State of Eritrea

National name: Hagere Ertra

President: Isaias Afwerki (1993)

Total area: 46,842 sq mi (121,320 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 4,786,994 (growth rate: 2.5%); birth rate: 34.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 46.3/1000; life expectancy: 59.0; density per sq mi: 102

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Asmara, 899,000 (metro. area), 400,000 (city proper)

Other large cities: the ports of Massawa, 30,700; and Assab, 56,300

Monetary unit: Nakfa

Languages: Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages

Ethnicity/race: ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%

Religions: Islam, Eritrean Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Literacy rate: 59% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $4.471 billion; per capita $1,000. Real growth rate: 2%. Inflation: 15%. Unemployment: n.a. Arable land: 5%. Agriculture: sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish. Labor force: n.a.; agriculture 80%, industry and services 20%. Industries: food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt, cement, commercial ship repair. Natural resources: gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish. Exports: $33.58 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000). Imports: $676.5 million f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000). Major trading partners: Malaysia, Italy, Egypt, India, Japan, Germany, China, Ireland, U.S., Turkey (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 38,100 (2003); mobile cellular: n.a.; note: mobile cellular service was introduced in May 2001 Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2000). Television broadcast stations: 1 (2000). Internet hosts: 1,047 (2004). Internet users: 9,500 (2003).

Transportation: Railways: total: 306 km (2004). Highways: total: 4,010 km; paved: 874 km; unpaved: 3,136 km (1999 est.). Ports and harbors: Assab, Massawa. Airports: 17 (2004 est.).

International disputes: Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despite international intervention, mutual animosities, accusations and armed posturing prevail, preventing demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until technical errors made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications; since 2000, the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitors the 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea until the demarcation; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish Islands awarded to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999.

 

Go to Country details page