. Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia1995 CE – present · republic

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Horn and East Africa → States of Egypt, North Africa and Sudan → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Ethiopia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/ethiopia
MLA
“History of Ethiopia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/ethiopia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Ethiopia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/ethiopia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Ethiopia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/ethiopia (Accessed: ).