Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/stats/72.txt

Text File | 1998-01-23 | 11KB | 312 lines

{bitmap= 26,50,"flags\Eritrea.bmp"}
{bigtext=150,120,"Eritrea"}



{1}Geography{4}
{4}To see a map of Eritrea, click {z,"27.652575,5.340882,51.950794,24.078156",here}{4}!

{2}Location:{4} Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

{2}Area:{4}
{3}total area:{4} 121,320 sq km
{3}land area:{4} 121,320 sq km
{3}comparative area:{4} slightly larger than Pennsylvania

{2}Land boundaries:{4}
{3}total:{4} 1,630 km
{3}border countries:{4} Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

{2}Coastline:{4} 1,151 km (land and island coastline is 2,234 km)

{2}Maritime claims:{4} NA

{2}International disputes:{4} a dispute with Yemen over sovereignty of the Hanish Islands in the
southern Red Sea has been submitted to arbitration under the auspices of the ICJ

{2}Climate:{4} 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 coastal desert

{2}Terrain:{4} 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
{3}lowest point:{4} Kobar Sink -75 m
{3}highest point:{4} Soira 3,013 m

{2}Natural resources:{4} gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil (petroleum geologists are
prospecting for it), fish

{2}Land use:{4}
{3}arable land:{4} 3%
{3}permanent crops:{4} 2% (coffee)
{3}meadows and pastures:{4} 40%
{3}forest and woodland:{4} 5%
{3}other:{4} 50%

{2}Irrigated land:{4} NA sq km

{2}Environment:{4}
{3}current issues:{4} famine; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of
infrastructure from civil warfare

{2}natural hazards:{4} frequent droughts

{2}international agreements:{4} party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified - Climate
Change, Desertification

{2}Geographic note:{4} 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 27 April 1993


{1}People{4}

{2}Population:{4} 3,427,883 (July 1996 est.)

{2}Age structure:{4}
{3}0-14 years:{4} 44% (male 755,417; female 743,135)
{3}15-64 years:{4} 53% (male 910,976; female 913,531)
{3}65 years and over:{4} 3% (male 54,310; female 50,514) (July 1996 est.)

{2}Population growth rate:{4} 2.79% (1996 est.)

{2}Birth rate:{4} 43.32 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Death rate:{4} 15.44 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

{2}Net migration rate:{4} 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
{3}note:{4} it is estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 Eritrean refugees were still living in Sudan
at the end of 1995; their repatriation is being facilitated by the UNHCR

{2}Sex ratio:{4}
{3}at birth:{4} 1.03 male(s)/female
{3}under 15 years:{4} 1.02 male(s)/female
{3}15-64 years:{4} 1 male(s)/female
{3}65 years and over:{4} 1.08 male(s)/female
{3}all ages:{4} 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

{2}Infant mortality rate:{4} 118.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

{2}Life expectancy at birth:{4}
{3}total population:{4} 50.31 years
{3}male:{4} 48.57 years
{3}female:{4} 52.1 years (1996 est.)

{2}Total fertility rate:{4} 6.5 children born/woman (1996 est.)

{2}Nationality:{4}
{3}noun:{4} Eritrean(s)
{3}adjective:{4} Eritrean

{2}Ethnic divisions:{4} ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
dwellers) 3%

{2}Religions:{4} Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

{2}Languages:{4} Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Italian, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, minor tribal languages


{1}Government{4}

{2}Name of country:{4}
{3}conventional long form:{4} State of Eritrea
{3}conventional short form:{4} Eritrea
{3}local long form:{4} none
{3}local short form:{4} none
{3}former:{4} Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

{2}Type of government:{4} transitional government
{3}note:{4} on 29 May 1991 ISAIAS Afworke, secretary general of the Peoples' Front for Democracy
and Justice (PFDJ), which then served and still serves as the country's legislative body,
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, which was proclaimed on 27 April 1993

{2}Capital:{4} Asmara (formerly Asmera)

{2}Administrative divisions:{4} 8 provinces (singular - awraja); Akele Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen,
Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye; note - information issued by the Eritrean government indicates that
the administrative structure of Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial powers, will
consist of only six regions when the new constitution, presently being drafted, goes into effect
sometime in 1996

{2}Independence:{4} 27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)

{2}National holiday:{4} National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)

{2}Constitution:{4} transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993; the promulgation of a draft
constitution is expected in 1996

{2}Legal system:{4} NA

{2}Suffrage:{4} NA; note - the transitional constitution of 19 May 1993 did not provide rules for suffrage,
but it seems likely that the final version of the constitution, to be promulgated some time in 1996,
will follow the example set in the referendum of 1993 in which suffrage was universal for persons
18 years of age or older

{2}Executive branch:{4}
chief of state and head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 22 May 1993) is head of
the State Council and National Assembly
{3}cabinet:{4} State Council is the collective executive authority
{3}note:{4} election to be held in 1997

{2}Legislative branch:{4} unicameral
National Assembly: 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of
the EPLF) and 75 directly elected members serve as the country's legislative body until country-
wide elections are held in 1997

{2}Judicial branch:{4} Judiciary

{2}Political parties and leaders:{4} People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), ISAIAS Afworki,
PETROS Solomon (the only party recognized by the government)

{2}Other political or pressure groups:{4} Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ); Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF),
ABDULLAH Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO), Mohammed
Said NAWUD; Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), Ahmed NASSER

{2}International organization participation:{4} ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IGADD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

{2}Diplomatic representation in US:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador AMDEMICHAEL Berhane Khasai
{3}chancery:{4} Suite 400, 910 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
{3}telephone:{4} [1] [phone]
{3}FAX:{4} [1] [phone]

{2}US diplomatic representation:{4}
{3}chief of mission:{4} Ambassador Robert G. HOUDEK
{3}embassy:{4} Franklin D. Roosevelt St., Asmara
{3}mailing address:{4} P.O. Box 211, Asmara
{3}telephone:{4} [291] (1) 120004
{3}FAX:{4} [291] (1) 127584

{2}Flag:{4} 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


{1}Economy{4}

{2}Economic overview:{4} 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.

{2}GDP:{4} purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1995 est.)

{2}GDP real growth rate:{4} 10% (1995 est.)

{2}GDP per capita:{4} $570 (1995 est.)

{2}GDP composition by sector:{4}
{3}agriculture:{4} NA%
{3}industry:{4} NA%
{3}services:{4} NA%

{2}Inflation rate (consumer prices):{4} 10% (1995 est.)

{2}Labor force:{4} NA

{2}Unemployment rate:{4} NA%

{2}Budget:{4}
{3}revenues:{4} $NA
{3}expenditures:{4} $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

{2}Industries:{4} food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

{2}Industrial production growth rate:{4} NA%

{2}Electricity:{4}
{3}capacity:{4} NA kW
{3}production:{4} NA kWh
{3}consumption per capita:{4} NA kWh

{2}Agriculture:{4} sorghum, lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope);
livestock (including goats); fish

{2}Exports:{4} $33 million (1995 est.)
{3}commodities:{4} livestock, sorghum, textiles
{3}partners:{4} Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Yemen

{2}Imports:{4} $420 million (1995 est.)
{3}commodities:{4} processed goods, machinery, petroleum products
{3}partners:{4} NA

{2}External debt:{4} $NA

{2}Economic aid:{4}
{3}recipient:{4} ODA, $NA

{2}Currency:{4} 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used

{2}Exchange rates:{4} birr (Br) per US$1 - 6.2 (1995 est.), 5.600 (September 1994), 5.000 (fixed rate
1992-93); note - following independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea continued to use Ethiopian
currency, the official rate of which was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr

{2}Fiscal year:{4} calendar year


{1}Transportation{4}

{2}Railways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 307 km; note - nonoperational since 1978 except for about 5 km that was reopened in
Massawa in 1994; rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock is under way; links
Ak'ordat and Asmara (formerly Asmera) with the port of Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa)
narrow gauge: 307 km 0.950-m gauge (1995 est.)

{2}Highways:{4}
{3}total:{4} 3,845 km
{3}paved:{4} 807 km
{3}unpaved:{4} 3,038 km (1993 est.)

{2}Ports:{4} Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

{2}Merchant marine:{4}
{3}total:{4} 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,573 GRT/13,593 DWT (1995 est.)

{2}Airports:{4}
{3}total:{4} 14
{3}with paved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 1
{3}with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 1
{3}with paved runways under 914 m:{4} 2
{3}with unpaved runways over 3,047 m:{4} 1
{3}with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:{4} 1
{3}with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:{4} 4
{3}with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:{4} 4 (1995 est.)


{1}Communications{4}

{2}Telephones:{4} NA

{2}Telephone system:{4}
{3}domestic:{4} very inadequate; about 4 telephones per 100 families, most of which are in Asmara;
government is seeking international tenders to improve the system
{3}international:{4} NA

{2}Radio broadcast stations:{4} AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0

{2}Radios:{4} NA

{2}Television broadcast stations:{4} 1 (government controlled)

{2}Televisions:{4} NA


{1}Defense{4}

{2}Branches:{4} Army, Navy, Air Force

{2}Manpower availability:{4}
{3}males age 15-49:{4} NA
{3}males fit for military service:{4} NA

{2}Defense expenditures:{4} $NA, NA% of GDP