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ERITREA
OFFICIAL NAME
State of Eritrea
CAPITAL CITY
Asmara, population 360,000
Geography
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 39 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total area:
121,320 sq km
land area:
121,320 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total:
1,630 km
border countries:
Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Coastline:
1,151 km (land and island coastline is 2,234 km)
Maritime claims:
NA
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
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
lowest point:
Kobar Sink -75 m
highest point:
Soira 3,013 m
Natural resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil (petroleum geologists are prospecting for it), fish
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
2% (coffee)
meadows and pastures:
40%
forest and woodland:
5%
other:
50%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
famine; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
natural hazards:
frequent droughts
international agreements:
party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification
People
Population:
3,427,883 (July 1996 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate:
2.79% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
43.32 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
15.44 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
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
Sex ratio:
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
all ages:
1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
118.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
50.31 years
male:
48.57 years
female:
52.1 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.5 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Eritrean(s)
adjective:
Eritrean
Ethnic divisions:
ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%
Religions:
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:
Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Italian, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, minor tribal languages
Government
Name of country:
conventional long form:
State of Eritrea
conventional short form:
Eritrea
local long form:
none
local short form:
none
former:
Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Data code:
ER
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
Capital:
Asmara (formerly Asmera)
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
Independence:
27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
National holiday:
National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)
Constitution:
transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993; the promulgation of a draft constitution is expected in 1996
Legal system:
NA
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
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
President ISAIAS Afworki (since 22 May 1993) is head of the State Council and National Assembly
cabinet:
State Council is the collective executive authority
note:
election to be held in 1997
Legislative branch:
unicameral
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
Judicial branch:
Judiciary
Political parties and leaders:
People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), ISAIAS Afworki, PETROS Solomon (the only party recognized by the government)
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
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador AMDEMICHAEL Berhane Khasai
chancery:
Suite 400, 910 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
[1] (202) 429-1991
FAX:
[1] (202) 429-9004
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
FAX:
[291] (1) 127584
Economy
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.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
10% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita:
$570 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
NA%
industry:
NA%
services:
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (1995 est.)
Labor force:
NA
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries:
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
NA kW
production:
NA kWh
consumption per capita:
NA kWh
Agriculture:
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope); livestock (including goats); fish
Exports:
$33 million (1995 est.)
commodities:
livestock, sorghum, textiles
partners:
Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Yemen
Imports:
$420 million (1995 est.)
commodities:
processed goods, machinery, petroleum products
partners:
NA
External debt:
$NA
Economic aid:
recipient:
ODA, $NA
Currency:
1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used
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
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Transportation
Railways:
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)
narrow gauge:
307 km 0.950-m gauge (1995 est.)
Highways:
total:
3,845 km
paved:
807 km
unpaved:
3,038 km (1993 est.)
Ports:
Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)
Merchant marine:
total:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,573 GRT/13,593 DWT (1995 est.)
Airports:
total:
14
with paved runways over 3 047 m:
1
with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
1
with paved runways under 914 m:
2
with unpaved runways over 3 047 m:
1
with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m:
1
with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m:
4
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
4 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
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
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
1 (government controlled)
Televisions:
NA
Defense
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49:
NA
males fit for military service:
NA
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
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