Ethiopia's size and extent has varied over the course of its history depending on its strength and might. When the center is powerful as in the Middle Ages and most of the 20th century, Ethiopia's reach extends from the Red Sea to the eastern boundary of the Sahara desert. Archaeological and Historical evidences had at times indicated a powerful Ethiopian presence as far east as today's Yemen across the Red Sea.

Older maps had shown the whole of Sub-Sahara Africa as Ethiopia.

The maps below show Ethiopia's boundaries before 1991 and after 1991.