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| depiction of elephants by Ptolemaic Egypt |
Pre-Christian era Trade
The area that makes up today's Ethiopia on Africa's horn has always been a strategic power for the nation's trade. The busiest maritime ports in pre-Christian times were Adulis and Massawa on the red sea (in modern day Eritrea); Gulf of Aden ports of Tajurah (Djibouti), Zeil (Somalia / Somaliland), Berbera (Somalia). These ports, along with routes in Sudanese lands were crucial for the marketing of its natural resources such as gold, salt, livestock, and elephants. The demand for the latter increased as the Ptolemies conquered Egypt and began investing in them as military instruments much in the same way tanks have been used in the modern era.[1]
Aksum-era Resources
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| Early Christian era Ethiopia - The Kingdom of Aksum |
The dawn of the Christian era saw travel-fare increase along these same routes in addition to the growing maritime ocean route between India and Aksum -- the headquarters for the Ethiopic kingdom of 1st century a.d. The strategic location of the Aksumite kingdom on Africa’s horn encompassed the modern day nations of Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Somalia. Ethiopia’s natural resources that dominated the market during this era was ivory, gold, civet musk (perfume taken from glandular secretions of a civet cat), and much later — slaves. These goods were traded and sold in the caravan system where merchants would travel in groups and set up fairs outside of villages and major cities where multitudes would excitedly flock to purchase wares brought to them from distant lands. These fairs were enriched by the increased maritime that came about due to established water routes of the infamous Silk Road. [2] The availability and production of goods and services in the Aksumite economic powerhouse increased to unforeseen heights for the better half of the first millennium a.d.
Post-Islam Economics
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| Civet Cat - raised for it's glandular secretions |
The seventh and eighth centuries marked the beginning of a permanent downturn in Aksumite economic dominance as Islamic conquests rampaged throughout the middle east and northern Africa. Having to focus on maintaining independence and strengthening its borderland caused the Ethiopian empire ceded its economic prominence to the newly arrived Islamic hoards.
Modern Era Resources
In the modern era, while Ethiopia was blessed enough to escape colonization and the slave trade, it was dominated in the world war II era by Fascist Italy and later by communism until 1994. During those years, Ethiopia did not benefit economically through their own natural resources. Since 1994, efforts have been made to establish greater access to their petroleum and natural gas.[3] Even without much oil production, it is still Ethiopia’s largest yearly export and accounts for 19% of it’s economy. each year Ethiopia has seen a steady increase of its GDP, which currently is at $61.4 billion.[4] It currently accounts for .091% of the world market and its chief exports are refined petroleum, coffee, oily seeds, vegetables, cut flowers, gold, bovine, dried legumes and tanned sheep hides.[5] The economic trading power of this ancient country appears to be on the increase.
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| Addis Ababa |
[1] Elephants http://web.linkethiopia.org/guide-to-ethiopia/the-pankhurst-history-library/trade-in-ethiopia-in-ancient-times-1/
[2] Early Trade ibid
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