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Eritrea Tourism - Travel to Eritrea

        

This article is an import from the CIA World Factbook 2002. It's a starting point for creating a real aTRAVELdirectory country article according to our country article template. Please plunge forward and edit it.

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 will monitor the border region until an international commission determines and demarcates the boundary between the two countries.

Table of contents

1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography in Eritrea

Location

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

Geographic coordinates

15 00 N, 39 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 121,320 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 121,320 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries

total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Coastline

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

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 NM

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

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

arable land: 3.87%
permanent crops: 0.02%
other: 96.11% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land

220 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards

frequent droughts; locust swarms

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

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 in Eritrea

Population

4,465,651 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.9% (male 958,564; female 955,625)
15-64 years: 53.9% (male 1,192,454; female 1,213,313)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 73,017; female 72,678) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

3.8% (2002 est.)

Birth rate

42.25 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

11.82 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate

7.61 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 (2002 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate

73.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 56.57 years
female: 59.13 years (2002 est.)
male: 54.09 years

Total fertility rate

5.8 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

2.87% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Nationality

noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages

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

Literacy

definition: NA
total population: 25%
male: NA%
female: NA%

Government in Eritrea

Country name

conventional long form: State of Eritrea
conventional short form: Eritrea
local long form: Hagere Ertra
former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
local short form: Ertra

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; Afworki ISAIAS 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; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), though a draft political parties law is under consideration

Capital

Asmara (formerly Asmera)

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1993)

Constitution

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

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Afworki ISAIAS (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
head of government: President Afworki ISAIAS (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
cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president
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)
election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

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 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 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 indefinately

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council or ELF-RC [Ahmed NASSER]; Eritrean Liberation Front-United Organization or ELF-UO [Mohammed Said NAWD]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador GIRMA Asmerom
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

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
FAX: [291] (1) 127584

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 in Eritrea

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 in 1999 fell to less than 1%, and GDP decreased by 8.2% 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. Eritrea's economic future remains mixed. The cessation of Ethiopian trade, which mainly used Eritrean ports before the war, leaves Eritrea with a large economic hole to fill. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master fundamental social problems like illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to convert the diaspora's money and expertise into economic growth.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.2 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $740 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 17%
industry: 29%
services: 54% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

15% (2001 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 80%, industry and services 20%

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

revenues: $206.4 million
expenditures: $615.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Electricity - production

210 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption

195.3 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh NA kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh NA kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

$34.8 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities

livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures

Exports - partners

Sudan 27.2%, Ethiopia 26.5%, Japan 13.2%, UAE 7.3%, Italy 5.3% (1998)

Imports

$470.5 million c.i.f. (2000)

Imports - commodities

machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Imports - partners

Italy 17.4%, UAE 16.2%, Germany 5.7%, UK 4.5%, Korea 4.4% (1998)

Debt - external

$281 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$77 million (1999) (1999)

Currency

nakfa (ERN)

Currency code

ERN

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use

30,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

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

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate
domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
international: NA; note - international connections exist

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)

Radios

345,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2000)

Televisions

1,000 (1997)

Internet country code

.er

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

5 (2001)

Internet users

10,000 (2002)

Transportation in Eritrea

Railways

total: 317 km
narrow gauge: 317 km 0.950-m gauge
note: links Ak'ordat and Asmara with the port of Massawa; nonoperational since 1978 except for about a 5 km stretch that was reopened in Massawa in 1994; rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock is under way (2001 est.)

Highways

total: 3,850 km
paved: 810 km
unpaved: 3,040 km (2000)

Waterways

none

Ports and harbors

Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Merchant marine

total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,100 GRT/23,399 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)

Airports

21 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 14
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
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Military

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$138.3 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

19.8% (FY01)

Transnational Issues in Eritrea

Disputes - international

Eritrea and Ethiopia have expressed general approval of the April 2002 arbitration commission ruling re-delimiting the boundary, the focus of their 1998-2000 war; United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) will monitor activities within the 25-km wide temporary security zone in Eritrea until demarcation and de-mining are complete; Yemen has asserted traditional fishing rights to islands ceded to Eritrea in ICJ ruling

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