Map of Eritrea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

top of page


Background: on 29 May 1991, ISAIAS Afworke, secretary general of the Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), which then served as the country's legislative body, announced the formation of the Provisional Government in Eritrea (PGE) in preparation for the 23-25 April 1993 referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea; the referendum resulted in a landslide vote for independence which was proclaimed on 27 April 1993


top of page


Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 121,320 km²
Land: 121,320 km²

Land boundaries: total 1,630 km, Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Coastline: 1,151 km (land and island coastline is 2,234 km)
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually; semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except on coast desert

Terrain: dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plan, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Elevation

Natural resources: gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil, fish
Arable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 2% (coffee)
Meadows and pastures: 40%
Forest and woodland: 5%
Other: 50%

Land use

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


top of page


Population: 3,467,087 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Eritrean(s)
Adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups: ethnic Tigrays 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%

Languages: Tigre and Kunama, Cushitic dialects, Tigre, Nora Bana, Arabic

Religions: Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: NA births/1000 population

Death rate: NA deaths/1000 population

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: frequent droughts, famine; deforestation; soil eroision; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: NA years
Male: NA years
Female: NA years

Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Eritrea
Local long form: none
Local short form: none
Former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Government type:

Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)

Administrative divisions: NA

Dependent areas

Independence:

National holiday: National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)

Constitution: transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: NA

Executive branch: president, Eritrean National Council

Legislative branch: National Assembly

Judicial branch: Judiciary

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: OAU, UN, UNCTAD

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: NA
In the us chancery: NA
In the us telephone: NA
From the us chief of mission: Joseph P. O'NEILL
From the us embassy: NA
From the us mailing address: NA
From the us telephone: 251-4-113-720
From the us fax: NA

Flag description: red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: With independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993, Eritrea faces the bitter economic problems of a small, desperately poor African country. Most of the population will continue to depend on subsistence farming. Domestic output is substantially augmented by worker remittances from abroad. Government revenues come from custom duties and income and sales taxes. Eritrea has inherited the entire coastline of Ethiopia and has long-term prospects for revenues from the devlopment of offshore oil, offshore fishing and tourist development. For the time being, Ethiopia will be largely dependent on Eritrean ports for its foreign trade.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: NA

Industries: food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%

Labor force

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: NA

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $NA
Commodoties: NA
Partners: NA

Imports: $NA
Partners: NA

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: NA


top of page


Electricity access

Electricity production: NA kW capacity; NA kWh produced, NA kWh per capita

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 5
Usable: 5
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 2
With runways 1220-2439 m: 2

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs