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 Afwerki 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 – divided between military and civilian service – 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 subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation was rejected by Ethiopia. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 after the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Following the July 2018 peace agreement with Ethiopia, Eritrean leaders engaged in intensive diplomacy around the Horn of Africa, bolstering regional peace, security, and cooperation, as well as brokering rapprochements between governments and opposition groups. In November 2018, the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo that had been imposed on Eritrea since 2009, after the UN Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group reported they had not found evidence of Eritrean support in recent years for Al-Shabaab. The country’s rapprochement with Ethiopia has led to a steady resumption of economic ties, with increased air transport, trade, tourism, and port activities, but the economy remains agriculture-dependent, and Eritrea is still one of Africa’s poorest nations. Despite the country's improved relations with its neighbors, ISAIAS has not let up on repression and conscription and militarization continue.


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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
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 1,840 km
Border countries: (3) Djibouti 125 km; , Ethiopia 1033 km; , Sudan 682 km

Coastline: 2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 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
Highest point: Soira 3,018 m
Lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m
Mean elevation: 853 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 75.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 6.8% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 68.3% (2018 est.)
Forest: 15.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 9.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 210 km² (2012)

Major rivers
By length in km: Nile (shared with Sudan, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania) - 6,650 km;

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 31 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 550 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 7.315 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; 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
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 : 6,147,398 (July 2021 est.)
Growth rate: 0.98% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 50% (2004 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Eritrean(s)
Adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups: Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)
Note: data represent Eritrea's nine recognized ethnic groups

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

Religions: Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim

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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.23% (male 1,169,456/female 1,155,460)
15-24 years: 20.56% (male 622,172/female 627,858)
25-54 years: 33.42% (male 997,693/female 1,034,550)
55-64 years: 3.8% (male 105,092/female 125,735)
65 years and over: 4% (male 99,231/female 143,949) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 83.9
Youth dependency ratio: 75.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.3
Potential support ratio: 12.1 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.3 years
Male: 19.7 years
Female: 20.8 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.98% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 27.41 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 6.79 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.84 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

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: 42% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 3.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 998,000 ASMARA (capital) (2021)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Paris Agreement

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 42.4 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.71 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.48 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 21.3 years (2010 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio: 480 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 42.39 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 49.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 35.28 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.51 years
Male: 63.92 years
Female: 69.18 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.65 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 8.4% (2010)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 73.2% of population
Improved rural: 53.3% of population
Improved total: 57.8% of population
Unimproved urban: 26.8% of population
Unimproved rural: 46.7% of population
Unimproved total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 4.1% (2018)

Physicians density: 0.06 physicians/1000 population (2016)

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

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 44.5% of population
Improved rural: 7.3% of population
Improved total: 15.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 55.5% of population
Unimproved rural: 92.7% of population
Unimproved total: 84.3% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.5% (2020 est.)
People living with hivaids: 13,000 (2020 est.)
Deaths: <500 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vector borne diseases: malaria and dengue fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 5% (2016)

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 76.6%
Male: 84.4%
Female: 68.9% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 8 years
Male: 8 years
Female: 7 years (2015)

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
Geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: the name means 'they [women] made them unite,' which according to Tigrinya oral tradition refers to the women of the four clans in the Asmara area who persuaded their menfolk to unite and defeat their common enemy; the name has also been translated as 'live in peace'

Administrative divisions: 6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); 'Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash-Barka, Ma'ikel (Central), Semienawi K'eyyih 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)
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

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 descentonly: 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 Afwerki (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 Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the president
Elections and appointments: 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 Afwerki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS  Afwerki (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 country's 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, and as of late 2020, there was no sitting legislative body
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 Afwerki] (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 d'Affaires 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
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven C. WALKER (since December 2019)
From the us embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara
From the us mailing address: 7,170 Asmara Place, Washington DC  20,521-7,170
From the us telephone: [291] (1) 12-00-04
From the us FAX: [291] (1) 12-75-84
From the us email address and website:

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; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country
Note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Vanuatu

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

National anthem
Name: 'Ertra, Ertra, Ertra' (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)
Lyrics and music: 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $9.702 billion (2017 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 5% (2017 est.)

1.9% (2016 est.)

2.6% (2015 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,600 (2017 est.)
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

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, milk, vegetables, barley, cereals, pulses nes, roots/tubers nes, wheat, millet, beef

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

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

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

Unemployment rate: 5.8% (2017 est.)

10% (2016 est.)

Youth unemployment

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

Gini index

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

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.)

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

Public debt: 131.2% of GDP (2017 est.)

132.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 9% (2017 est.)

9% (2016 est.)

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: -$137 million (2017 est.)

-$105 million (2016 est.)

Exports: $624.3 million (2017 est.)

$485.4 million (2016 est.)
Partners: China 62%, South Korea 28.3% (2017)
Commodities: gold and other minerals, livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small industry manufactures

Imports: $1.127 billion (2017 est.)

$1.048 billion (2016 est.)
Partners: UAE 14.5%, China 13.2%, Saudi Arabia 13.2%, Italy 12.9%, Turkey 5.6%, South Africa 4.6% (2017)
Commodities: machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $236.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$218.4 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $792.7 million (31 December 2017 est.)

$875.6 million (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 47% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 95% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 13% (2019)
Production: 415.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 353.9 million kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 160,700 kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Crude oil

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

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 66,170 (2017)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1.94 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 695,000 (2017)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20.36 (2017 est.)

Telephone system

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 (2019)

Internet
Country code: .er
Users total: 248,200 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 1.31% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 1,000 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)


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Military expenditures: 5.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

5.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

5.2% of GDP (2015 est.)

5.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

5% of GDP (2013 est.)

Military and security forces: Eritrean Defense Forces: Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2021)

Military service age and obligation: 18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service (18-27 for female conscription); 18-month conscript service obligation, which includes 6 months of military training and one‐year of military or other national service (military service is most common); note - in practice, military service reportedly is often extended indefinitely (2021)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 102,729 (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: E3

Airports
Total: 13 (2020)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2019)
With unpaved runways total: 9
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: 2 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 306 km (2018)
Narrowgauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2018)

Roadways
Total: 16,000 km (2018)
Paved: 1,600 km (2000)
Unpaved: 14,400 km (2000)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 9
By type: general cargo 4, oil tanker 1, other 4 (2021)

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 Statement; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups; in 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