Location: Eastern Africa, bordering
the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area 121,320 sq km
land area 121,320 sq km
comparative area slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total 1,630 km, Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Coastline: 1,151 km (land and island coastline is 2,234 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea 12 nm
International disputes:
none
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 on coast desert
Terrain: dominated
by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the
east to a coastal desert plan, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the
southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Natural resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil, fish
Land use:
arable land 3%
permanent crops 2% (coffee)
meadows and pastures 40%
forest and woodland 5%
other 50%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment:
current issues famine; deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing;
loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
natural hazards frequent
droughts
international agreements NA
Note:
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and close
to Arabian oilfields, Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along
the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993
Population: 3,782,543 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate: 3.41% (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun Eritrean(s)
adjective Eritrean
Ethnic divisions: ethnic Tigrays 50%, Tigre and Kunama
40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%
Religions:
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:
Tigre and Kunama, Cushitic dialects, Tigre, Nora Bana, Arabic
Literacy:
total population NA%
male NA%
female NA%
Labor force: NA
Names:
conventional long form State
of Eritrea
conventional short form Eritrea
local long form
none
local short form none
former Eritrea Autonomous
Region in Ethiopia
Digraph: ER
Type:
transitional government
note on 29 May 1991 ISSAIAS Afeworke,
secretary general of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), announced
the formation of the Provisional Government in Eritrea (PGE), in preparation
for the 23-25 April 1993 referendum on independence for the autonomous region
of Eritrea; the result was a landslide vote for independence that was announced
on 27 April 1993
Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces; Akale Guzay, Baraka, Denakil,
Hamasen, Samhar, Seraye, Sahil (1993)
Independence: 27
May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
National holiday: National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May
(1993)
Constitution: transitional "constitution" decreed
19 May 1993
Legal system: NA
Suffrage:
NA
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government
President ISSAIAS Afeworke (since 22 May 1993)
cabinet State
Council; the collective executive authority
note election to be
held before 20 May 1997
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly EPLF Central Committee serves as the country's legislative
body until multinational elections are held (before 20 May 1997)
Judicial branch: Judiciary
Political parties and leaders:
Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) (Christian Muslim), ISSAIAS
Aferworke, PETROS Solomon; Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) (Muslim), ABDULLAH
Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO), Mohammed
Said NAWUD; Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), Ahmed
NASSER
Other political or pressure groups: Eritrean Islamic
Jihad (EIJ); Islamic Militant Group
Member of: OAU, ACP,
AfDB, ECA, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), ITU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission
Ambassador-designate Hagos GEBREHIWOT
chancery Suite 400,
910 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20006
telephone (202) 429-1991
FAX (202) 429-9004
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission Ambassador Robert G. HOUDEK
embassy
34 Zera Yacob St., Asmara
mailing address P.O. Box 211,
Asmara
telephone [291] (1) 123-720
FAX [291] (1)
127-584
Flag: 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
Overview: With independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993, Eritrea
faces the bitter economic problems of a small, desperately poor African country.
Most of the population will continue to depend on subsistence farming. Domestic
output is substantially augmented by worker remittances from abroad. Government
revenues come from custom duties and income and sales taxes. Eritrea has inherited
the entire coastline of Ethiopia and has long-term prospects for revenues
from the development of offshore oil, offshore fishing and tourism. For the
time being, Ethiopia will be largely dependent on Eritrean ports for its foreign
trade.
National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent
- $1.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
NA%
National product per capita: $500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $NA
expenditures
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$NA
commodities NA
partners NA
Imports:
$NA
commodities NA
partners NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth
rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity NA kW
production NA kWh
consumption per capita NA kWh
Industries: food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Agriculture: products - sorghum, livestock (including goats), fish,
lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 birr (Br)
= 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used
Exchange rates:
1 birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.000 (fixed rate since 1992)
Fiscal year:
NA
Railroads:
307 km total; 307 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge (nonoperational)
linking Ak'ordat and Asmara (formerly Asmera) with the port of Massawa (formerly
Mits'iwa; 1993 est.)
Highways:
total 3,845
km
paved 807 km
unpaved gravel 840 km; improved
earth 402 km; unimproved earth 1,796 km
Ports: Assab (formerly
Aseb), Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa)
Merchant marine: none
Airports:
total 5
usable 5
with permanent-surface runways 2
with runways over 3,659 m
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m 2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
2
Telecommunications: NA
Branches: Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF)
Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP