ARCHIVE // ER // 1996

Eritrea

1996 Edition — sovereign

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
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Communications
Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]
$NA, NA% of GDP
Manpower availability [time series]
males age 15-49: NA males fit for military service: NA
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0
Radios [time series]
NA
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
NA
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1 (government controlled)
Televisions [time series]
NA Defense
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope); livestock (including goats); fish
Budget [time series]
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: ODA, $NA
Economic overview [time series]
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.
Electricity [time series]
capacity: NA kW production: NA kWh consumption per capita: NA kWh
Exchange rates [time series]
birr (Br) per US$1 - 6.2 (1995 est.), 5.600 (September 1994), 5.000 (fixed rate 1992-93); note - following independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea continued to use Ethiopian currency, the official rate of which was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr
Exports [time series]
$33 million (1995 est.) commodities: livestock, sorghum, textiles partners: Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Yemen
Debt - external (External debt) [time series]
$NA
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity - $2 billion (1995 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Real GDP per capita (GDP per capita) [time series]
$570 (1995 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP real growth rate) [time series]
10% (1995 est.)
Imports [time series]
$420 million (1995 est.) commodities: processed goods, machinery, petroleum products partners: NA
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
10% (1995 est.)
Labor force [time series]
NA
Unemployment rate [time series]
NA%
Geography
Area [time series]
total area: 121,320 sq km land area: 121,320 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Climate [time series]
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 [time series]
1,151 km (land and island coastline is 2,234 km)
Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]
current issues: famine; deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare natural hazards: frequent droughts international agreements: party to - Endangered Species; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification
Geographic coordinates [time series]
15 00 N, 39 00 E
Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]
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
Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]
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
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 1,630 km border countries: Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 3% permanent crops: 2% (coffee) meadows and pastures: 40% forest and woodland: 5% other: 50%
Location [time series]
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Map references [time series]
Africa
Maritime claims [time series]
NA
Natural resources [time series]
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil (petroleum geologists are prospecting for it), fish
Terrain [time series]
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 lowest point: Kobar Sink -75 m highest point: Soira 3,013 m
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
8 provinces (singular - awraja); Akele Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen, Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye; note - information issued by the Eritrean government indicates that the administrative structure of Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial powers, will consist of only six regions when the new constitution, presently being drafted, goes into effect sometime in 1996
Capital [time series]
Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Constitution [time series]
transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993; the promulgation of a draft constitution is expected in 1996
Data code [time series]
ER
Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador AMDEMICHAEL Berhane Khasai chancery: Suite 400, 910 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 429-1991
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state and head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 22 May 1993) is head of the State Council and National Assembly cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority note: election to be held in 1997
Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]
[1] (202) 429-9004
Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]
[291] (1) 127584
Flag [time series]
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
Independence [time series]
27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
International organization participation [time series]
ACP, AfDB, ECA, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Judicial branch [time series]
Judiciary
Legal system [time series]
NA
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral
Country name (Name of country) [time series]
conventional long form: State of Eritrea conventional short form: Eritrea local long form: none local short form: none former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Legislative branch (National Assembly) [time series]
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 holiday [time series]
National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)
Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]
Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ); Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), ABDULLAH Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO), Mohammed Said NAWUD; Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), Ahmed NASSER
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), ISAIAS Afworki, PETROS Solomon (the only party recognized by the government)
Suffrage [time series]
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 1996, will follow the example set in the referendum of 1993 in which suffrage was universal for persons 18 years of age or older
Government type (Type of government) [time series]
transitional government note: on 29 May 1991 ISAIAS Afworke, secretary general of the Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), which then served and still serves as the country's legislative body, 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, which was proclaimed on 27 April 1993
Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert G. HOUDEK embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt St., Asmara mailing address: P.O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 44% (male 755,417; female 743,135) 15-64 years: 53% (male 910,976; female 913,531) 65 years and over: 3% (male 54,310; female 50,514) (July 1996 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
43.32 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate [time series]
15.44 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]
ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
118.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Languages [time series]
Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Italian, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, minor tribal languages
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 50.31 years male: 48.57 years female: 52.1 years (1996 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean
Net migration rate [time series]
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.) note: it is estimated that between 300,000 and 500,000 Eritrean refugees were still living in Sudan at the end of 1995; their repatriation is being facilitated by the UNHCR
Population [time series]
3,427,883 (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
2.79% (1996 est.)
Religions [time series]
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female all ages: 1.01 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
6.5 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
total: 14 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 2 with unpaved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 4 (1995 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 3,845 km paved: 807 km unpaved: 3,038 km (1993 est.)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,573 GRT/13,593 DWT (1995 est.)
Ports [time series]
Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)
Railways [time series]
total: 307 km; note - nonoperational since 1978 except for about 5 km 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) narrow gauge: 307 km 0.950-m gauge (1995 est.)