History Of The Horn Of Africa

3388 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: colonization impact on african nations

‘Until the Lion learns to speak, the tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter’.

The Horn of Africa, comprised of the nations of Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti[1], covers an area of approximately 1,882,857 km2. Commercially the Horn’s position, adjacent to the important waterway of the Gulf of Aden which connects the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea to the Red Sea and subsequently the Mediteranian Sea beyond, has meant that it has always been at the heart of international trade and commerce. This fortuitous positioning between the East and the West has also meant that the Coastal Horn nations have enjoyed an uniquely diverse interaction with many of the great historical empires. For example, Somalia was long known to the Pharaonic Egyptians as the ‘God’s Lands’, the Land of Punt[2]. The twentieth century was a remarkable time for the African continent, many African nations having fought bitterly for their independence from the European colonial powers that had occupied them. Starting with Kwame Nakruma’s Ghana, once the wheels of liberation began to spin, the mid-Twentieth century marked a time of jubilance and hope for the newly independent states and their still occupied cousins.

Section 1 Somalia: 5 Point Star division
Somalia and the Colonial legacy
To understand the origins of the Ogaden War, it is imperative that we understand Somali culture, history, and it’s unique societal dynamics. The nation of Somalia as we know today, like most African nations, is a relatively new entity. Somalia, in its current incarnation, is a product of British, Italian, French, and Ethiopian colonialism throughout the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.
Previous to the invasion of the colonial powers, Somalia was an important com...

... middle of paper ...

...allenge Ethiopian military hegemony in the region. With Somalia now in a strong position, Ethiopia weakened by the internal turmoil of the revolution, as well as the provocation of other ethnic minorities by the WSLF, it is safe to say, by this time the ‘War Clouds were gathering’

In conclusion, it was primarily the heterogeneous nature of Ethiopia, in both ethnic make up and class structure, that meant the central government, regardless of its being imperial or socialist, would always struggle to unify and rule over such a diverse population effectlively. Secondly, it was not by the mere existence of a diverse nation that made the Ethiopia difficult to rule, but the grieved nature of the ethnic groups. This grievance stemmed from the colonial and feudal legacy of Ethiopian empire, which held much of the land in the north and west of the nation against their will.

Show More
Related

  • Africa's Advanced Civilization Before European Arrival

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    African society used bodies of water such as the Nile, the Red Sea, and many more to transport goods across the continent and generate profit. For example, the city of “Aksum reached its height between 325-360. Aksum’s location made it an important international trading center.” After analyzing the map of trade routes in Document 1, it is clear Aksum was strategically built to have ties to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. These two bodies of water give the city the freedom to import and export goods. Additionally, this work of trade did not come without reward. Cities who succeeded in the business became overly wealthy and had surpluses of gold and other riches. A king, Mansa Mansa, who expanded the Mali kingdom to be twice the size of Ghana, was not afraid to show his wealth as he showered other cities in riches out of generosity. In Cairo, Egypt, “there was no person, officer of the court, or holder of any office of the Sultanate who did not receive a sum of gold from him.” This is just one of the many examples of wealth in african cities and empires. What is impressive is the fact that before European trade became an influence, African people had already created a successful and very profitable system of

    Read More

  • A Comparision of Somalia and the United States of America

    1259 Words  | 3 Pages

    Civil War is another shared similarity between both Somalia and the United States. In 1991, following the overthrow of the dictator, Siad Barre, Somalia descended into anarchy. With no government presence to maintain some type of order, clan-based warlords began competing with each other, thus beginning civil unjust. While northern parts of Somalia, as well as the self-declared “Republic of Somaliland,” have remained somewhat peaceful, internal fighting flares up with little to no warning. Since 1991, it is estimated that 350, 000 to 1,000,000 Somalia’s have died due to the lack...

    Read More

  • European Imperialism in Africa

    1417 Words  | 3 Pages

    Europe, in the late 1800’s, was starting for a land grab in the African continent. Around 1878, most of Africa was unexplored, but by 1914, most of Africa, with the lucky exception of Liberia and Ethiopia, was carved up between European powers. There were countless motivations that spurred the European powers to carve Africa, like economical, political, and socio–cultural, and there were countless attitudes towards this expansion into Africa, some of approval and some of condemnation.

    Read More

  • Chiefdoms In Sub-Saharan Africa

    456 Words  | 1 Pages

    The sub-Saharan Africa developed into a prosperous society with a social hierarchy, political administration, population growth, various distinct cultural religions, and economic trade networks. Because the African community did not heavily emphasize patriarchy in its society nor restrict the women’s rights, women were able to gain higher roles in sub-Saharan Africa. Some women actually held powerful authority, took part in solving public matters, actively traded with others, and even participated in the military. Therefore, this led to an increase in freedom and status in women, which resulted in a step closer to gender equality and less of a patriarchal society.As an abundant amount of kin-based societies began to face internal and external problems around 1000 C.E., the Bantu society organized military forces that helped establish the political structure of chiefdoms in sub-Saharan Africa. The chiefdoms were organized by creating a kingdom of several districts that fell under the authority of the conquering chiefs. The frequent bitter disputes between different chiefdoms led to the emergence of larger kingdoms with a more centralized government, which in turn influenced the political aspect of the succeeding African societies.

    Read More

  • Italy's Colonization of Ethiopia and Great Eritrea

    932 Words  | 2 Pages

    The root causes of the war could be traced back in history to the imperialist policy of great powers of Europe, an international phenomenon during the 19th century. Eritrea as a new independent entity was created by Italian colonization. Italian colonization did not only create a new independent state of Eritrea but also a separate Eritrean identity. As a result of the socio-economic improvements created by the Italian colonial legacy, Eritreans developed a distinct Eritrean identity and a sense being “civilized” and regarded Ethiopians as “backward”. (Tekeste: 2000, p.54-157). In one interview, Eritrean President Issayas once said, “We have lived with Europeans; we have seen much of the civilized world. There are many things we have learned from them. The Ethiopians, on the contrary, have just come out of the forest. They are not civilized. They feel inferior because they have come out of the bush” (Solomon: 1998, p.15).

    Read More

  • Essay On New Imperialism

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Conquest and colonization has always played a role in the history of European powers. Throughout the centuries many different European empires have attempted to make their mark on multiple different continents. Some have found success, while others have failed. One case in particular, in which European nations could not quite find stability, was in North America. Factors such as the American Revolution, U.S. westward expansion, and the Monroe Doctrine pushed European nations out of North America. Afterwards, the late 19th century marked the beginning of New Imperialism. As New Imperialism began, Africa became important to European nations in their “Scramble for Africa”.

    Read More

  • West African Kingdoms

    996 Words  | 2 Pages

    Trupin, James E. West Africa - A Background Book from Ancient Kingdoms to Modern Times, Parent's Magazine Press. New York, 1991.

    Read More

  • Emperor Haile Selassie and Ethiopia

    680 Words  | 2 Pages

    The country Ethiopia is well known for its Emperor Haile Selassie. Haile Selassie’s real name is Lij Tafari Makonnen and he was born 1892 and died 1975 (novelguide.com). He comes from one of the earliest lineage of royal families; King Solomon. He is the last of his bloodline to have power in Ethiopia. He was given power between 1930-1974. There was a war for Ethiopia by the Italians called the Battle of Adwa. The Italians wanted to gain land in Africa because the French and European were all trying to acquire land in Africa. Haile Selassie tried to go to the League of Nations for help. Help was refused and supposedly Ethiopia was later colonized. It is not well known if the Italians actually colonized Ethiopia but according to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Ethiopia was taken between the years 1936-1941 (cia.gov). The reason that it is hard to determine if the Italians had colonized Ethiopia is because it was not recognized fully by the league of Nations only some of the league recognized this (about.com). If they were even captured by the Italians then their independence was May 5, 1941 (about.com).

    Read More

  • Clans of Somalia

    1207 Words  | 3 Pages

    For centuries, Somalia culture was different from other countries in Africa for the fact that it was not made up of a collection of tribes, but of homogeneous people. To survive, in an ever changing culture Somalis have come to rely on the supporting bond of clanship (CBC Archives, n.d). Separate federations of clans struggling for power and control are the main ingredient for instability and conflict within Somalia. The Somali clans continued fighting has dragged their country already struggling from famine and disease, to undue bloodshed. Clans that were created to offer a sense of social security and belonging for its millions of members are killing their own country. Since 1991, over 400,000 people have died from the civil war in Somalia. Another 600,000 people have died from diseases and starvation. Not everyone feel that Somalia clans are all negative, as such is viewed from the international world. According to Raquia Omar, a prominent Somali, and former head of the Human Rights Group, Africa Watch, “We are wrong to see clans as only negative.” Clans provide a strong band of people that have the same interest and history. They speak the same language and practice th...

    Read More

  • War Between Ethiopians and Eritreans

    4834 Words  | 10 Pages

    When diplomacy fails to achieve what the politicians want, war is how they get what they want. This has been proven time and time again as the most expensive political jockeying invented. Politicians have been using their citizens to fight their wars of ideals for the past century. This war, the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, was unique because in this war people died for land. Since the medieval ages so few societies have fought wars over land, that the idea seems absurd. Men died for a piece of soil, called the Badime region, (Ito).

    Read More

  • The White Man's Burden Imperialism

    701 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imperialism, a serious event in history, affected many places all over the world. In Africa, Imperialism destroyed countries, ruined African traditions, and created a whole new society (usually not for the better good). Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The White Man’s Burden” provides a window into what Imperialism was like for the indigenous people. Before Imperialism, Africa was an entirely different world; people had different religions, ideas, and ways of life. Menelik II who’d grown up in Ethiopia helped develop his country, leading them through the Battle of Adwa, and continuing to keep his country strong and safe.

    Read More

  • Comparison of Ethiopia and Mali

    1807 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ethiopia is one of the most unique among African countries for maintaining its freedom from colonial rule, with the short exception of an occupation by the Italians from 1936-1941. A socialist state was established in 1974 with the overthrow of Emperor Selassie, who had been in control since 1930. A junta or group of military officers called the Derg was responsible for the coup. Yet, this corrupt administration has lead only to warfare and wide scale public suffering. In 1991, the junta was finally brought down by a combination of revolutionary forces who called themselves the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front. In 1994, a constitution was drafted and 1995 marked Ethiopia’s first multiparty elections. Recently, a boarder feud with Eritrea, that lasted over 2 years, was ended in December of 2000; yet recent objections by Ethiopia have delayed a final declaration of border.

    Read More

  • The Scramble For Africa And The Colonization Of Africa

    2466 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Scramble for Africa, named for the speed at which Africa was partitioned and colonized, began with King Leopold II 's conquest of the Congo. However, it did not end with the Belgian occupation of the Congo. Just as Leopold 's Congo was demarcated by the vast extraction of raw materials, most notably rubber, other European powers used African colonies as resource markets. However, economic motivations were not the sole stimulus for colonial expansion into Africa during the late 19th century. The causalities of the Scramble for Africa, and subsequent partition, are the result of a complex interplay between social, political, and economic forces both within Africa and within Europe. The colonization of Africa could not have been as extensive

    Read More

  • The Scramble for Africa

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    The New Imperialism and the Scramble for Africa 1880-1914. Jeff Taylor, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.

    Read More

  • Colonialism In Africa Essay

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    An overwhelming majority of African nations has reclaimed their independence from their European mother countries. This did not stop the Europeans from leaving a permanent mark on the continent however. European colonialism has shaped modern-day Africa, a considerable amount for the worse, but also some for the better. Including these positive and negative effects, colonialism has also touched much of Africa’s history and culture especially in recent years.

    Read More

More about History Of The Horn Of Africa

Open Document