Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
POSTLIBERATION ETHIOPIA
The British, who'd entered Ethiopia as liberators, initially seemed to have simply replaced
Italy as occupiers. However, Anglo-Ethiopian treaties in 1942 and 1944 eventually marked
Ethiopia's resumption of independence.
The 1940s and '50s saw much postwar recon-
struction, including (with US assistance) the es-
tablishment of a new government bank, a na-
tional currency, and the country's first national
airline, Ethiopian Airlines.
In 1955 the Revised Ethiopian Constitution
was introduced. Although for the first time the legislature included an elected chamber of
deputies, the government remained autocratic and the emperor continued to hold all power.
In 1962 Addis Ababa became the headquarters of the Organisation of African Unity
(OAU) and, in 1958, of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The ultimate guide to the historical treasures of the
north is Stuart Munro-Hay's
Ethiopia: The
Unknown Land: A Cultural and Historical Guide
.
