Ethiopia is a country.
The African Union ( AU ) is a continental union consisting of all 55 countries on the African continent . Ethiopia ( [ ˌiːθiˈoʊpiə ] ኢትዮጵያ , , ) , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ( የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ , yeʾĪtiyoṗṗya Fēdēralawī Dēmokirasīyawī Rīpebilīk ) , is a country located in the Horn of Africa . With over 100 million inhabitants , Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world , as well as the second-most populous nation on the African continent after Nigeria . Tracing its roots to the 2nd millennium BC , Ethiopia was a monarchy for most of its history . A monarchy is a form of government in which a group , usually a family called the dynasty , embodies the country 's national identity and one of its members , called the monarch , exercises a role of sovereignty .