Statistical information Eritrea 2000

Eritrea in the World
top of pageBackground: Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 remains unresolved.
top of pageLocation: Eastern Africa bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan
Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 39 00 E
Map reference:
AfricaAreaComparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundariesCoastline: 2,234 km total; mainland on Red Sea 1151 km islands in Red Sea 1083 km
Maritime claims: NA
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 in coastal desert
Terrain: dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands descending on the east to a coastal desert plain on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
ElevationNatural resources: gold potash zinc copper salt possibly oil and natural gas fish
Land useIrrigated land: 280 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: frequent droughts and locust storms
GeographyNote: strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
top of pagePopulation: 4,135,933 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 3.86% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%
NationalityEthnic groups: ethnic Tigrinya 50% Tigre and Kunama 40% Afar 4% Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%
Languages: Afar Amharic Arabic Tigre and Kunama Tigrinya other Cushitic languages
Religions: Muslim Coptic Christian Roman Catholic Protestant
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 3.86% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 42.71 births/1000 population (2000 est.)
Death rate: 12.3 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)
Net migration rate: 8.22 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 76.66 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal fertility rate: 5.93 children born/woman (2000 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracySchool life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameGovernment type: transitional government
Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Administrative divisions: 8 provinces (singular - awraja); Akale Guzay Barka Denkel Hamasen Sahil Semhar Senhit Seraye
Dependent areasIndependence: 23-25 April 1993 referendum was held with vote for independence as the outcome; 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
National holiday: National Day (independence from Ethiopia) 24 May (1993)
Constitution: the transitional constitution decreed on 19 May 1993 was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997 but not yet implemented
Legal system: operates on the basis of transitional laws that incorporate pre-independence statutes of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front revised Ethiopian laws customary laws and post independence enacted laws
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branchLegislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; 10 provincial courts; 29 district courts
Political parties and leaders: People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki PETROS Solomon]
International organization participation: ACP AfDB CCC ECA FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICFTU IDA IFAD IFC IGAD ILO IMF IMO Intelsat (nonsignatory user) IOC ITU NAM OAU PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO
Diplomatic representationFlag 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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: With independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993 Eritrea faced the economic problems of a small desperately poor country. The economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The small industrial sector consists mainly of light industries with outmoded technologies. Domestic output (GDP) is substantially augmented by worker remittances from abroad. Government revenues come from custom duties and taxes on income and sales. Road construction is a top domestic priority. In the long term Eritrea may benefit from the development of offshore oil offshore fishing and tourism. Eritrea's economic future depends on its ability to master fundamental social and economic problems e.g. by reducing illiteracy promoting job creation expanding technical training attracting foreign investment and streamlining the bureaucracy. The most immediate threat to the economy however is the possible expansion of the border conflict with Ethiopia which broke out in May 1998. The hostilities have drained away substantial resources vital to Eritrea's economic development.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 3% (1999 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $750 (1999 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: sorghum lentils vegetables corn cotton tobacco coffee sisal; livestock goats; fish
Industries: food processing beverages clothing and textiles
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and commerce: 20%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty line: NA%
Gini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetTaxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer prices: 9% (1998 est.)
Central bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $26 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: livestock sorghum textiles food small manufactures
Partners: Sudan 27.2% Ethiopia 26.5% Japan 13.2% UAE 7.3% Italy 5.3% (1998)
Imports: $560 million (c.i.f. 1999)
Commodities: machinery petroleum products food manufactured goods
Partners: Italy 17.4% UAE 16.2% Germany 5.7% UK 4.5% Korea 4.4% (1998)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $281 million (2000 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: nakfa per US dollar = 9.5 (January 2000) 7.6 (January 1999) 7.2 (March 1998 est.)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 177.6 million kWh (1997 est.)
Consumption: 153.5 million kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh NA kWh (1999)
Imports: 0 kWh NA kWh (1999)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesMain lines in use: 23,578 (2000)
Mobile cellular: NA
Telephone systemGeneral assessment: NA
Domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system
International: NA
Broadcast mediaInternetCountry code: .er
Service providers isps: 4 (2000)
Users: 500 (2000)
Broadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $160 million (2000 est.)
Percent of gdp: 29.4% (2000 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 20 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 18
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.)
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysTotal: 317 km
Narrow gauge: 317 km 0.950-m gauge (1999)
Note: links Ak'ordat and Asmara with the port of Massawa; nonoperational since 1978 except for about a 5 km stretch that was reopened in Massawa in 1994; rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock is under way
RoadwaysWaterways: none
Merchant marineTotal: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,069 GRT/19,549 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2000 est.)
Ports and terminalsEritrea - Transnational issues 2000
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs