Eritrea Population: 5,939,484
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| Background | |
| The UN awarded Eritrea 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 in December 2000. Eritrea hosted a UN peacekeeping operation that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) on the border with Ethiopia. Eritrea's denial of fuel to the mission caused the UN to withdraw the mission and terminate its mandate 31 July 2008. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. On 30 November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission remotely demarcated the border by coordinates and dissolved itself, leaving Ethiopia still occupying several tracts of disputed territory, including the town of Badme. Eritrea accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and called on Ethiopia to remove its troops from the TSZ that it states is Eritrean territory. Ethiopia has not accepted the virtual demarcation decision. In 2009 the UN imposed sanctions on Eritrea after accusing it of backing anti-Ethiopian Islamist insurgents in Somalia. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| Location: | Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan |
| Geographic coordinates: | 15 00 N, 39 00 E |
| Area: | total: 117,600 sq km land: 101,000 sq km water: 16,600 sq km Size comparison: slightly larger than Pennsylvania |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 1,626 km border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 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 extremes: | lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil 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: 4.78% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 95.19% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 210 sq km (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanos; locust swarms volcanism: Dubbi (elev. 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 |
| Current Environment Issues: | deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People | |
| Population: | 5,939,484 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42.1% (male 1,256,384/female 1,244,569) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 1,580,535/female 1,641,911) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 96,627/female 119,458) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 18.7 years male: 18.3 years female: 19.1 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.472% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 32.8 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 8.08 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 41.33 deaths/1,000 live births male: 46.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 35.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 62.52 years male: 60.4 years female: 64.69 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.48 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.8% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 25,000 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 1,700 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean |
| Ethnic groups: | nine recognized ethnic groups: Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.) |
| Religions: | Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant |
| Languages: | Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58.6% male: 69.9% female: 47.6% (2003 est.) |
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| Government | |
| 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 were scheduled in December 2001 but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) |
| 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) |
| Independence: | 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 24 May (1993) |
| Constitution: | adopted 23 May 1997, but has not yet been fully implemented |
| Legal system: | mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law |
| 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) cabinet: State Council the collective is executive authority; members appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election was held on 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%, other 5% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-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 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: | Supreme Court; Regional, subregional, and village courts |
| Political parties and leaders: | People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government); note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has yet to debate or vote on it |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]; Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (includes Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM also known as the Abu Sihel Movement); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob] |
| International organization participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 consulate(s) general: Oakland (California) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Joel REIFMAN embassy: 179 Ala Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584 |
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| Economy | |
| Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but they produce only a small share of total output. Since the conclusion of the Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 2000, 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. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy depends heavily on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have been unable to meet the food needs of the country. The Government continues to place its hope for additional revenue on the development of several international mining projects. Despite difficulties for international companies in working with the Eritrean Government, a Canadian mining company signed a contract with the government in 2007 and began mineral extraction in 2010. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $3.625 billion (2010 est.) $3.548 billion (2009 est.) $3.415 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $2.117 billion (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 2.2% (2010 est.) 3.9% (2009 est.) -9.8% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $600 (2010 est.) $600 (2009 est.) $600 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 14.5% industry: 22.5% services: 63.1% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force: | 1.935 million (2007) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | NA% |
| Population below poverty line: | 50% (2004 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 20% (2010 est.) 20% (2009 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 9% of GDP (2010 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $461.8 million expenditures: $884.6 million (2010 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: | 8% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 269.9 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 224.9 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2009 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 6,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 0 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 3,864 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$200 million (2010 est.) -$80 million (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $19.1 million (2010 est.) $17.2 million (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures |
| Exports - partners: | Italy 30.5%, Sudan 24%, Saudi Arabia 8.8%, China 8.5%, UK 5.7%, Egypt 4.8% (2010) |
| Imports: | $695.9 million (2010 est.) $596.6 million (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods |
| Imports - partners: | Saudi Arabia 15.7%, Egypt 11.9%, China 11.1%, India 8.9%, Germany 7.2%, Italy 7.2%, South Africa 6.5%, Brazil 5.9%, South Korea 4.3% (2010) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $103.3 million (31 December 2010 est.) $83.4 million (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $1.048 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $1.019 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.375 (2010) 15.375 (2009) 15.38 (2008) 15.5 (2007) 15.4 (2006) |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 48,500 (2009) country comparison to the world: 164 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 141,100 (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002) domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is only about 3 per 100 persons (2009) international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .er |
| Internet hosts: | 1,241 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 200,000 (2008) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 13 (2010) country comparison to the world: 152 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2010) |
| Heliports: | 1 (2010) |
| Railways: | total: 306 km narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 4,010 km paved: 874 km unpaved: 3,136 km (2000) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 4 by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Assab, Massawa |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Eritrean Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (2011) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2006) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 1,350,446 females age 16-49: 1,362,575 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 896,096 females age 16-49: 953,757 (2010 est.) |
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