|
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 in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN
peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security
Zone (TSZ) on the border with Ethiopia. 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 Ethiopian 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 which it states is Eritrean territory. Ethiopia has not
accepted the virtual demarcation decision. |
|
Location: |
Eastern Africa, bordering the
Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
15 00 N, 39 00 E |
|
Map references: |
Africa |
|
Area: |
total: 121,320 sq km
land: 121,320 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly larger than
Pennsylvania |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 1,626 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 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: 4.78%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 95.19% (2005) |
|
Irrigated land: |
210 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
6.3 cu km (2001) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
Total: 0.3 cu km/yr
(3%/0%/97%)
Per capita: 68 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
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: |
4,906,585 (July 2007 est.)
|
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 43.5% (male
1,073,404/female 1,060,674)
15-64 years: 52.9% (male
1,286,613/female 1,310,294)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male
85,052/female 90,548) (2007 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 17.9 years
male: 17.7 years
female: 18.2 years (2007 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate: |
2.461% (2007 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
33.97 births/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
9.36 deaths/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.982 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.939 male(s)/female
total population: 0.993 male(s)/female
(2007 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 45.24
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 51.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 39.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 59.55
years
male: 57.88 years
female: 61.28 years (2007
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
4.96 children born/woman (2007
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
2.7% (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
60,000 (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
6,300 (2003 est.) |
|
Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A,
and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk
in some locations (2007) |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean |
|
Ethnic groups: |
Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama
40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3% |
|
Religions: |
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman
Catholic, Protestant |
|
Languages: |
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama,
Tigrinya, 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.)
|
|
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 (Southern), 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: |
a transitional constitution,
decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23
May 1997, but not yet implemented |
|
Legal system: |
primary basis is the Ethiopian
legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes
have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral
proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and
post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims,
Islamic law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
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 is the
collective executive authority; members appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only
election held 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: |
High Court - regional,
subregional, and village courts; also have military and special 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 not
yet debated or voted on it |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ
(also including 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]; Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin] |
|
International organization participation: |
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS
(observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), 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 GHIRMAI Ghebremariam
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 Ronald MCMULLEN
embassy: 179 Alaa 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: |
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, the economy is
largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population
involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000
severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to
-12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea
caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of
$225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting
of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to
drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation
infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing
war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, 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, limiting access
and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's
economy is heavily dependent 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 not been able 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 GSE in
2007 and plans to begin mineral extraction in 2010. Eritrea also
anticipates opening a free trade zone at the port of Massawa in 2008.
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): |
$4.751 billion (2006 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$1.372 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
2% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$1,000 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 21.7%
industry: 22.6%
services: 55.7% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
NA |
|
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): |
15.5% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
21% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $232.7 million
expenditures: $467.6 million (2007 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: |
2% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
274 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
228 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
5,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
54.59 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports: |
4,924 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|
|
Current account balance: |
-$343.1 million (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$16.82 million f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
livestock, sorghum, textiles,
food, small manufactures (2000) |
|
Exports - partners: |
Italy 26.7%, France 13.8%,
Australia 8.2%, Sudan 7.9%, US 7.8%, China 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Jordan
5.2% (2006) |
|
Imports: |
$565.9 million f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery, petroleum products,
food, manufactured goods |
|
Imports - partners: |
Italy 15.8%, Saudi Arabia
15.7%, China 15.6%, Netherlands 6.7%, Turkey 6.2%, Germany 5.3% (2006)
|
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$355.2 million (2005) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$22.08 million (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$311 million (2000 est.) |
|
Currency (code): |
nakfa (ERN) |
|
Currency code: |
ERN |
|
Exchange rates: |
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -
15.5 (2007), 15.4 (2006), 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003)
note: the official exchange rate is 15 nakfa to the dollar
|
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
37,700 (2006) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
62,000 (2006) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
inadequate
domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara;
government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
international: country code - 291; note - international
connections exist |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)
|
|
Radios: |
345,000 (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
2 (2006) |
|
Televisions: |
1,000 (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.er |
|
Internet hosts: |
1,446 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
5 (2001) |
|
Internet users: |
100,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
18 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 4
over
3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 14
over
3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
|
Heliports: |
1 (2007) |
|
Railways: |
total: 306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2006) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 4,010 km
paved: 874 km
unpaved: 3,136 km (1999) |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 12,529 GRT/15,023 DWT
by type: cargo 2, liquefied gas
1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2007) |
|
Ports and terminals: |
Assab, Massawa |
|
Military branches: |
Eritrean Armed Forces: Ground
Forces, Navy, Air Force (2008) |
|
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 18-49: 893,361
females age 18-49: 891,662 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 18-49: 555,553
females age 18-49: 562,426 (2005) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 18-49: 50,156
females age 18-49: 49,746 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
6.3% (2006 est.)
|
|
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; UN Peacekeeping Mission to
Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary
Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007
despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of
17,000; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups
|
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons: |
IDPs: 40,000-45,000
(border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most IDPs are near the central
border region) (2006) |
This page was last updated on 12 February, 2008
|