- Eritrea

ERITREA

Introduction

Eritrea With an area of 121,300 square kilometers (46,800 square miles)

It is bounded on the north and west by Sudan, on the south by Ethiopia, and on the east by the Red Sea and Djibouti.

Estimated population of 4.5 millionPopulation growth rate 2.6%

• Eritrea’s capital city is Asmara

Key Points about Eritrea

The U.S.-sponsored federation between Ethiopia and Eritrea triggered a 30-year war when Ethiopia annexed the strategic Red Sea territory.

Eritrean liberation forces, fighting with little outside help, defeated successive U.S.- and Soviet-backed Ethiopian regimes to win independence in 1993.

Abandoned after the cold war, Eritrea was born in ruins, with almost 85% of its three million people surviving on donated relief.

IndependenceEritrea officially celebrated its independence

from Ethiopia on May 24, 1993.

Ethnic groupsThere are five main ethnic groups: Afar, Saho,

Tigre, Rashaida and Tigrinya.Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar

4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other.

LanguagesArabic, English, and Tigrinya are the three

official languages in Eritrea. Arabic and Tigrinya are the most widely used

languages along with Italian, are used in commercial and public business.

English is also widely spoken and is the medium of instruction in middle and secondary schools and in higher education.

The Tigrinya alphabet

ReligionOrthodox Christian, Muslim, Roman Catholic,

and Protestant.

:

Eritrea's traditional food

Public Holidays:New Year’s Day (January 1), Independence

Day (May 24), and Christmas Day (December 25). The following holidays with movable dates determined by the Islamic or Orthodox calendar are celebrated as well.

ECONOMY By the time of its independence from Ethiopia

in 1993, Eritrea’s economy had been destroyed by war and was dependent on income from ports and its small agricultural base.

Eritrea is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than half of the population lives on less than US$1 per day

Politics

• The government has been accused of repression and of hindering the development of democracy

President

Isaias Afewerkielected president of Eritrea by the national assembly in 1993.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Eritrea.pdf

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