East African History

Religion
Christian missionaries introduced Christianity in Ethiopia in 300 AD. Gradually, Islam spread to northern Sudan from North Africa. Islam also spread to Somalia, on the coast of the Indian Ocean.
Slave Trade
The slave trade took place along the coasts of the Indian Ocean. The slave trade consisted of East Africans, Arabs, and Europeans. Africans got kidnapped, enslaved, and shipped throughout Africa, and Southwest Asia. The island of Zanzibar became the international slave-trading center.
European Influence and Conflict
Europeans usually ended slavery in the 1800's, and focused more on trading materials. To get these materials, they believed they should conquer different parts of Africa for the resources they needed. The British gained the most control over East Africa. The Europeans colonized Africa. Even now, as a result of imperialism, there are many ethnic conflicts. In the 1960's most of the African countries were independent.
Language
The European influence was very strong in terms of religion. French is still spoken in Rwanda, Burundi, and Djibouti. English is the primary language of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. East Africans also speak African languages, such as Swahili. When trade with Arabic people progressed, Swahili developed.
Religion
Most of the religions in East Africa revolve around honoring the ancestors. Many East Africans are Animists. Animists believe the natural world contains spirits.
The history of East Africa revolved around the imperialism of the Europeans in East Africa.

Image: http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/images/east_africa2.jpg: