Eritrea

Broadcast media

government controls broadcast media with private ownership prohibited; 1 state-owned TV station; state-owned radio operates 2 networks; purchases of satellite dishes and subscriptions to international broadcast media are permitted (2007)

Internet country code

.er

Internet hosts

701 (2012) country comparison to the world: 177

Internet users

200,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 140

Telephone system

general assessment: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is less than 5 per 100 persons international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist

Telephones - main lines in use

58,500 (2011) country comparison to the world: 159

Telephones - mobile cellular

241,900 (2011) country comparison to the world: 175

Agriculture - products

sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish

Budget

revenues: $838.8 million expenditures: $1.19 billion (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-11.3% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 205

Commercial bank prime lending rate

NA%

Current account balance

-$271.5 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 -$127.8 million (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$1.026 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 156 $1.013 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Economy - overview

Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, a large share of the population - nearly 80% - is engaged in subsistence agriculture, but they produce only a small share of total output. Since the conclusion of the Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 2000, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency by limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy depends heavily on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have been unable to meet the food needs of the country. Eritrea's development of copper and gold production through Canadian mining companies will drive Eritrea's economic growth over the next few years. The government is likely to continue diverting resources to its military instead of wide-scale economic development or investment plans. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy.

Exchange rates

nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.38 (2012 est.) 15.375 (2011 est.) 15.375 (2010 est.) 15.375 (2009) 15.38 (2008)

Exports

$304.5 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 180 $415.4 million (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.108 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$4.412 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 171 $4.103 billion (2011 est.) $3.774 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 11.6% industry: 30.6% services: 57.8% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$800 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 223 $700 (2011 est.) $700 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.5% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 19 8.7% (2011 est.) 2.2% (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$939.7 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 178 $899.9 million (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods

Industrial production growth rate

8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

17% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 215 20% (2011 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

27.5% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 32

Labor force

1.935 million (2007) country comparison to the world: 122

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2004 est.)

Public debt

118% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 11 118.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$171.2 million (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 159 $114.8 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$3.889 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 135 $3.156 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.947 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 122 $3.2 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.817 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 131 $1.471 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

27% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 116

Unemployment rate

NA%

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

798,200 Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 172

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 130

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 129

Electricity - consumption

242 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 181

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 191

Electricity - from fossil fuels

99.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 58

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 169

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Electricity - installed generating capacity

139,000 kW (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 163

Electricity - production

277 million kWh (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 174

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 140

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 192

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 191

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 134

Refined petroleum products - consumption

4,480 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 175

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,670 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 144

Area

total: 117,600 sq km country comparison to the world: 101 land: 101,000 sq km water: 16,600 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, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands

Coastline

2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.3 cu km/yr (3%/0%/97%) per capita: 68 cu m/yr (2000)

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 24 May 1993

Irrigated land

210 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 1,626 km border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Land use

arable land: 4.78% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 95.19% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms volcanism: Dubbi (elev. 1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011

Natural resources

gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, 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

Total renewable water resources

6.3 cu km (2001)

Administrative divisions

6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (South), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Capital

name: Asmara (Asmera) geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

adopted 23 May 1997, but has not yet been fully implemented

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Sue BREMNER embassy: 179 Ala Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires BERHANE Gebrehiwet Solomon chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)

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 and is head of the State Council and National Assembly head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993) cabinet: State Council the collective is executive authority; members appointed by the president (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election was held on 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%, other 5%

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; green stands for the country's agriculture economy, red signifies the blood shed in the fight for freedom, and blue symbolizes the bounty of the sea; the wreath-olive branch symbol is similar to that on the first flag of Eritrea from 1952; the shape of the red triangle broadly mimics the shape of the country

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 People's 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; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001 but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice

Independence

24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS (observer), MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Regional, subregional, and village courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms) 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 countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely

National anthem

name: "Ertra, Ertra, Ertra" (Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea) lyrics/music: SOLOMON Tsehaye Beraki/Isaac Abraham MEHAREZGI and ARON Tekle Tesfatsion note: adopted 1993; upon independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea adopted its own national anthem

National holiday

Independence Day, 24 May (1993)

National symbol(s)

camel

Political parties and leaders

People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government); note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has yet to debate or vote on it

Political pressure groups and leaders

Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Eritrean Kunama (DMLEK); Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA) [TEWELDE Ghebreselasie]; Eritrean National Congress for Democratic Change (ENCDC) [YUSEF Berhanu]; Eritrean National Salvation Front (ENSF) [AHMAD Nasser]; Eritrean Islamic Party for Justice and Development (EIPJD) (includes the Eritrean Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM), Eritrean Islamic Salvation, and the Eritrean Islamic Foundation); Eritrean People's Democratic Party (EPDF); Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The UN awarded Eritrea 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 hosted a UN peacekeeping operation that monitored a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone (TSZ) on the border with Ethiopia. Eritrea's denial of fuel to the mission caused the UN to withdraw the mission and terminate its mandate 31 July 2008. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. On 30 November 2007, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission remotely demarcated the border by coordinates and dissolved itself, leaving Ethiopia still occupying several tracts of disputed territory, including the town of Badme. Eritrea accepted the EEBC's "virtual demarcation" decision and called on Ethiopia to remove its troops from the TSZ that it states is Eritrean territory. Ethiopia has not accepted the virtual demarcation decision. In 2009 and 2011 the UN passed sanctions resolutions on Eritrea after accusing it of backing anti-Ethiopian Islamist insurgents in Somalia.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 1,350,446 females age 16-49: 1,362,575 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 896,096 females age 16-49: 953,757 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 66,829 female: 66,731 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Eritrean Armed Forces: Eritrean Ground Forces, Eritrean Navy, Eritrean Air Force (includes Air Defense Force) (2011)

Military expenditures

6.3% of GDP (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 8

Military service age and obligation

18-40 years of age for male and female voluntary and compulsory military service; 16-month conscript service obligation (2006)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.7% (male 1,275,272/ female 1,262,833) 15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,632,984/ female 1,692,554) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 98,495/ female 124,357) (2012 est.)

Birth rate

32.1 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 38

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

34.5% (2002) country comparison to the world: 11

Death rate

7.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 105

Education expenditures

2% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 155

Ethnic groups

nine recognized ethnic groups: Tigrinya 55%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Kunama 2%, Rashaida 2%, Bilen 2%, other (Afar, Beni Amir, Nera) 5% (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.8% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

HIV/AIDS - deaths

1,700 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

25,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Health expenditures

7% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 82

Hospital bed density

1.15 beds/1,000 population (2006)

Infant mortality rate

total: 40.34 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 61 male: 45.69 deaths/1,000 live births female: 34.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.)

Languages

Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 62.86 years country comparison to the world: 179 male: 60.73 years female: 65.06 years (2012 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.8% male: 78.7% female: 57.5% (2010 est.)

Major cities - population

ASMARA (capital) 649,000 (2009)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

240 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 47

Median age

total: 18.9 years male: 18.5 years female: 19.2 years (2012 est.)

Nationality

noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 83

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

3.3% (2004) country comparison to the world: 63

Physicians density

0.05 physicians/1,000 population (2004)

Population

6,086,495 (July 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 107

Population growth rate

2.418% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 34

Religions

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 52% of population rural: 4% of population total: 14% of population unimproved: urban: 48% of population rural: 96% of population total: 86% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 5 years male: 6 years female: 4 years (2009)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.37 children born/woman (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 35

Urbanization

urban population: 22% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 5.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but, neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups; in 2008 Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 3,773 (Somalia) (2012) IDPs: 10,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; it has not been possible to confirm whether whether remaining IDPs are still living with hosts or have been returned or resettled) (2009)

Trafficking in persons

current situation: Eritrea is a source country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; each year, large numbers of migrant workers depart Eritrea in search of work, particularly in the Gulf States, where some are likely to become victims of forced labor, including in domestic servitude, or commercial sexual exploitation; Eritrean children also work in various economic sectors, including domestic service, street vending, small-scale factories, and agriculture; child laborers frequently suffer abuse from their employers and some may be subjected to conditions of forced labor tier rating: Tier 3 - the Government of Eritrea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the Eritrean Government does not operate with transparency and published neither data nor statistics regarding its efforts to combat human trafficking; the government made no known progress in prosecuting and punishing trafficking crimes over the reporting period and did not appear to provide any significant assistance to victims of trafficking (2009)

Airports

13 (2012) country comparison to the world: 152

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2012)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2012)

Heliports

1 (2012)

Merchant marine

total: 4 country comparison to the world: 129 by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2010)

Ports and terminals

Assab, Massawa

Railways

total: 306 km country comparison to the world: 119 narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2008)

Roadways

total: 4,010 km country comparison to the world: 158 paved: 874 km unpaved: 3,136 km (2000)