Established as a country a little more than a century ago, born as an independent republic in June 1977, Djibouti is among the youngest as well as the smallest states in Africa. Yet its strategic location at the crossroads of the maritime trade routes between Africa, Asia and Europe turned this tiny spot on the world map into a vital player in twentieth century geopolitics. This historical dictionary has been conceived not as a history book but as a reading grid for the major historical items that are still molding the country's social, political and economic life.
Ethiopia is one of the world's oldest countries; its Rift Valley may be the location where the ancestors of humankind originated more than four million years ago. With a population of 67 million people today, it is the third most populous country on the African continent after Nigeria and Egypt. It is the source of 86 percent of the water reaching the Aswan Dam in Egypt, most of it carried by the amazing Blue Nile. Ethiopia offers major historical sites such as the pre-Christian palace at Yeha, the stele and tombs of the old Kingdom of Axum, and the rock-carved churches of Lalibela. For anyone interested in Ethiopia, this historical dictionary, through its individual and carefully cross-referenced entries, captures the importance and intrigue of this truly significant African nation. Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia appeals to all levels of readers, providing entries for each of Ethiopia's 85 ethnic groups and covering a broad range of cultural, political, and economic topics. Readers interested in the cultural aspects or who are planning to visit Ethiopia will find a wealth of entries on art, literature, handicrafts, music, dance, bird life, geography, and historic tourist sites. Practitioners in government and non-governmental organizations will find entries on pressing economic, social, and political issues such as HIV/AIDS, female circumcision , debt, human rights, and the environment. The important historical role of missionaries and the combination of conflict and cooperation between Christians and Muslims in the region are also issues reviewed. And, finally, many of the entries highlight relations between Ethiopia and her neighbors-Eritrea, Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Kenya, and Sudan. In the bibliography, considerable emphasis has been placed on including both new and old materials covering all facets of Ethiopia, organized for easy identification by areas of major interest.
Having achieved its independence from France in 1960, Chad has run into a serious crises of national building, which have continued to haunt it to the present day, making it one of the poorest and most politically unstable countries on the globe. Chad is a country with sharp geographic and climatic contrasts that puzzle and fascinate the visitor, displaying first a monotonous but majestic portion of the Saharan Desert in the north, punctuated by plains and high altitudes displayed by the Tibesti mountains, where the highest point, Emi Koussi, reaches 11,204 ft.; the middle Central Sahelian zone, where pastoral transhumance lifestyle predominates but where and nut cultivation and harvesting is possible; and an endowed southern tropical zone where the forest and the savanna meet, blessed by several long-running rivers, most notably, the Logone and the Chari that empty their waters into centuries-old Lake Chad. Even though things in Chad seem to have improved during the past 10 years, most observers agree that the path to peace, reconstruction, and economic progress is still long and arduous. This fourth edition of Historical Dictionary of Chad contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Chad.
Despite advances in modern communication and the proliferation of information, there remain areas of the world about which little is known. One such place is Somalia. The informed public is aware of a political meltdown and consequent chaos there, but few comprehend the causes of this tragic crisis. This new edition covers Somalia's origin, history, culture, and language, as well as current economic and political issues. The alphabetical arrangement of this Dictionary, with a complete chronology, list of acronyms, and in-depth bibliography provide useful information about the country in a convenient format. A vital addition to reference collections supporting undergraduate and graduate programs on Africa and the Middle East, international relations, and economics- a useful fact-filled compendium for government and public libraries, NGO's, and other special libraries
Ethiopia is clearly one of the most important countries in Africa. First of all, with about 75 million people, it is the third most populous country in Africa. Second, it is very strategically located, in the Horn of Africa and bordering Eritrea, Sudan, Kenya, and Somalia, with some of whom it has touchy and sometimes worse relations. Yet, its capital – Addis Ababa – is the headquarters of the African Union, the prime meeting place for Africa’s leaders. So, if things went poorly in Ethiopia, this would not be good for Africa, and for a long time this was the case, with internal disruption rife, until it was literally suppressed under the strong rule of the recently deceased Meles Zenawi. The Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia, Second Edition covers the history of Ethiopia through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has several hundred cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Ethiopia.
Definition of Djibouti: "1) Formerly French Somaliland, French Territory of the Afars and Issas. A republic in East Africa, on the Gulf of Aden: a former overseas territory of France; gained independence 1977. 8492 square miles (21,994 square kilometers). "2) A seaport in and the capital of this republic, in the southeast part." http: //www.dictionary.com/browse/djibouti R Kirk; Report of the Route from Tajurra to Ankobar, Travelled by the Mission to Shwa, under Charge of Captain WC Harris, Engineers, 1841 (Close of the Dry Season); the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London; 1842 R Kirk writes: "Tajurra, situated on the northern shore of the extensive Bay of Tajurra, in latitude 11 degrees 46 minutes 35 seconds north, and longitude 43 degrees 0 minutes 20 seconds east, is a Dankali town, the residence of Sultan Mahomed, a chief of the Adal tribes. It contains about 300 houses, composed of wooden frame-works covered with matting; and has a population of 1200 or 1500 inhabitants, principally engaged in the trade in slaves and salt with the markets of Aussa and Abyssinia. There is no bazaar at Tajurra, but the smaller supplies can be obtained in exchange for beads, buttons, fish-hooks, or tobacco. The anchorage is very limited and insecure during the southwest monsoon; a plentiful supply of water of good quality is obtained from a well to the northwest of the town, near a group of date-palms; there is no cultivation in the vicinity, and grass or forage for horses is very scarce and obtained with difficulty."
The history of Eritrea is told in this reference through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, events, places, organizations, and other aspects of Eritrea's history from the earliest times to the present. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Eritrea.
