| 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. |
| Location: |
Eastern Africa,
bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
15 00 N, 39 00 E |
| Area: |
total:
121,320 sq km
land: 121,320 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly larger
than Pennsylvania |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
1,630 km
border countries: Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912
km, Sudan 605 km |
| Coastline: |
2,234 km total;
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); 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
highest point: Soira 3,018 m |
| Natural
resources: |
gold, potash,
zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
12%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 49%
forests and woodland: 6%
other: 32% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
280 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
frequent
droughts; locust swarms |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation;
desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of
infrastructure from civil warfare |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
| 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 |
| Population: |
4,298,269 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
42.85% (male 922,691; female 918,916)
15-64 years: 53.87% (male 1,147,927; female
1,167,705)
65 years and over: 3.28% (male 71,232; female
69,798) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
3.84% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
42.52
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
12.07
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
7.91 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.)
note: according to the UNHCR, about 150,000
Eritrean refugees in Sudan have registered for voluntary
repatriation, following the restoration of diplomatic
relations between Eritrea and Sudan in January 2000 |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
75.14
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 56.18 years
male: 53.73 years
female: 58.71 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.87 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
2.87% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean |
| Ethnic
groups: |
ethnic Tigrinya
50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
dwellers) 3% |
| Religions: |
Muslim, Coptic
Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant |
| Languages: |
Afar, Amharic,
Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages |
| Literacy: |
definition:
NA
total population: 25%
male: NA%
female: NA% |
| 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: |
transitional
government
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 have now been scheduled
to take place in December 2001 |
| Capital: |
Asmara (formerly
Asmera) |
| Administrative
divisions: |
8 provinces
(singular - awraja); Akale Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen,
Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye
note: in May 1995 the National Assembly adopted
a resolution stating that the administrative structure of
Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial
powers, would consist of only six provinces when the new
constitution, then being drafted, became effective in 1997;
the new provinces, the names of which had not been
recommended by the US Board on Geographic Names for
recognition by the US Government, pending acceptable
definition of the boundaries, were: Anseba, Debub, Debubawi
Keyih Bahri, Gash-Barka, Maakel, and Semanawi Keyih Bahri;
more recently, it has been reported that these provinces
have been redesignated regions and renamed Southern Red Sea,
Northern Red Sea, Anseba, Gash-Barka, Southern, and Central |
| 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: |
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 |
| 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
elections: president elected by the National
Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next tentatively
scheduled for December 2001)
election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected
president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS
Afworki 95% |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)
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 country-wide
elections to a National Assembly are held; only 75 members
will be elected to the National Assembly - the other 75 will
be members of the Central Committee of the PFDJ;
parliamentary elections are now scheduled for NA December
2001 |
| 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]; note -
the National Assembly has appointed a committee to draft a
law on political parties |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Eritrean Islamic
Jihad or EIJ; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH
Muhammed]; Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council
or ELF-RC [Ahmed NASSER]; Eritrean Liberation Front-United
Organization or ELF-UO [Mohammed Said NAWD] |
| International
organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, CCC,
ECA, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,
OAU, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador GIRMA Asmerom
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador William D. CLARKE
embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara
mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara
telephone: [291] (1) 120004
FAX: [291] (1) 127584 |
| 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 |
| Economy
- 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. Eritrea's agriculture over the last two
years was severely weakened by war and drought, and many
farmlands must wait to be demined. Another major difficulty
is the ports, which prior to the war were Ethiopia's
preferred outlets but since have seen trade dry up. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $2.9 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
-1% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $710 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
16%
industry: 27%
services: 57% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
14% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 80%,
industry and services 20% |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$283.9 million
expenditures: $351.6 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
| Industries: |
food processing,
beverages, clothing and textiles |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
165 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
153.5 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh NA kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh NA kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
sorghum, lentils,
vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock,
goats; fish |
| Exports: |
$26 million
(f.o.b., 1999) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
livestock,
sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures |
| Exports
- partners: |
Sudan 27.2%,
Ethiopia 26.5%, Japan 13.2%, UAE 7.3%, Italy 5.3% (1998) |
| Imports: |
$560 million
(c.i.f., 1999) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery,
petroleum products, food, manufactured goods |
| Imports
- partners: |
Italy 17.4%, UAE
16.2%, Germany 5.7%, UK 4.5%, Korea 4.4% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$281 million
(2000 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$77 million
(1999) |
| Exchange
rates: |
nakfa per US
dollar = 9.5 (January 2000), 7.6 (January 1999), 7.2 (March
1998 est.) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
23,578 (2000) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
NA |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: NA
domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are
in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to
improve the system
international: NA |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM 1,
shortwave 2 (2000) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (2000) |
| Televisions: |
1,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.er |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
4 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
500 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
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 |
| Highways: |
total:
3,850 km
paved: 810 km
unpaved: 3,040 km (2000) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Assab (Aseb),
Massawa (Mits'iwa) |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
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.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
2
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
18
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 7
under 914 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army, Navy, Air
Force |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$160 million
(2000 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
29.4% (2000 est.) |
| Disputes
- international: |
as a result of
the 12 December 2000 peace agreement ending a two-year war
with Ethiopia, the UN will administer a 25-km wide temporary
security zone within Eritrea until a joint boundary
commission delimits and demarcates a final boundary |
|
