Eritrea

National name: Hagere Ertra

Government
A transitional government committed to a democratic system.

Geography
Eritrea was formerly the northernmost province of Ethiopia. Much of the country is mountainous. Its narrow Red Sea coastal plain is one of the hottest and driest places in Africa. The cooler central highlands have fertile valleys that support agriculture.

Historical Background
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 in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 kmwide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia.

Facts & Figures

Name

Eritrea

Capital

Asmara

Government

provisional government

Language

Tigrinya, Arabic, English

Race/Ethnicity

50% Tigrinya, 40%Tigre, 4% Afar, 3% Saho, 3% Kunama

Religion

50% Christian and 48% Muslim.

Area

117,600 km2 (100th), 45,405 sq mi

Population

2009 estimate 5,224,000 (109th)

Currency

Nakfa (ERN)