ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Monarchies of Ethiopia

Imagine you and your friends are playing a game, and you get to be the "king" or "queen" of your group. You make all the decisions and everyone listens to you. That's kind of like what a monarchy is in Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, there have been many different kings and queens over thousands of years. Each one had their own rules and some did really great things for their people, while others were not so great. Some of the most famous Ethiopian monarchs are King Menelik II and Emperor Haile Selassie. They were both very powerful leaders and helped Ethiopia grow and become a stronger country.

Ethiopia was one of the only countries in Africa to never be colonized by European powers. That means they kept their own government and traditions, even though other countries were trying to take over. The monarchy in Ethiopia was an important part of their culture and history, but in the 1970s a revolution happened and things changed.

The revolution was led by a group called the Derg, who overthrew the emperor and took over the government. They ended the monarchy and established a new system of government called a communist state. This meant that the government owned everything and everyone had to work for the good of the country, rather than for themselves.

However, the people did not like this new system and there were protests and uprisings. Eventually, the Derg was overthrown and a new government was formed, but the monarchy was never restored. Today, Ethiopia is a democratic country and the people elect their leaders, rather than having a king or queen.