Eritrea

• hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast;
• cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September);
• semiarid in western hills and lowlands

• density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren;
• smaller settlements exist in the north and south as shown in this population distribution map

• 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 24 May 1993

noun:

Eritrean(s)

adjective:

Eritrean

total:

21.3 years (2024 est.)

male:

20.8 years

female:

21.8 years

• density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren;
• smaller settlements exist in the north and south as shown in this population distribution map

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.01 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.66 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

39.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

46.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

32.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

67.5 years (2024 est.)

male:

64.9 years

female:

70.2 years

total:

0.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.42 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.51 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

7.5% (2020 est.)

male:

14.7% (2020 est.)

female:

0.2% (2020 est.)

• deforestation;
• desertification;
• soil erosion;
• overgrazing

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

Climate Change-Paris Agreement

• hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast;
• cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September);
• semiarid in western hills and lowlands

urban population:

43.3% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

22.74 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

0.71 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

4.48 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal:

30 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

1 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

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

etymology:

the country name derives from the ancient Greek appellation "Erythra Thalassa" meaning Red Sea, which is the major water body bordering the country

name:

Asmara

geographic coordinates:

15 20 N, 38 56 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

• the name means "they [women] made them unite," which according to Tigrinya oral tradition refers to the women of the four clans in the Asmara area who persuaded their menfolk to unite and defeat their common enemy;
• the name has also been translated as "live in peace"

history:

ratified by the Constituent Assembly 23 May 1997 (never implemented)

amendments:

• proposed by the president of Eritrea or by assent of at least one half of the National Assembly membership;
• passage requires at least an initial three-quarters majority vote by the Assembly and, after one year, final passage by at least four-fifths majority vote by the Assembly

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Eritrea

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

20 years

chief of state:

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 24 May 1993)

head of government:

President ISAIAS Afwerki (since 8 June 1993)

cabinet:

State Council appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term), according to the constitution;
• the only election held was on 24 May 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next postponed indefinitely)

election results:

1993: ISAIAS Afwerki elected president by the transitional National Assembly; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afwerki (PFDJ) 95%, other 5%

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

highest court(s):

High Court (consists of 20 judges and organized into civil, commercial, criminal, labor, administrative, and customary sections)

judge selection and term of office:

High Court judges appointed by the president

subordinate courts:

• regional/zonal courts;
• community courts;
• special courts;
• sharia courts (for issues dealing with Muslim marriage, inheritance, and family);
• military courts

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Berhane Gebrehiwet SOLOMON (since 15 March 2011)

chancery:

1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:

[1] (202) 319-1991

FAX:

[1] (202) 319-1304

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://us.embassyeritrea.org/

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Leslie FRERIKSEN (since 18 July 2022)

embassy:

179 Alaa Street, Asmara

mailing address:

7170 Asmara Place, Washington DC 20521-7170

telephone:

[291] (1) 12-00-04

FAX:

[291] (1) 12-75-84

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://er.usembassy.gov/

• 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;
• green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea;
• the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952;
• the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country

note: one of several flags where a prominent component of the design reflects the shape of the country; other such flags are those of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, and Vanuatu

name:

"Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea)

lyrics/music:

SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion

note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

Asmara: A Modernist African City

• largely agrarian economy with a significant mining sector;
• substantial fiscal surplus due to tight controls;
• high and vulnerable debts;
• increased Ethiopian trade and shared port usage decreasing prices;
• financial and economic data integrity challenges

total:

10% (2023 est.)

male:

8.9% (2023 est.)

female:

11.3% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

general assessment:

• Eritrea’s telecom sector operates under a state-owned monopoly for fixed and mobile services;
• as a result of such restrictions on competition, the country has the least developed telecommunications market in Africa;
• mobile penetration stands at only about 20%, while fixed-line internet use barely registers;
• this is exacerbated by the very low use of computers, with only about 4% of households having a computer, and most of these being in the capital, Asmara;
• the 3G network continues to rollout which provides basic internet access to a limited number of Eritreans who can afford the expensive services;
• investment in telecom infrastructure is still required to improve the quality of services;
• the government has embarked on a work program to do exactly that, specifically aimed at extending services to remote areas, improving the quality of services, and ensuring that more telecoms infrastructure is supported by solar power to compensate for the poor state of the electricity network (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line subscribership is less than 2 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is just over 50 per 100 (2021)

international:

country code - 291 (2019)

• government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited;
• 1 state-owned TV station;
• 2 state-owned radio networks;
• purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2023)

number of registered air carriers:

1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

102,729 (2018)

total:

306 km (2018)

narrow gauge:

306 km (2018) 0.950-m gauge

total:

16,000 km (2018)

paved:

1,600 km (2000)

unpaved:

14,400 km (2000)

total ports:

2 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

2

very small:

0

ports with oil terminals:

2

key ports:

Assab, Mitsiwa Harbor

• Eritrea mandates military service for all citizens age 18-40;
• 18-month conscript service obligation, which includes 4-6 months of military training and 12 months of military or other national service (military service is most common);
• in practice, military and national service is often extended indefinitely;
• citizens up to the age of 55 eligible for recall during mobilization (2023)

tier rating:

• Tier 3 — Eritrea does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so, therefore Eritrea remained on Tier 3;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/eritrea/