Form of Government: Republic
Area: 121 100 sq km
Population: 6 088 682 inhab. (estimate 2020)
Density: 50.28 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 18° - 12° N; long. 36° - 43° E
Capital: Asmara=Asmera (capital) 896 000 inhab. (2018);
Currency: nakfa (100 cents)
Human development index: 0.459 (rank: 180)
President and head of government: Isaias Afeworki (EPDJ), since 24 May 1993
Internet: www.shabait.com (Ministry of Information)
Member of AU, COMESA, UN
Eritrea

International license plate code ER
International dialling code 00291
Travel vaccinations requirement yellow fever (required only if traveling from a country with risk of transmission); malaria prophylaxis (recommended)
Electricity (Voltage) 230
Driving side rigth
Internet code .er
GMT +3
DST not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) Asmara 18.3
Average temperature in January/July (°C) Asmara 15/18.5
Daily sunshine hours in June/December (average) Asmara 6/10
Annual average precipitation (mm) Asmara 478
Days of rainfall (annual average) Asmara 60
Geography.
It is bordered to the SE by Djibouti, to the S by Ethiopia, to the W and NW by Sudan, while to the E and NE it faces the Red Sea. The landscape includes the Asmara plateau, the northernmost strip of the Ethiopian Highlands which reaches heights of up to 2200 m and slopes down to the east towards the coastal plains. There are numerous islands. The main rivers are the River Barka, the Mareb and the Tekezé. The climate is extremely hot on the coast and more temperate inland.
Government
The history of Eritrea was closely linked to the history of Ethiopia throughout the period of Italian colonisation (1899-1941). Following this period, the nation became a British trustee until 1952 when the country was federated with Ethiopia in what was declared a “united autonomy”.
In 1962, it was annexed by the Ethiopian government which led to long a war for independence led by the FPL (Popular Liberation Front). On 24 May 1993, after a referendum, Eritrea declared independence. However, the lack of agreement on the position of the border led to war in 1998-2000. A peace treaty was signed in Algiers on 12 December 2000 and a UN peace mission was deployed on the border, later withdrawn in 2008; the crisis was resolved in 2018, with the signing of an agreement in Jeddah (16 September). Political life is dominated by the EPDJ (The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, heir to the FPL), which has abandoned the Marxist ideals of the original party to establish an authoritarian and personal regime. The Constitution of 1997, which calls for a head of state and an elected parliament, has not been enacted. A National Assembly has formally been in existence since 1992, but in reality all powers, including those of the judiciary, are in the hands of the President.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Air force | 0.2 | % | 2015 |
Army | 99.1 | % | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Homicides | 8$ | per 100 000 pop. | 2015 |
Administrative division
Region | AREA | INHABITANTS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Anseba | 23 200 sq km | 581 000 inhab. | 2002 |
Centrale=Ma'kel | 1 300 sq km | 728 000 inhab. | 2002 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Asmara=Asmera | 896 000 | inhab. | 2018 |
Assab=Aseb | 104 075 | inhab. | 2013 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 29.738 | ‰ | 2019 |
Death rate | 7.012 | ‰ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tigray | 55$ | % | 2010 |
Tigré | 30$ | % | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Coptic Orthodox | 57$ | % | 2010 |
Muslim | 36$ | % | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
Arabic |
English |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 38.2 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 28$ | % | 2020 |
Economy
Agriculture is mostly for local consumption (cereals, potatoes and pulses); nomadic livestock (sheep, goats and camels) and fishing (with fish processing plants in Massawa and Assab), are also relevant. Shortfalls in food supply (caused by frequent droughts), are covered by international aid. Silver, gold, copper and zinc are extracted from the Bisha mine; the Colluli mine (Afar region) exploits a vast deposit of potash. A fairly significant amount of salt is also extracted at Massawa and Assab. There are petrochemical plants (Assab), mechanical and food processing plants (Asmara), textile and tanning factories (Debarwa), cement works (Massawa) as well as paper and tobacco factories. Since 2008, a free-trade zone has been operating in the port of Massawa.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 104.4 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 102.02 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 1 635 000 | units | 2020 |
Active population, Females | 46.1 | % | 2020 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 7.4 | % | 2020 |
Unemployment rate, Females | 44.4 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenses | 23 204.1 | M LCU | 2016 |
Revenues | 11 686.6 | M LCU | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 61.2 | % | 2019 |
industry | 8.4 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
agriculture | 17.28 | % | 2019 |
industry | 31.319 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Currency in circulation | 17.9 | BN LCU | 2014 |
International reserves | 191.69 | M US$ | 2019 |
Agriculture
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 6.851 | % | 2018 |
forests | 10.511 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
barley | 65$ | 1000 t | 2019 |
cereals, total | 306.759 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
potatoes | 0.081 | 1000 t | 2019 |
roots and tubers, total | 27.706 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beans, dry | 0.121 | 1000 t | 2019 |
broad beans, dry | 0.217 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
groundnuts | 2.234 | 1000 t | 2019 |
sesame seed | 5.211 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
linseed | 0.169 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 4.849 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
barley | 45$ | 1000 ha | 2019 |
maize | 20$ | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
potatoes | 0.135 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beans, dry | 2.245 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
broad beans, dry | 0.36 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
groundnuts | 3.042 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
sesame seed | 32.23 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
linseed | 0.518 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
timber | 1 023 031 | m³ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cattle | 2 122.945 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
cattle and buffaloes | 2 122.945 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sheep | 2 455.974 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
goats | 1 815.82 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
camels | 388.152 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 1 127 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
butter | 1.613 | 1000 t | 2018 |
cheese | 0.717 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
corals | 96 000 | t | 2014 |
crustaceans and molluscs | 488.361 | t | 2019 |
Minerals
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
copper | 16$ | 1000 t | 2018 |
zinc | 121.3 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
gypsum | 18$ | 1000 t | 2019 |
salt | 320 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
basalt | 36$ | 1000 t | 2018 |
granite | 56.2 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
gold | 3 700 | kg | 2018 |
silver | 30 000 | kg | 2018 |
Energy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 423.94 | M kWh | 2018 |
non-renewable electricity generation | 90.404 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 205 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
- other renew. | 13$ | 1000 kW | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
total net generation | 468.94 | M kWh | 2018 |
total installed capacity | 216.17 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beer of barley | 18$ | 1000 t | 2018 |
linseed oil | 0.074 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cement | 280 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
chemicals production | 72.6 | M US$ | 2016 |
food, beverages and tobacco production | 1 229.8 | M US$ | 2016 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Number of arrivals | 142 000 | units | 2016 |
Receipts | 48$ | M US$ | 2016 |
Communications
The railway lines built by the Italians (1897-1911) have in part been re-established, linking the port of Massawa to Asmara.
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expected years of schooling | 8.035 | years | 2015 |
Graduates | 2 575 | units | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Students, primary level | 349 753 | units | 2018 |
Students, secondary level | 260 421 | units | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Hospital beds | 0.7 | per 1000 pop. | 2011 |
Physicians | 0.06 | per 1000 pop. | 2016 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
HIV | 0.6 | % of adults | 2019 |
HIV, total | 1.4 | % | 2001 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking | 9.3 | % | 2019 |
Access to electricity | 50.386 | % | 2019 |