Eritrea flag
Basic Facts of EritreaOfficial name: State of Eritrea
Capital: Asmara
Area: 121,144 sq km 46,774 sq mi
Population: 5,028,475 (2008 estimate)
Population growth rate: 2.45 percent (2008 estimate)
Population density: 41 persons per sq km 107 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)
Urban/rural distribution:
Share urban 20 percent (2003 estimate)
Share rural 80 percent (2003 estimate)
Largest cities: Asmara, Aseb, Keren, Massawa
Languages Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic, Afar, Bilen, Hedareb, Kunama, Nara, Rashaida, Saho, English
Religious affiliations:
Orthodox Christian 46 percent
Muslim 45 percent
Roman Catholic 3 percent
Nonreligious 4 percent
Other 2 percent
Life expectancy:
Total 60 years (2008 estimate)
Female 61.9 years (2008 estimate)
Male 58.3 years (2008 estimate)
Literacy rate:
Total 55.7 percent (2000 estimate)
Female 44.5 percent (2000 estimate)
Male 67.3 percent (2000 estimate)
Total number of military personnel: 201,750 (2004)
Introduction:
Eritrea, independent state in Africa, bounded on the east by the Red Sea, on the southeast by Djibouti, on the south and west by Ethiopia, and on the north and northwest by Sudan. Formerly under Italian and British control, Eritrea was taken over by Ethiopia in 1952, provoking a long war of liberation that culminated in Eritrean independence in 1993. Asmara (Asmera) is Eritrea’s capital and largest city.
Asmara, Eritrea
Asmara, the largest city in Eritrea, became the capital of colonial Eritrea in 1900 and remained the capital when Eritrea declared independence in 1993. Palm trees line the city’s main street, which passes by the Grand Mosque, the former colonial palace, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and several municipal buildings. Because the population of Asmara is approximately half Muslim, the Grand Mosque, rear center, plays a very important role in city life.
Mountain Village in Eritrea
Central Eritrea is a mountainous region with many villages such as this one dotting the hillsides.