Eritrea

transitional governmentIndependence 27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia

Eritrea as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 107 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)
LocationEastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan
1994

Every edition of Eritrea

Populationas each edition published it
3.78 million July 1994 est. · 3.47m in 1993
Population growth% a year
3.41% 1994 est. · 3.46% in 1993
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
$500 1993 est. · $115 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
Not in this edition 2% in 1995

Geography

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan

22 fields
Coastline
1,151km
(land and island coastline is 2,234 km)
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

total area

121,320 sq km

land area

121,320 sq km

comparative area

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

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);
  • 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

arable land

3%

permanent crops

2% (coffee)

meadows and pastures

40%

forest and woodland

5%

other

50%

current issues

  • famine;
  • deforestation;
  • soil erosion;
  • overgrazing;
  • loss of infrastructure from civil warfare

natural hazards

frequent droughts

international agreements

NA

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

11 fields
Population
3,782,543
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 3.41% (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

noun

Eritrean(s)

adjective

Eritrean

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages

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

total population

NA%

male

NA%

female

NA%

Government

Transitional government

34 fields

conventional long form

State of Eritrea

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)

Administrative divisions

7 provinces; Akale Guzay, Baraka, Denakil, Hamasen, Samhar, Seraye, Sahil (1993)

Independence

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

National holiday

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

Constitution

transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993

chief of state and head of government

President ISSAIAS Afeworke (since 22 May 1993)

cabinet

State Council; the collective executive authority

note

election to be held before 20 May 1997

National Assembly

EPLF Central Committee serves as the country's legislative body until multinational elections are held (before 20 May 1997)

Political parties and leaders

  • Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) (Christian Muslim), ISSAIAS Aferworke, PETROS Solomon;
  • Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) (Muslim), ABDULLAH Muhammed;
  • Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO), Mohammed Said NAWUD;
  • Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), Ahmed NASSER

Other political or pressure groups

Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ); Islamic Militant Group

Member of

OAU, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), ITU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WMO

chief of mission

Ambassador-designate Hagos GEBREHIWOT

chancery

Suite 400, 910 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20006

telephone

(202) 429-1991

FAX

(202) 429-9004

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert G. HOUDEK

embassy

34 Zera Yacob St., Asmara

mailing address

P.O. Box 211, Asmara

telephone

[291] (1) 123-720

FAX

[291] (1) 127-584

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

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$500
(1993 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 development of offshore oil, offshore fishing and tourism. For the time being, Ethiopia will be largely dependent on Eritrean ports for its foreign trade.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.7 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$NA

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

commodities

NA

partners

NA

commodities

NA

partners

NA

capacity

NA kW

production

NA kWh

consumption per capita

NA kWh

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Agriculture

products - sorghum, livestock (including goats), fish, lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope)

Currency

1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used

Exchange rates

1 birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.000 (fixed rate since 1992)

Communications

13 fields

Railroads

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

total

3,845 km

paved

807 km

unpaved

  • gravel 840 km;
  • improved earth 402 km;
  • unimproved earth 1,796 km

Ports

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

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)

2 fields

Branches

Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Eritrea.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/eritrea/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →