Eritrea

transitional governmentIndependence 27 April 1993 (from Ethiopia

Eritrea as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 fields, one of 33 editions from 1993 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalAsmara (formerly Asmera)
Area121,320 km2
LocationEastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan
1993

Every edition of Eritrea

Populationas each edition published it
3.47 million July 1993 est. · 6.42m in 2025
Population growth% a year
3.46% 1993 est. · 1.16% in 2025
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 17.6 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 50 yrs in 1995
Fertility ratechildren per woman
Not in this edition 6.53 in 1995
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
Not in this edition 120.6 in 1995
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$115 1992 est. · $700 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 2% in 1995

Geography

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan

14 fields
Area
121,320km2
land area: 121,320 km2comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Coastline
1,151km
(land and island coastline is 2,234 km)territorial sea: 12 nm
Land boundaries
1,630km
total · Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

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%

Environment

  • frequent droughts, famine;
  • deforestation;
  • soil eroision;
  • overgrazing;
  • loss of infrastructure from civil warfare

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

People

14 fields
Population
3,467,087
(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 3.46% (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

ethnic Tigrays 50%Tigre and Kunama 40%Afar 4%Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%

Birth rate

NA births/1,000 population

Death rate

NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Infant mortality rate

NA deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

total population:
NA years
male:
NA years
female:
NA years

Total fertility rate

NA children born/woman

Nationality

noun:
Eritrean(s)
adjective:
Eritrean

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages

Tigre and Kunama, Cushitic dialects, Tigre, Nora Bana, Arabic

Government

Transitional government

21 fields

Names

conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Eritrea
local long form:
none
local short form:
none
former:
Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

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)

Independence

27 April 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)

Constitution

transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993

National holiday

National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)

Political parties and leaders

  • Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) (Christian Muslim), ISSAIAS Aferworke, PETROS Soloman;
  • Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) (Muslim), ABDULLAH Muhammed;
  • Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO), leader NA

Other political or pressure groups

  • Oromo Liberation Front (OLF);
  • Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP);
  • numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since Mengistu's resignation, including several Islamic militant groups

Elections

multinational election before 20 May 1997

Executive branch

president, Eritrean National Council

Legislative branch

National Assembly

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President ISSAIAS Aferworke

Member of

OAU, UN, UNCTAD

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
NA
chancery:
NA
telephone:
NA

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Joseph P. O'NEILL
embassy:
NA
mailing address:
NA
telephone:
251-4-113-720
FAX:
NA

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

Economy

With independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993, Eritrea faces the bitter | economic problems of a small, desperately poor African country.

18 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$115
(1992 est.)

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 devlopment of offshore oil, offshore fishing and tourist development. For the time being, Ethiopia will be largely dependent on Eritrean ports for its foreign trade.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $400 million (1992 est.)

Budget

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports

$NA

commodities:
NA
partners:
NA

Imports

$NA

commodities:
NA
partners:
NA

Electricity

NA kW capacity; NA kWh produced, NA kWh per capita

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Communications

6 fields

Merchant marine, 14 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 9roll-on/roll off 1livestock carrier 1oil tanker 2refrigerated cargo 114 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,837 GRT/90,492 DWT

Networkskm

Highways
3,845Railroads
307 (1993 est.)
Highways: ; 807 km paved, 840 km gravel, 402 km improved earth, 1,796 km unimproved earth · Railroads: ; 307 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge (nonoperational) linking Ak'ordat and Asmera with the port of Mits'iwe

Railroads

  • 307 km total;
  • 307 km 1.000-meter gauge;
  • 307 km 0.950-meter gauge (nonoperational) linking Ak'ordat and Asmera with the port of Mits'iwe (1993 est.)

Highways

3,845 km total; 807 km paved, 840 km gravel, 402 km improved earth, 1,796 km unimproved earth

Ports

Assab (formerly Aseb), Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa)

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

Defense Forces

Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF)

3 fields

Branches

Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF)

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 NA;
  • fit for military service NA;
  • reach military age (18) annually NA

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Eritrea.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/eritrea/1993.

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