Eritrea

Radio broadcast stations

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0

Radios

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

Telephones

NA

Television broadcast stations

1 (government controlled)

Televisions

NA

Agriculture - products

sorghum, lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope); livestock (including goats); fish

Budget

revenues : $214 million expenditures: $397 million, including capital expenditures of $78 million (1995 est.)

Currency

1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used; note - new Eritrean currency, the nakfa, to be circulated in 1997

Debt - external

$162 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy - overview

With independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993, Eritrea faced the bitter economic problems of a small, desperately poor African country. Most of the population must continue to depend on subsistence farming. Domestic output (GDP) is substantially augmented by worker remittances from abroad. Government revenues come from custom duties and income and sales taxes. Road construction is a top domestic priority. Shortages persist in housing, education, and health care. 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. Ethiopia is largely dependent on Eritrean ports for its foreign commerce.

Electricity - capacity

73,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

NA kWh

Electricity - production

NA kWh

Exchange rates

birr (Br) per US$1 (end of the period) - 6.4260 (December 1996), 6.4260 (1996), 6.3200 (1995), 5.9500 (1994), 5.000 (fixed rate 1992-93); note - following independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea continued to use Ethiopian currency note: since May 1993, the birr market rate has been determined in an interbank market supported by weekly wholesale auction; prior to that date, the official rate was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr

Exports

total value: $81 million (1995 est.) commodities: livestock, sorghum, textiles partners: Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Yemen

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 19% industry: 18% services : 63% (1995 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $570 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.9% (1995 est.)

Imports

total value : $404 million (1995 est.) commodities: processed goods, machinery, petroleum products partners: Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, United Arab Emirates

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Inflation rate - consumer price index

8% (1995 est.)

Labor force

NA

Unemployment rate

NA%

Area

total : 121,320 sq km land: 121,320 sq km water: 0 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); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except on coastal desert

Coastline

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

Elevation extremes

lowest point : Kobar Sink -75 m highest point: Soira 3,013 m

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

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 27 April 1993

Irrigated land

280 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,630 km border countries: Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Land use

arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 48% forests and woodland: 20% other : 19% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

NA

Natural hazards

frequent droughts

Natural resources

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil (petroleum geologists are prospecting for it), 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

Administrative divisions

8 provinces (singular - awraja); Akele Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen, Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye note: in May 1995 the National Assembly adopted a resolution stating that the administrative structure of Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial powers, would consist of only six provinces when the new constitution, then being drafted, would go into effect sometime in 1998; the new provinces, which have not been recommended by the US Board on Geographic Names for recognition by the

Constitution

transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993; the promulgation of a draft constitution is expected in 1998

Country name

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

Data code

ER

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission : Ambassador John HICKS embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt St., Asmara mailing address: P.O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador AMDEMICHAEL Berhane Khasai chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone : [1] (202) 319-1991

Executive branch

chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority note: the president is head of the State Council and National Assembly elections: president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next to be held NA 1997) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

FAX

[1] (202) 319-1304

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

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 Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature pending the promulgation of a constitution and popular elections

Independence

27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

Judiciary

Legal system

NA

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established pending new constitution) elections: 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

National capital

Asmara (formerly Asmera)

National holiday

National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)

Political parties and leaders

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization or ELF-UO [Mohammed Said NAWUD]; Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council or ELF-RC [Ahmed NASSER]

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 1998, will follow the example set in the referendum of 1993 and extend suffrage to all persons 18 years of age or older

US government, pending acceptable definition of the boundaries, are

Anseba, Debub, Debubawi, Gash-Barka, Maakel, and Semanawi Keyih Bahri

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$40 million (1995)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: NA

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 781,169; female 770,497) 15-64 years: 54% (male 963,542; female 966,083) 65 years and over: 3% (male 55,811; female 52,585) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

43.96 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

15.26 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

117.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Italian, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, minor tribal languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 50.61 years male: 48.85 years female : 52.42 years (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean

Net migration rate

34.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: it is estimated that between 200,000 and 350,000 Eritrean refugees were still living in Sudan in mid-1997

Population

3,589,687 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

6.35% (1997 est.)

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Sex ratio

at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population : 1.01 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.47 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

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 ESTONIA

Airports

14 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 10 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 3,930 km paved: 841 km unpaved : 3,089 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total : 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,573 GRT/13,593 DWT (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Railways

total: 307 km narrow gauge: 307 km 0.950-m gauge (1995 est.) note: nonoperational since 1978 except for an about 5 km stretch 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)