The Aksum Empire was a major trading power located in which modern-day country?

The Aksum Empire was a major trading power located in which modern-day country?

• A. Ethiopia
• B. Egypt
• C. Nigeria
• D. Morocco

Answer: (A)

The key idea is recognizing where the Aksum Empire was centered and why it became a major trading power. Aksum was built in the highlands of the Horn of Africa, with its heartland in areas that are today northern Ethiopia (and it also had ties to nearby lands along the Red Sea). Its traders connected Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Mediterranean, helping it become a powerful economy in the ancient world. Because the heartland of Aksum lies in present-day Ethiopia, that country is the correct answer. (Note: Aksum’s influence did extend toward parts of what is now Eritrea, but the core location corresponds to Ethiopia.)

The key idea is recognizing where the Aksum Empire was centered and why it became a major trading power. Aksum was built in the highlands of the Horn of Africa, with its heartland in areas that are today northern Ethiopia (and it also had ties to nearby lands along the Red Sea). Its traders connected Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Mediterranean, helping it become a powerful economy in the ancient world. Because the heartland of Aksum lies in present-day Ethiopia, that country is the correct answer. (Note: Aksum’s influence did extend toward parts of what is now Eritrea, but the core location corresponds to Ethiopia.)