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Eritrea’s geographic position along the Red-Sea has long served as a gateway between Africa and the Middleast. Heavy trade traffic through what is now known as the port of Massawa led to a steady stream of migration and settlement along Eritrea’s 1200Km long costal lines, and in time, further expansion resulted in the inhibition of the highlands and the lowlands. Current day Eritreans trace their ancestry to three primary roots: The Nilotic, The Kushitic and The Semites.
The Nilotic are believed to have migrated from the Nile valley and intermixed with the indigenous dwellers (the Pygmies) to give rise to present day Kunama and Nara. In all probability, the Kushetic have migrated Eritrea from the north-east across the Red Sea. Archeological evidence suggests that the Kushetic are the ancestral forefathers of the Afar, the Hidareb, the Bilen and the Saho ethnic groups who eventually made south-western Eritrea their home. The Semites are the most recent migrants to settle Eritrea. The Tigrigna
, the Tigre and the Rashaida are descents of the Semites who originally came from various parts of the Arabian Peninsula.
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