2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

6 regions (regions, singular - region); Central, Anelba, Southern Red Sea, Northern Red Sea, Southern, Gash-Barka

Age structure

0-14 years: 44.7% (male 977,447; female 972,068) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,121,077; female 1,147,109) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 71,620; female 72,933) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish

Airports

18 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2002)

total

4

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 4

total

14

under 914 m

2 (2002) Military Eritrea

Area

land

121,320 sq km

total

121,320 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Background

Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices on 12 December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring the border region. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections. Geography Eritrea

Birth rate

39.44 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$615.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

revenues

$206.4 million

Capital

Asmara (formerly Asmera)

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 in coastal desert

Coastline

2,234 km total; mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km

Constitution

the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented

Country name

conventional long form

State of Eritrea

conventional short form

Eritrea

former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

local long form

Hagere Ertra

local short form

Ertra

Currency

nakfa (ERN)

Currency code

ERN

Death rate

13.23 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$311 million (2000 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Donald J. McCONNELL

embassy

Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara

mailing address

P. O. Box 211, Asmara

telephone

[291] (1) 120004

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador GIRMA Asmerom

consulate(s) general

Oakland (California)

telephone

[1] (202) 319-1991

Disputes - international

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 independent boundary commission delimitation decision, but demarcation, scheduled to begin in 2003, has been hampered by technical delays and Ethiopian concerns that the decision ignored "human geography" and awarded Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war, to Eritrea, demarcation of the boundary has been postponed indefinately; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitors a 25 km wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea until the demarcation; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish Islands awarded to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999 This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$77 million (1999)

Economy - overview

Since independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down growth in 2002. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to open its economy to private enterprise so the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth.

Electricity - consumption

205.1 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh NA kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh NA kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

220.5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Soira 3,018 m

lowest point

near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m

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

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 9.5 (January 2000), 7.6 (January 1999), 7.2 (March 1998 est.)

Executive branch

cabinet

State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president

chief of state

President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

election results

ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

elections

president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)

head of government

President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

Exports

$20 million f.o.b. (2001)

Exports - commodities

livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)

Exports - partners

Italy 36.9%, Germany 16.7%, France 10.3%, US 5.4%, Netherlands 5.2% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 319-1304

[291] (1) 127584

chancery

1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Eritrea

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 Eritrea

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

17%

industry

29%

services

54% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 39 00 E

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 24 May 1993 People Eritrea

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; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled to take place in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Highways

paved

874 km

total

4,010 km

unpaved

3,136 km (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.8% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

350 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

55,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$500 million c.i.f. (2001)

Imports - commodities

machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)

Imports - partners

Italy 27.1%, US 15.7%, Germany 7.2%, Ukraine 5.8%, Turkey 5.5%, France 4.5%, Netherlands 4% (2002)

Independence

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Infant mortality rate

female

68.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

83.78 deaths/1,000 live births

total

76.32 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15% (2001)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Internet country code

.er

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2001)

Internet users

10,000 (2002) Transportation Eritrea

Irrigated land

220 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

or High Court, regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 80%, industry and services 20%

Land boundaries

border countries

Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

total

1,626 km

Land use

arable land

3.87%

other

96.11% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.02%

Languages

Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages

Legal system

primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law

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, that 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 countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely

Life expectancy at birth

female

54.92 years (2003 est.)

male

51.48 years

total population

53.18 years

Literacy

definition

NA

female

47.6% (2003 est.) Government Eritrea

male

69.9%

total population

58.6%

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

17.7 years (2002)

male

17.4 years

total

17.6 years

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)

total

6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 19,100 GRT/23,399 DWT

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$95.75 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

12% (FY02) Transnational Issues Eritrea

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1993)

Nationality

adjective

Eritrean

noun

Eritrean(s)

Natural hazards

frequent droughts; locust swarms

Natural resources

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

Net migration rate

-13.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population

note

UNHCR began repatriating about 150,000 Eritrean refugees from Sudan in 2001 following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2000 (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

6,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it

Political pressure groups and leaders

Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ [leader NA] (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement) [leader NA]); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement) [leader NA]; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]

Population

4,362,254 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

53% (1993/94)

Population growth rate

1.28% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)

Radios

345,000 (1997)

Railways

narrow gauge

306 km 0.950-m gauge

note

railway is being rebuilt (2002)

total

306 km

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)

general assessment

inadequate

international

NA; note - international connections exist

Telephones - main lines in use

30,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA; note - mobile cellular service was introduced in May 2001

Television broadcast stations

1 (2000)

Televisions

1,000 (1997)

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

Total fertility rate

5.74 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Waterways

none