Eritrea
State of EritreaHagere Ertra
transitional governmentIndependence 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia
Eritrea as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 100 fields, one of 33 editions from 1993 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
On 29 May 1991, ISAIAS Afworki, secretary general of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), which then served as the country's legislative body, announced the formation of the Provisional Government in Eritrea (PGE) in preparation for the 23-25 April 1993 referendum on independence from Ethiopia. The referendum resulted in a landslide vote for independence, which became effective on 24 May 1993.
Geography
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti | and Sudan
18 fieldsLand useshare of 121,320 sq km
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 coastal desert
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
Natural resources
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil and natural gas (currently under exploration), fish
Environment--current issues
- deforestation;
- desertification;
- soil erosion;
- overgrazing;
- loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
Environment--international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species
- 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 27 April 1993
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1999 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 43% (male 859,899; female 852,329)
- 15-64 years:
- 54% (male 1,061,921; female 1,078,102)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 67,969; female 64,503) (1999 est.)
Net migration rate
8.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.) note: it is estimated that approximately 315,000 Eritrean refugees were still living in Sudan by the end of 1997 according to the UNHCR
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.98 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Government
Transitional government; President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993)
19 fieldsCountry 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
Administrative divisions
8 provinces (singular--awraja); Akale Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen, Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye
note: in May 1995 the National Assembly adopted a resolution stating that the administrative structure of Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial powers, would consist of only six provinces when the new constitution, then being drafted, became effective in 1997;
the new provinces, the names of which had not been recommended by the US Board on Geographic Names for recognition by the US Government, pending acceptable definition of the
- boundaries, were:
- Anseba, Debub, Debubawi Keyih Bahri, Gash-Barka, Maakel, and Semanawi Keyih Bahri;
- more recently, it has been reported that these provinces have been redesignated regions and renamed Southern Red Sea, Northern Red Sea, Anseba, Gash-Barka, Southern, and Central
Constitution
the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution that was promulgated in May 1997
Suffrage
NA; note--it seems likely that the final version of the constitution would follow the example set in the referendum of 1993 and extend suffrage to all persons 18 years of age or older
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
- head of government:
- President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
- cabinet:
- State Council is the collective executive authority
note: the president is head of the State Council and National Assembly
- elections:
- president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next to be held NA)
- election results:
- ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote--ISAIAS Afworki 95%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established); 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 country-wide elections to a National Assembly are held; only 75 members will be elected to the National Assembly--the other 75 will be members of the Central Committee of the PFDJ
Political pressure groups and leaders
Eritrean Islamic Jihad or NAWUD]; Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council or ELF-RC
International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador SEMERE Russom
- chancery:
- 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador William CLARK
- embassy:
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara
- mailing address:
- P.O. Box 211, Asmara
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
With independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, | Eritrea faced the bitter economic problem of a small, desperately | poor African country.
30 fieldsGDP--composition by sector(1995 est.)
Economy--overview
With independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea faced the bitter economic problem of a small, desperately poor African country. The economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with over 70% of the population involved in farming and herding. The small industrial sector consists mainly of light industries with outmoded technologies.
Domestic output (GDP) is substantially augmented by worker remittances from abroad. Government revenues come from custom duties and taxes on income and sales. Road construction is a top domestic priority. Eritrea has long-term prospects for revenues from the development of offshore oil, offshore fishing, and tourism.
Eritrea's economic future depends on its ability to master fundamental social and economic problems, e.g., overcoming illiteracy, promoting job creation, expanding technical training, attracting foreign investment, and streamlining the bureaucracy. The most immediate threat to the economy, however, is the possible expansion of the armed conflict with Ethiopia.
Agriculture--products
- sorghum, lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal;
- livestock, goats;
- fish
Exchange rates
nakfa per US$1 = 7.6 (January 1999), 7.2 (March 1998 est.)
note: following independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea continued to use Ethiopian currency until November 1997 when Eritrea issued its own currency, the nakfa,
at approximately the same rate as the birr, i.e., 7.2 nakfa per US$1
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
- domestic:
- very inadequate;
- about 4 telephones per 100 families, most of which are in Asmara;
- government is seeking international tenders to improve the system
- international:
- NA
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine, 2 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 307 km
- narrow gauge:
- 307 km 0.950-m gauge (1995 est.)
note: nonoperational since 1978 except for about a 5 km stretch that was reopened in Massawa in 1994; rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock is under way;
links Ak'ordat and Asmara (formerly Asmera) with the port of Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa)
Military
Army, Navy, Air Force
3 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes--international
- dispute over alignment of boundary with Ethiopia led to armed conflict in 1998, which is still unresolved despite arbitration efforts;
- Hanish Islands dispute with Yemen resolved by arbitral tribunal in October 1998
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Eritrea.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/eritrea/1999.