 how Ethiopia got its name. The name Ethiopia has ancient origins and is believed to have been derived from the Greek word Ethiopia which means burnt face or sunburned country. The term was used by the ancient Greeks to describe the lands south of Egypt which were inhabited by dark-skinned peoples. Ethiopia was known by various names including Kush and Aksum. The kingdom of Aksum which emerged in the first century and was one of the most powerful and prosperous in the region and traded with Egypt, Greece and Rome. The kingdom's influence extended to Arabia and India and it was one of the first states to adopt Christianity as its official religion. During the medieval period Ethiopia was known as Abyssinia in Europe, a name derived from the Arabic word al-habash which referred to the people and region. The name Ethiopia was reintroduced by European explorers and missionaries in the 16th and 17th centuries.