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Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $226 million expenditures: $453 million, including capital expenditures of $88 million (1996 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 nafka = 100 cents

Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]

$162 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]

With independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993, Eritrea faced the bitter economic problems of a small, desperately poor African country. The economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with over 70% of the population involved in farming and herding. The small industrial sector consists mainly of light industries with outmoded technologies. Domestic output (GDP) is substantially augmented by worker remittances from abroad. Government revenues come from custom duties and taxes on income and sales. Road construction is a top domestic priority. Eritrea has inherited the entire coastline of Ethiopia and has long-term prospects for revenues from the development of offshore oil fields, offshore fishing, and tourism. Eritrea's economic future depends on its ability to master fundamental social and economic problems, e.g., overcoming illiteracy, promoting job creation, expanding technical training, attracting foreign investment, and streamlining the bureaucracy.

Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]

73,000 kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]

NA kWh

Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]

NA kWh

Exchange rates [time series]

nakfa per US$1 = 7.2 (March 1998 est.) note: following independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea continued to use Ethiopian currency until late in 1997 when Eritrea issued its own currency, the nakfa, at approximately the same rate as the birr, i.e., 7.2 nakfa per US$1

Exports [time series]

total value: $71 million (1996 est.) commodities: livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures partners: Ethiopia 67%, Sudan 10%, Saudi Arabia 4%, US 3%, Italy, Yemen (1996)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year Communications

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$2.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 18% industry: 20% services: 62% (1995 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity-$600 (1996 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]

6.8% (1996 est.)

Imports [time series]

total value: $499 million (1996 est.) commodities: processed goods, machinery, petroleum products partners: Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, United Arab Emirates

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

NA%

Industries [time series]

food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]

4% (1997 est.)

Labor force [time series]

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

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]

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (government controlled)

Televisions [time series]

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 121,320 sq km land: 121,320 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]

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]

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

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]

deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare

International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates [time series]

15 00 N, 39 00 E

Geography - note (Geography-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

Irrigated land [time series]

280 sq km (1993 est.)

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

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

Natural hazards [time series]

frequent droughts

Natural resources [time series]

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil and natural gas (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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 some time in 1998; the new provinces, the names of which had not been recommended by the US Board on Geographic Names for recognition by the US government, pending acceptable definition of the boundaries, were: Anseba, Debub, Debubawi Keyih Bahri, Gash-Barka, Maakel, and Semanawi Keyih Bahri; more recently, it has been reported that these provinces have been redesignated regions and renamed Southern Red Sea, Northern Red Sea, Anseba, Gash-Barka, Southern, and Central

Constitution [time series]

the transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution that was promulgated in May 1997

Country name [time series]

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 [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate William CLARK embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara mailing address: P.O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

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) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 319-1304

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[291] (1) 127584

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

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

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Judiciary the Supreme Court; 10 provincial courts; 29 district courts

Legal system [time series]

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established) elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until country-wide elections to a National Assembly are held in 1998; only 75 members will be elected to the National Assembly-the other 75 will be members of the Central Committee of the PFDJ

Capital (National capital) [time series]

Asmara (formerly Asmera)

National holiday [time series]

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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

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 [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, which may 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

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure (Military expenditures-dollar figure) [time series]

$40 million (1995)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures-percent of GDP) [time series]

NA%

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 43% (male 826,686; female 818,323) 15-64 years: 54% (male 1,026,922; female 1,042,156) 65 years and over: 3% (male 66,222; female 62,127) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

42.52 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate [time series]

12.57 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

78.51 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages [time series]

Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, minor ethnic group languages

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 55.31 years male: 53.19 years female: 57.51 years (1998 est.)

Literacy [time series]

Nationality [time series]

noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean

Net migration rate [time series]

3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.) note: it is estimated that between 200,000 and 350,000 Eritrean refugees were still living in Sudan in mid-1997

Population [time series]

3,842,436 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

3.39% (1998 est.)

Religions [time series]

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.99 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [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; a decision on the Islands is expected in mid-1998 ESTONIA

Transportation

Airports [time series]

20 (1997 est.)

Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]

total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1997 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]

total: 18 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 4,010 km paved: 874 km unpaved: 3,136 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,516 GRT/5,747 DWT ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1997 est.)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Railways [time series]

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