Eritrea




                                 Geography


Location:
     Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan
Map references:
     Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
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, Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Coastline:
     1,151 km (land and island coastline is 2,234 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
     12 nm
International disputes:
     none
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 coast desert
Terrain:
     dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands,
     descending on the east to a coastal desert plan, on the northwest to
     hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Natural resources:
     gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil, 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; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of
     infrastructure from civil warfare
natural hazards:
     frequent droughts
international agreements:
     NA




Note:
     strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes
     and close to Arabian oilfields, Eritrea retained the entire coastline
     of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia
     on 27 April 1993


                                  People


Population:
     3,782,543 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     3.41% (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Eritrean(s)
adjective:
     Eritrean
Ethnic divisions:
     ethnic Tigrays 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
     dwellers) 3%
Religions:
     Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:
     Tigre and Kunama, Cushitic dialects, Tigre, Nora Bana, Arabic
Literacy:
total population:
     NA%
male:
     NA%
female:
     NA%
Labor force:
     NA


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     State of Eritrea
conventional short form:
local long form:
     none
local short form:
     none
former:
     Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Digraph:
     ER
Type:
     transitional government




note:
     on 29 May 1991 ISSAIAS Afeworke, secretary general of the Eritrean
     People's Liberation Front (EPLF), 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 that was
     announced on 27 April 1993
Capital:
     Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Administrative divisions:
     7 provinces; Akale Guzay, Baraka, Denakil, Hamasen, Samhar, Seraye,
     Sahil (1993)
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
Legal system:
     NA
Suffrage:
     NA
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
     President ISSAIAS Afeworke (since 22 May 1993)
cabinet:
     State Council; the collective executive authority
note:
     election to be held before 20 May 1997
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
National Assembly:
     EPLF Central Committee serves as the country's legislative body until
     multinational elections are held (before 20 May 1997)
Judicial branch:
     Judiciary
Political parties and leaders:
     Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) (Christian Muslim), ISSAIAS
     Aferworke, PETROS Solomon; Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) (Muslim),
     ABDULLAH Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization
     (ELF-UO), Mohammed Said NAWUD; Eritrean Liberation Front -
     Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), Ahmed NASSER
Other political or pressure groups:
     Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ); Islamic Militant Group
Member of:
     OAU, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ILO, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), ITU, UN,
     UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador-designate Hagos GEBREHIWOT
chancery:
     Suite 400, 910 17th Street NW, Washington DC 20006
telephone:
     (202) 429-1991




FAX:
     (202) 429-9004
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Robert G. HOUDEK
embassy:
     34 Zera Yacob St., Asmara
mailing address:
     P.O. Box 211, Asmara
telephone:
     [291] (1) 123-720
FAX:
     [291] (1) 127-584
Flag:
     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


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.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
     NA%
National product per capita:
     $500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     NA%
Unemployment rate:
     NA%
Budget:
revenues:
     $NA
expenditures:
     $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
     $NA
commodities:
     NA
partners:
     NA
Imports:
     $NA




commodities:
     NA
partners:
     NA
External debt:
     $NA
Industrial production:
     growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
     NA kW
production:
     NA kWh
consumption per capita:
     NA kWh
Industries:
     food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Agriculture:
     products - sorghum, livestock (including goats), fish, lentils,
     vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope)
Economic aid:
     $NA
Currency:
     1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used
Exchange rates:
     1 birr (Br) per US$1 - 5.000 (fixed rate since 1992)
Fiscal year:
     NA


                              Communications


Railroads:
     307 km total; 307 km 1.000-meter gauge; 307 km 0.950-meter gauge
     (nonoperational) linking Ak'ordat and Asmara (formerly Asmera) with
     the port of Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa; 1993 est.)
Highways:
total:
     3,845 km
paved:
     807 km
unpaved:
     gravel 840 km; improved earth 402 km; unimproved earth 1,796 km
Ports:
     Assab (formerly Aseb), Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa)
Merchant marine:
     none
Airports:
total:
     5
usable:
     5
with permanent-surface runways:
     2
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0




with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
     2
Telecommunications:
     NA


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF)
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GDP