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Question 47 of 72 · World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies
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Abyssinia is the old name of:

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Answer: Option A — Ethiopia

Detailed Solution

Abyssinia is the old name of Ethiopia, used mainly by Europeans and in historical records until the mid-20th century.

About the name:

  • "Abyssinia" comes from "Habesha" (or "Habash"), the name of the people of the northern highlands of the region, used in Arabic and other languages.
  • The Ethiopian Empire was called "Abyssinia" in many European texts until about the 1940s.
  • The name "Ethiopia" comes from the Greek "Aithiopia", meaning "land of burnt faces"; it was used in the ancient world for lands south of Egypt.

About Ethiopia:

  • It is located in the Horn of Africa.
  • Its capital is Addis Ababa, which is also the headquarters of the African Union (AU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.
  • It is the second-most populous country in Africa, after Nigeria.
  • It is landlocked since Eritrea became independent in 1993.
  • Its currency is the Birr.
  • It follows its own calendar, which is about seven to eight years behind the Gregorian calendar, and has 13 months.

History:

It is one of the oldest nations in the world. The ancient "Kingdom of Aksum" (1st-7th centuries CE) was a major trading power.

It was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity (4th century CE).

The Battle of Adwa (1896): Emperor Menelik II defeated an Italian army, preserving Ethiopia's independence. It was the only African country (with Liberia) never formally colonised.

Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935-36 under Mussolini and occupied it until 1941.

Emperor Haile Selassie ruled from 1930 to 1974, when he was overthrown.

Ethiopia joined BRICS in 2024.

Other facts:

The skeleton "Lucy" (Australopithecus afarensis), about 3.2 million years old, was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974.

The Blue Nile originates from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The "Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam" (GERD), Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, was inaugurated in September 2025.

Ethiopia is believed to be the original home of coffee (Kaffa region).

Other old names of countries:

  • Persia: Iran (renamed 1935).
  • Siam: Thailand (1939).
  • Ceylon: Sri Lanka (1972).
  • Burma: Myanmar (1989).
  • Gold Coast: Ghana (1957).
  • Formosa: Taiwan.
  • Dahomey: Benin.
  • Upper Volta: Burkina Faso.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Somalia was called "British Somaliland" and "Italian Somaliland" in parts.
  • ✗Sudan was part of "Anglo-Egyptian Sudan".
  • ✗Eritrea was an Italian colony and became independent from Ethiopia in 1993.

Quick tip

Remember: Abyssinia = Ethiopia (capital Addis Ababa, AU headquarters; Battle of Adwa 1896; never formally colonised; joined BRICS 2024); Persia = Iran; Siam = Thailand; Gold Coast = Ghana.

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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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