The states of Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia together form what is known as the Horn of Africa, on the eastern tip of the African continent. The region is characterized by cultural diversity, with Christian and Muslim influences encountering each other, and it has had close ties with Europe since ancient times. At the turn of the 21st century, the Horn of Africa became an international trouble spot & for example, due to the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia and the disintegration of Somalia, which was ravaged by Islamist terrorism. Alfred Schlicht traces the region=s history, from discoveries of early human remains to the period of