The Trade Of Ethiopia Summary

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In an article delving into the trade of Ethiopia, Collins states, “The economy was based on agriculture- however, periodic droughts, soil degradation, deforestation,and high population density negatively affected the agricultural industry,”(3) The agricultural economy boomed so much that it triggered the farmers to overwork the soil and degrade crops over the course of the years, so farming did not become a very dependable aspect of the economy anymore. Instead, what Ethiopians did was turn to trade. Ethiopia instituted a weird system unto which they traded with people who did not know their language. Again, in the Trade of Ethiopia article he states, “The owner of the meat approaches and if he takes the gold away, and upon seeing this its owner comes and takes the flesh or the salt or the iron. If, however, he is not satisfied, he leaves the gold, or takes up what he laid down, and goes …show more content…
Beyond trade, Ethiopia had a stratified society determined on the institution of wealth. There were four major social groups under a caste-like system. Membership to each individual sect was ascribed by birth and membership of the lower caste system associated you with the concepts of “garbage” in their society. In rural areas, the social stratification was decided among the amount of grain or cattle a person has. Furthermore, Ethiopia traditionally a paternalistically dominated society, in which rendered men social outcasts if they cook or child reared (or any job of a woman). As a conservative, and generally domineering society, Ethiopia still managed to still have relevance throughout Africa’s markets and linked Africa to the Middle Eastern part of the world. These established associations helped many nations prosper through trade and the culmination of cultures brought out a new sect into the history of