1996 Edition

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

Location

15 00 N, 39 00 E -- Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

land area

121,320 sq km

total area

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

Coastline

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

Environment

current issues

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

international agreements

party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification

natural hazards

frequent droughts

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 39 00 E

Geographic 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

International disputes

a dispute with Yemen over sovereignty of the Hanish Islands in the southern Red Sea has been submitted to arbitration under the auspices of the ICJ

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

border countries

Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

total

1,630 km

Land use

arable land

3%

forest and woodland

5%

meadows and pastures

40%

other

50%

permanent crops

2% (coffee)

Location

Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

NA

Natural resources

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil (petroleum geologists are prospecting for it), fish

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

highest point

Soira 3,013 m

lowest point

Kobar Sink -75 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 44% (male 755,417; female 743,135) 15-64 years: 53% (male 910,976; female 913,531) 65 years and over: 3% (male 54,310; female 50,514) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

43.32 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

15.44 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

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

Infant mortality rate

118.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Italian, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, minor tribal languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

52.1 years (1996 est.)

male

48.57 years

total population

50.31 years

Nationality

adjective

Eritrean

noun

Eritrean(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

note

it is estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 Eritrean refugees were still living in Sudan at the end of 1995; their repatriation is being facilitated by the UNHCR

Population

3,427,883 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.79% (1996 est.)

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Sex ratio

all ages

1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

6.5 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

8 provinces (singular - awraja); Akele Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen, Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye; note - information issued by the Eritrean government indicates that the administrative structure of Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial powers, will consist of only six regions when the new constitution, presently being drafted, goes into effect sometime in 1996

Capital

Asmara (formerly Asmera)

Constitution

transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993; the promulgation of a draft constitution is expected in 1996

Data code

ER

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

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

chief of mission

Ambassador AMDEMICHAEL Berhane Khasai

telephone

[1] (202) 429-1991

Executive branch

cabinet

State Council is the collective executive authority

chief of state and head of government

President ISAIAS Afworki (since 22 May 1993) is head of the State Council and National Assembly

note

election to be held in 1997

FAX

[1] (202) 429-9004

[291] (1) 127584

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

Independence

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

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

Judiciary

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

State of Eritrea

conventional short form

Eritrea

former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

local long form

none

local short form

none

National Assembly

75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF) and 75 directly elected members serve as the country's legislative body until country-wide elections are held in 1997

National holiday

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

Other political or pressure groups

Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ); Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), ABDULLAH Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO), Mohammed Said NAWUD; Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), Ahmed NASSER

Political parties and leaders

People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), ISAIAS Afworki, PETROS Solomon (the only party recognized by the government)

Suffrage

NA; note - the transitional constitution of 19 May 1993 did not provide rules for suffrage, but it seems likely that the final version of the constitution, to be promulgated some time in 1996, will follow the example set in the referendum of 1993 in which suffrage was universal for persons 18 years of age or older

Type of government

transitional government

note

on 29 May 1991 ISAIAS Afworke, secretary general of the Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), which then served and still serves 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 for the autonomous region of Eritrea; the result was a landslide vote for independence, which was proclaimed on 27 April 1993

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador Robert G. HOUDEK

embassy

Franklin D. Roosevelt St., Asmara

mailing address

P.O. Box 211, Asmara

telephone

[291] (1) 120004

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

revenues

$NA

Currency

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

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic 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.

Electricity

capacity

NA kW

consumption per capita

NA kWh

production

NA kWh

Exchange rates

birr (Br) per US$1 - 6.2 (1995 est.), 5.600 (September 1994), 5.000 (fixed rate 1992-93); note - following independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea continued to use Ethiopian currency, the official rate of which was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr

Exports

$33 million (1995 est.)

commodities

livestock, sorghum, textiles

partners

Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Yemen

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$570 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

10% (1995 est.)

Imports

$420 million (1995 est.)

commodities

processed goods, machinery, petroleum products

partners

NA

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

10% (1995 est.)

Labor force

NA

Unemployment rate

NA%

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

NA

males fit for military service

NA

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0

Radios

NA

Telephone 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

Telephones

NA

Television broadcast stations

1 (government controlled)

Televisions

NA Defense

Airports

total

14

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

2

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

4

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

1

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

4 (1995 est.)

with unpaved runways over 3 047 m

1

Highways

paved

807 km

total

3,845 km

unpaved

3,038 km (1993 est.)

Merchant marine

total

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,573 GRT/13,593 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Railways

narrow gauge

307 km 0.950-m gauge (1995 est.)

total

307 km; note - nonoperational since 1978 except for about 5 km 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)