The Great Rift Valley, some of the world's largest lakes, Africa's high and low points, forests, savannah and deserts are there. Madagascar's life forms are ancient and unique. Though it is entirely tropical, the highest elevations still get snow. Eastern Africa's developing economies, some among the poorest in the world, rely on herding and agriculture. Recent wars further retard improvement.
Scientists place man's earliest origin here.
Ethiopia is 3,000 years old, Eritrea less than ten years old. Seafaring Arabs, then Europeans, dominated the Indian Ocean coast politically. Most of the area was under British rule before the 20th century brought independence. It lies between the Atlantic Ocean, Sahara Desert and Central African rain forest. The climate is tropical.