Eritreans are a people with a rich and complex history. Though the majority of Eritreans today are Christian, Islam was introduced to the region in the 7th century, and many Eritreans still practice this faith. The country has been ruled by a number of different empires and nations over the centuries, including the Egyptians, Italians, Ethiopians, and most recently, independent Eritrea.
The origins of the Eritrean people are diverse and stem from a number of different historical groups. Some of the earliest inhabitants of Eritrea were probably the Afro-Asiatic speaking peoples who settled in the region around 3,000 BCE. These peoples were later joined by other groups such as the Cushitic-speaking Agaw people who arrived in Eritrea around 1000 BCE.
The first Kingdom of D'mt was established in what is now northern Ethiopia and southern Eritrea around 800 BCE. This kingdom was short-lived, however, and it wasn't until after the fall of D'mt that other kingdoms began to rise in prominence in the region. One of these kingdoms was Aksum which controlled much of present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea from approximately 100-940 CE. During this time period Christianity began to spread through Aksum and eventually became the dominant religion among Ethiopian Christians (and also among many Eritrean Christians).
After suffering several defeats at the hands of Muslim armies during the 10th century CE, Aksum lost control over its territories in Ethiopia and retreated south into what is now modern day Eritrea where they established their capital at Axumite. This city remained an important center for Ethiopian Christianity until it was destroyed by an Islamic army in 1527 CE. In spite of this setback, Axumite continued to be inhabited by a small Christian community up until 1925 CE when it was finally abandoned altogether.
Eritrea would remain under various forms of foreign rule (primarily from Ethiopia) until 1991 when it finally achieved independence after years of struggle against Ethiopian forces