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

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Background: After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control, the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afworki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been highly autocratic and repressive. His government has created a highly militarized society by pursuing an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service, sometimes of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. A UN peacekeeping operation was established that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) created in April 2003 was tasked 'to delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border based on pertinent colonial treaties (1900, 1902, and 1908) and applicable international law.' The EEBC on 30 November 2007 remotely demarcated the border, assigning the town of Badme to Eritrea, despite Ethiopia's maintaining forces there from the time of the 1998-2000 war. Eritrea insisted that the UN terminate its peacekeeping mission on 31 July 2008. Eritrea has accepted the EEBC's 'virtual demarcation' decision and repeatedly called on Ethiopia to remove its troops. Ethiopia has not accepted the demarcation decision, and neither party has entered into meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse. Eritrea is subject to several UN Security Council Resolutions (initially in 2009 and renewed annually) imposing an arms embargo and a travel ban and assets freeze on certain individuals, in view of evidence that it has supported armed opposition groups in the region.


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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: 117,600 km²
Land: 101,000 km²
Water: 16,600 km²
Rank: 102
Comparative: slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 1840 km
Border countries: (3) Djibouti 125 km; , Ethiopia 1033 km; , Sudan 682 km

Coastline: 2,234 km
Note: (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, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

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
Mean elevation: 853 m
Elevation extremes: -75 m
Note: lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 75.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 15.1% (2011 est.)
Other: 9.8% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 210 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarmsvolcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011

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
Distribution: density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south: 5,970,646 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 113
Growth rate: 0.89% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 123
Below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Eritrean(s)
Adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages

Religions: Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Demographic profile: Eritrea is a persistently poor country that has made progress in some socioeconomic categories but not in others. Education and human capital formation are national priorities for facilitating economic development and eradicating poverty. To this end, Eritrea has made great strides in improving adult literacy - doubling the literacy rate over the last 20 years - in large part because of its successful adult education programs. The overall literacy rate was estimated to be almost 74% in 2015; more work needs to be done to raise female literacy and school attendance among nomadic and rural communities. Subsistence farming fails to meet the needs of Eritrea’s growing population because of repeated droughts, dwindling arable land, overgrazing, soil erosion, and a shortage of farmers due to conscription and displacement. The government’s emphasis on spending on defense over agriculture and its lack of foreign exchange to import food also contribute to food insecurity.Eritrea has been a leading refugee source country since at least the 1960s, when its 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia began. Since gaining independence in 1993, Eritreans have continued migrating to Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt, or Israel because of a lack of basic human rights or political freedom, educational and job opportunities, or to seek asylum because of militarization. Eritrea’s large diaspora has been a source of vital remittances, funding its war for independence and providing 30% of the country’s GDP annually since it became independent.In the last few years, Eritreans have increasingly been trafficked and held hostage by Bedouins in the Sinai Desert, where they are victims of organ harvesting, rape, extortion, and torture. Some Eritrean trafficking victims are kidnapped after being smuggled to Sudan or Ethiopia, while others are kidnapped from within or around refugee camps or crossing Eritrea’s borders. Eritreans composed approximately 90% of the conservatively estimated 25,000-30,000 victims of Sinai trafficking from 2009-2013, according to a 2013 consultancy firm report.

Age structure
0-14 years: 39.53% (male 1,186,749 /female 1,173,530)
15-24 years: 19.94% (male 592,365 /female 598,305)
25-54 years: 32.88% (male 965,405 /female 997,771)
55-64 years: 3.7% (male 96,967 /female 123,895)
65 years and over: 3.95% (male 97,816 /female 137,843) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 85 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 78.3 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.8 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 14.8 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.9 years
Male: 19.4 years
Female: 20.4 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 194

Population growth rate: 0.89% (2018 est.)
Rank: 123

Birth rate: 29.1 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 40

Death rate: 7.1 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 126

Net migration rate: -13.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 215

Population distribution: density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south

Urbanization
Urban population: 40.1% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.86% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 896,000 ASMARA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.74 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 44.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 51.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 37.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 38

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.6 years (2018 est.)
Male: 63 years (2018 est.)
Female: 68.2 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 180

Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 37

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 8.4% (2010)

Drinking water source
Urban: 26.8% of population
Rural: 46.7% of population
Total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 55.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 92.7% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 84.3% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 59
People living with hivaids: 14,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 90
Deaths note: <500 (2017 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5% (2016)
Rank: 183

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 38.8% (2010)
Rank: 1

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 73.8% (2015 est.)
Male: 82.4% (2015 est.)
Female: 65.5% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 5 years (2014)
Male: 6 years (2014)
Female: 5 years (2014)

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
Etymology: the country name derives from the ancient Greek appellation Erythra Thalassa meaning Red Sea, which is the major water body bordering the country

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Asmara (Asmera)
Geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Dependent areas

Independence: 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday: Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

Constitution
History: ratified by the Constituent Assembly 23 May 1997 (not fully implemented); note - drafting of a new constitution, which began in 2014, but interrupted by the war, is expected to resume in 2019 (2018)
Amendments: proposed by the president of Eritrea or by assent of at least one-half of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least an initial three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and, after one year, final passage by at least four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly (2018)

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Eritrea
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 20 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both 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)
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the only election was held on 8 June 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next election postponed indefinitely)
Election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki (PFDJ) 95%, other 5%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly (Hagerawi Baito) (150 seats; 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party and 75 directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)
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, which 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 countrys legislative body until countrywide elections to form 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 due to the war with Ethiopia
Election results: NA

Judicial branch
Highest courts: High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections)
Judge selection and term of office: High Court judges appointed by the president
Subordinate courts: regional/zonal courts; community courts; special courts; sharia courts (for issues dealing with Muslim marriage, inheritance, and family); military courts

Political parties and leaders: People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government)

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge dAffaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon (since 15 March 2011)
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
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge dAffaires Natalie E. BROWN (since September 2016)
From the us embassy: 179 Ala 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:

National symbols: camel; national colors: green, red, blue

National anthem
Name: Ertra, Ertra, Ertra (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)
Lyricsmusic: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion: note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

National heritage


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Economy overview: Since formal independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced many economic problems, including lack of financial resources and chronic drought. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice. Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% in Eritrea - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but the sector only produces a small share of the country's total output. Mining accounts for the lion's share of output.The government has strictly controlled the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability; new regulations in 2013 aimed at relaxing currency controls have had little economic effect. Few large private enterprises exist in Eritrea and most operate in conjunction with government partners, including a number of large international mining ventures, which began production in 2013. In late 2015, the Government of Eritrea introduced a new currency, retaining the name nakfa, and restricted the amount of hard currency individuals could withdraw from banks per month. The changeover has resulted in exchange fluctuations and the scarcity of hard currency available in the market.While reliable statistics on Eritrea are difficult to obtain, erratic rainfall and the large percentage of the labor force tied up in military service continue to interfere with agricultural production and economic development. Eritrea's harvests generally cannot meet the food needs of the country without supplemental grain purchases. Copper, potash, and gold production are likely to continue to drive limited economic growth and government revenue over the next few years, but military spending will continue to compete with development and investment plans.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 161

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 49

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 217

Gross national saving:
Rank: 174

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 80.9% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 24.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 6.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 10.9% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -22.5% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 29.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 58.7% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish

Industries: food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement

Industrial production growth rate: 5.4% (2017 est.)
Rank: 52

Labor force: 2.71 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 111
By occupation agriculture: 80%
By occupation industry: 20% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 87

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 2.029 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 2.601 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -9.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 209

Taxes and other revenues: 34.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 64

Public debt:
Rank: 6

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 201

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: NA

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 121

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 127

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 127

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 90

Exports:
Rank: 172
Partners: China 62%, South Korea 28.3% (2017)
Commodities: gold and other minerals, livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small industry manufactures

Imports:
Rank: 180
Commodities: machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Partners: UAE 14.5%, China 13.2%, Saudi Arabia 13.2%, Italy 12.9%, Turkey 5.6%, South Africa 4.6% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 171

Debt external:
Rank: 170

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 4.3 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 32% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 86% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 17% (2013)
Production: 415.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 168
Consumption: 353.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 180
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 131
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 145
Installed generating capacity: 160,700 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 172
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 23
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 85
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 169
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 152

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 130
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 118
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 122
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 127

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 140
Products consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 183
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 151
Products imports: 3,897 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 179

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 127
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 142
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 99
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 121
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 131

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 597,100 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 182

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 66,086 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2016 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 152
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 506,000 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 9 (July 2016 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 171

Telephone system
General assessment: woefully inadequate service provided by state-owned telecom monopoly; most fixed-line telephones are in Asmara; cell phone use only slowly increasing throughout the country; no data service; only about 3% of households having computers with 2% internet; untapped market ripe for competition; government telco working on roll-out of 3G network (2016)
Domestic: fixed-line subscribership is less than 1 per 100 person and mobile-cellular 9 per 100 (2016)
International: country code - 291 (2016)

Broadcast media: government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2007)

Internet
Country code: .er
Users total: 69,095 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 1.2% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 182

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 600 (2017 est.)
Date: (2017 est.)
Rank: 195


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: E3 (2016)

Airports: 13 (2013)
Rank: 152
With paved runways total: 4 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 9 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 306 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 306 km
Note: 0.950-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 121

Roadways
Total: 4,010 km (2000)
Paved: 874 km (2000)
Unpaved: 3,136 km (2000)
Rank: 158

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 9 (2017)
By type: general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4 (2017)
Rank: 151

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Assab, Massawa


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Disputes international: Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation StatementSudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groupsin 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs