Final answer:
Ethiopia's economy experienced major shifts due to changes in agricultural practices, particularly during the Axumite Kingdom, and later due to colonization and the transatlantic slave trade which disrupted local economies and social structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The economy of Ethiopia from the Axum Empire to the present day has been significantly shaped by changes in agricultural practices. The Axumite Kingdom, due to environmental degradation and soil erosion, faced significant declines in its agricultural productivity, leading to a weakened economy. Moreover, as European colonial powers established control over parts of Africa, including Ethiopia, they infused their own economic structures, transforming local economies through technology and cultivating crops like wheat, maize, and cotton for trade.
However, colonization had a profound impact, resulting in major disruptions and altering traditional economic systems. The encroachment of European powers introduced a new economic era marked by the transatlantic slave trade and subsequent societal upheavals. Furthermore, the transition to an industrial world economy brought on by the Industrial Revolution in Europe led to the colonization of vast areas in Africa, bringing about structural changes in governance and economies that resonate to this day.