Map of Eritrea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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 two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices on 12 December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission organized to resolve the border dispute posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections.


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

Geographic coordinates: 15 00 N 39 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 121,320 km²
Land: 121,320 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 1,626 km
Border countries: (3) Djibouti 109 km; , Ethiopia 912 km; , Sudan 605 km

Coastline: 2,234 km total; mainland on Red Sea 1151 km islands in Red Sea 1083 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m
Extremes highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Natural resources: gold potash zinc copper salt possibly oil and natural gas fish

Land use
Arable land: 4.95%
Permanent crops: 0.03%
Other: 95.02% (2001)

Irrigated land: 220 km² (1998 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: frequent droughts; locust swarms

Geography
Note: 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


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Population: 4,447,307 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 2.57% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 53% (1993/94)

Nationality
Noun: Eritrean
Adjective: Eritrean

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

Languages: Afar Arabic Tigre and Kunama Tigrinya other Cushitic languages

Religions: Muslim Coptic Christian Roman Catholic Protestant

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 44.8% (male 998,404; female 993,349)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 1,140,892; female 1,166,481)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 72,776; female 75,405) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 17.5 years
Male: 17.3 years
Female: 17.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 39.03 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 13.36 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate
Note: UNHCR began repatriating about 150,000 Eritrean refugees from Sudan in 2001 following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2000 (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 75.59 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 83.03 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 67.94 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 52.7 years
Male: 51.32 years
Female: 54.12 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.7% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 60,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 6,300 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 58.6%
Male: 69.9%
Female: 47.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: State of Eritrea
Conventional short form: Eritrea
Local long form: Hagere Ertra
Local short form: Ertra
Former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Government type
Note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (zobatat singular - zoba); Anseba Debub Debubawi K'eyih Bahri Gash Barka Ma'akel Semenawi Keyih Bahri

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday: Independence Day 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: primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957 with revisions; new civil commercial and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and for civil cases involving Muslims Sharia law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
Head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
Cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)
Election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

Legislative branch
Elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely

Judicial branch: High Court - regional subregional and village courts; also have military and special courts

Political parties and leaders: People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001 but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU FAO G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICFTU IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS (observer) IGAD ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC ISO (correspondent) ITU MIGA NAM OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador GIRMA Asmerom
In the us chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
In the us fax: [1] (202) 319-1304
In the us consulates general: Oakland (California)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI
From the us embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara
From the us telephone: [291] (1) 120,004
From the us fax: [291] (1) 127,584

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


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Economy overview: Since independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993 Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure asphalting new roads improving its ports and repairing war damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal holding down growth in 2002. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy unemployment and low skills and to open its economy to private enterprise so the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 12.4%
Industry: 25.3%
Services: 62.4% (2003 est.)

Agriculture 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 (1999)
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry and services: 20%

Unemployment rate: NA (2003 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 53% (1993/94)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $235.7 million
Expenditures: $375 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 12.3% (2003)

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: $-159 million (2003)

Exports: $56 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: livestock sorghum textiles food small manufactures (2000)
Partners: Malaysia 65.1% Italy 10.4% France 4.4% (2003)

Imports: $600 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery petroleum products food manufactured goods (2000)
Partners: US 39.7% Italy 19.1% Turkey 6.8% Russia 5.4% France 4.7% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $311 million (2000 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - NA (2003) 13.9582 (2002) 11.3095 (2001) 9.5 (2000) 7.6 (1999)


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Electricity
Production: 220.5 million kWh (2001)
Consumption: 205.1 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh NA kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh NA kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 38,100 (2003)
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate
Domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
International: country code - 291; note - international connections exist

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .er
Hosts: 1047 (2004)
Users: 9,500 (2003)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $77.9 million (2003)
Percent of gdp: 11.8% (2003)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 18 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 306 km
Narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge
Note: railway is being rebuilt; 117 km open (2003)

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,069 GRT/19,549 DWT
By type: bulk 1, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
Registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Border Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but demarcation has been delayed despite intense international intervention by Ethiopian insistence that the decision ignored 'human geography' made technical errors in the delimitation and incorrectly awarded Badme the focus of the 1998-2000 war and other areas to Eritrea and Eritrea's insistence on not deviating from the commission's decision; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) continues to monitor a 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea until the demarcation; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish Islands awarded to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 59,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPs are near the central border region) (2004)

Illicit drugs