2015 Edition

Background

After independence from Italian colonial control in 1941 and 10 years of British administrative control, the UN established Eritrea as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afworki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been highly autocratic and repressive. His government has created a highly militarized society by pursuing an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service, sometimes of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. A UN peacekeeping operation was established that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone. The Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) created in April 2003 was tasked "to delimit and demarcate the colonial treaty border based on pertinent colonial treaties (1900, 1902, and 1908) and applicable international law." The EEBC on 30 November 2007 remotely demarcated the border, assigning the town of Badme to Eritrea, despite Ethiopia's maintaining forces there from the time of the 1998-2000 war. Eritrea insisted that the UN terminate its peacekeeping mission on 31 July 2008. Eritrea has accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and repeatedly called on Ethiopia to remove its troops. Ethiopia has not accepted the demarcation decision, and neither party has entered into meaningful dialogue to resolve the impasse. Eritrea is subject to several UN Security Council Resolutions (from 2009, 2011, and 2012) imposing various military and economic sanctions, in view of evidence that it has supported armed opposition groups in the region.

Area

land

101,000 sq km

total

117,600 sq km

water

16,600 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Climate

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

Coastline

2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Soira 3,018 m

lowest point

near Kulul within the Danakil 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

121.3 cu m/yr (2004)

total

0.58 cu km/yr (5%/0%/95%)

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

Irrigated land

215.9 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries (3)

Djibouti 125 km, Ethiopia 1,033 km, Sudan 682 km

total

1,840 km

Land use

arable land 6.8%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 68.3%

agricultural land

75.1%

forest

15.1%

other

9.8% (2011 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms

volcanism

Dubbi (elev. 1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011

Natural resources

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

Total renewable water resources

6.3 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

40.25% (male 1,320,752/female 1,306,357)

15-24 years

20.43% (male 665,900/female 667,509)

25-54 years

31.86% (male 1,031,391/female 1,048,303)

55-64 years

3.73% (male 104,004/female 139,637)

65 years and over

3.74% (male 104,513/female 139,323) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

30 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

38.8% (2010)

Death rate

7.52 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

4.8%

potential support ratio

20.7% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

83.2%

youth dependency ratio

78.4%

Drinking water source

urban: 73.2% of population

rural: 53.3% of population

total: 57.8% of population

urban: 26.8% of population

rural: 46.7% of population

total: 42.2% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.1% of GDP (2006)

Ethnic groups

nine recognized ethnic groups: Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)

Health expenditures

3% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.68% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

700 (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

16,100 (2014 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.7 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

32.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

42.59 deaths/1,000 live births

total

37.53 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages

Life expectancy at birth

female

66.03 years (2015 est.)

male

61.65 years

total population

63.81 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

65.5% (2015 est.)

male

82.4%

total population

73.8%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever (2013)

Major urban areas - population

ASMARA (capital) 804,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

501 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median age

female

19.7 years (2015 est.)

male

19 years

total

19.3 years

Nationality

adjective

Eritrean

noun

Eritrean(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.4% (2014)

Population

6,527,689 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

2.25% (2015 est.)

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Sanitation facility access

urban: 44.5% of population

rural: 7.3% of population

total: 15.7% of population

urban: 55.5% of population

rural: 92.7% of population

total: 84.3% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.98 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.75 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.02 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

5.11% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

22.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Capital

geographic coordinates

15 20 N, 38 56 E

name

Asmara (Asmera)

time difference

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

Citizenship

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

Constitution

adopted 23 May 1997 (not fully implemented); note - in mid-2014, the president announced plans to draft a new constitution (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

State of Eritrea

conventional short form

Eritrea

etymology

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

former

Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

local long form

Hagere Ertra

local short form

Ertra

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis MAZEL (since 10 July 2014)

embassy

179 Ala Street, Asmara

FAX

[291] (1) 127584

mailing address

P. O. Box 211, Asmara

telephone

[291] (1) 120004

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon (since 15 March 2011)

consulate(s) general

San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 319-1304

telephone

[1] (202) 319-1991

Executive branch

cabinet

State Council appointed by the president

chief of state

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

election results

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

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); the only election was held on 8 June 1993, following independence from Ethiopia (next election postponed indefinitely)

head of government

President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993)

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; 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

Government type

authoritarian presidential regime

Independence

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Hagerawi Baito (150 seats; 75 members indirectly elected by the ruling party and 75 directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

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 countrywide elections to form 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 due to the war with Ethiopia

National anthem

lyrics/music

SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion

name

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

note

adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1991)

National symbol(s)

camel; national colors: green, red, blue

Political parties and leaders

People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government)

note

a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly never debated or voted on it

Political pressure groups and leaders

Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Eritrean Kunama or DMLEK

Eritrean Democratic Alliance or EDA

Eritrean Islamic Party for Justice and Development or EIPJD (includes the Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM), Eritrean Islamic Salvation, and the Eritrean Islamic Foundation)

Eritrean National Congress for Democratic Change or ENCDC

Eritrean National Salvation Front or ENSF

Eritrean People's Democratic Party or EPDP

Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization or RSADO

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.639 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$1.145 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-12.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Current account balance

-$35 million (2014 est.)

$12 million (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$955.6 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$945.2 million (31 December 2013 est.)

Economy - overview

Since formal independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced many economic problems, including lack of resources and chronic drought, which have been exacerbated by restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but the sector only produces a small share of the country's total output. Since the conclusion of the Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 2000, the government has expanded use of military and party-owned businesses to complete President ISAIAS's development agenda. The government has strictly controlled the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability; new regulations in 2013 aimed at relaxing currency controls have had little economic effect. Few large private enterprises exist in Eritrea and most operate in conjunction with government partners, including a number of large international mining ventures that have recently begun production. While reliable statistics on food security are difficult to obtain, erratic rainfall and the percentage of the labor force tied up in national service continue to interfere with agricultural production and economic development. Eritrea's harvests generally cannot meet the food needs of the country without supplemental grain purchases. Copper, potash, and gold production is likely to drive economic growth over the next few years, but military spending will continue to compete with development and investment plans. Eritrea's economic future will depend on market reform, international sanctions, global food prices, and success at addressing social problems such refugee emigration.

Exchange rates

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar -

15.375 (2014 est.)

15.375 (2013 est.)

15.375 (2012 est.)

15.375 (2011 est.)

15.375 (2010 est.)

Exports

$504.9 million (2014 est.)

$462 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold and other minerals, livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

10.1%

government consumption

22.8%

household consumption

91.5%

imports of goods and services

-24.8%

investment in fixed capital

15.7%

investment in inventories

-15.3%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

12.3%

industry

28.7%

services

59% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$1,200 (2014 est.)

$1,200 (2013 est.)

$1,200 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.7% (2014 est.)

1.3% (2013 est.)

7% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.858 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$7.842 billion (2014 est.)

$7.711 billion (2013 est.)

$7.61 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

2.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

4% of GDP (2013 est.)

5.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$1.15 billion (2014 est.)

$1.028 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Industrial production growth rate

6.5% (2014 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

12.3% (2014 est.)

12.3% (2013 est.)

Labor force

3.155 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

80%

industry and services

20% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2004 est.)

Public debt

125.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

126% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$247.8 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$218.9 million (31 December 2014 est.)

Stock of broad money

$4.494 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.983 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$4.052 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.647 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$2.129 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.843 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.6% (2013 est.)

10% (2012 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

739,500 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

284 million kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

98.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

140,800 kW (2012 est.)

Electricity - production

338 million kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

3,500 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2007)

Internet country code

.er

Internet users

percent of population

0.91% (2014 est.)

total

58,100

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)

Telephone system

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is less than 5 per 100 persons

general assessment

inadequate; most fixed-line telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system; cell phones in increasing use throughout the country

international

country code - 291 (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

1 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

64,000

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

7 (2014 est.)

total

417,400

Television broadcast stations

2 (2006)

Airports

13 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

2 (2013)

over 3,047 m

2

total

4

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

5

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

2 (2013)

over 3,047 m

1

total

9

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2010)

total

4

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Assab, Massawa

Railways

narrow gauge

306 km 0.950-m gauge (2014)

total

306 km

Roadways

paved

874 km

total

4,010 km

unpaved

3,136 km (2000)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

1,362,575 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

1,350,446

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

953,757 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

896,096

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

66,731 (2010 est.)

male

66,829

Military branches

Eritrean Armed Forces: Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2011)

Military service age and obligation

18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2012)

Disputes - international

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups; in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Eritrea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for forced labor domestically and, to a lesser extent, sex and labor trafficking abroad; the country’s national service program is often abused to keep conscripts indefinitely and to force them to perform labor outside the scope of their duties; each year large numbers of migrants, often fleeing national service, depart Eritrea in search of work in Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, and Yemen, where some are likely to become victims of forced labor; Eritrean children working in various economic sectors, including domestic service, workshops, and agriculture may be subjected to forced labor; some Eritrean refugees in Sudanese camps are held for ransom in the Sinai Peninsula, where they are forced to work and are abused

tier rating

Tier 3 – Eritrea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the Eritrean Government does not operate with transparency and reported no data in 2013 regarding its efforts to combat human trafficking; no investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of any traffickers were reported, and few efforts were made to identify or to refer any victims to protective services; authorities largely lacked an understanding of human trafficking, conflating it with all forms of transnational migration; the government continued to warn its citizens of the dangers of human trafficking; Eritrea is not a party to the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2014)