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Background:
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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 on 12 December 2000. Eritrea currently
hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a
25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with
Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to
resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002
but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian
objections. |
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Location:
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Eastern
Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and
Sudan |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 N,
39 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
121,320 sq km
land: 121,320 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
larger than Pennsylvania |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912
km, Sudan 605 km |
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Coastline:
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2,234 km
total; mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea
1,083 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm |
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Climate:
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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 in
coastal desert |
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Terrain:
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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 |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75
m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m |
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Natural resources:
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gold,
potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural
gas, fish |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 4.95%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 95.02% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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220 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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frequent
droughts; locust swarms |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; desertification; soil erosion;
overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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4,561,599
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 44.8% (male 1,023,898/female 1,019,389)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 1,170,823/female
1,194,741)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 74,312/female
78,436) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
17.54 years
male: 17.35 years
female: 17.73 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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2.51%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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38.62
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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13.53
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: UNHCR began repatriating about 150,000
Eritrean refugees from Sudan in 2001 following the
restoration of diplomatic relations between the two
countries in 2000 (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
74.87 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 82.28 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 67.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 58.47 years
male: 56.96 years
female: 60.02 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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5.61
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.7%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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60,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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6,300
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in
some locations (2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean |
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Ethnic groups:
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ethnic
Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red
Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3% |
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Religions:
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Muslim,
Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant |
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Languages:
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Afar,
Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic
languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: 58.6%
male: 69.9%
female: 47.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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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
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Government type:
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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 had been scheduled in December 2001, but were
postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party
is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)
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Capital:
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Asmara
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Administrative divisions:
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6 regions
(zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern),
Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka,
Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red
Sea) |
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Independence:
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24 May
1993 (from Ethiopia) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 24 May (1993) |
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Constitution:
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a
transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was
replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997,
but not yet implemented |
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Legal system:
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primary
basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with
revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have
not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and
post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases
involving Muslims, Sharia law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government and is head of the
State Council and National Assembly
cabinet: State Council is the collective
executive authority; members appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National
Assembly; election last held 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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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, that 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 |
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Judicial branch:
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High
Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also
have military and special courts |
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Political parties and leaders:
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People's
Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party
recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a
National Assembly committee drafted a law on political
parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly
has not yet debated or voted on it |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Eritrean
Islamic Jihad or EIJ [leader NA] (also including
Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as
the Abu Sihel Movement) [leader NA]); Eritrean Islamic
Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement)
[leader NA]; Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH
Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a
coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF
factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or
EPF [ARADOM Iyob] |
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International organization participation:
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ACP,
AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador GIRMA Asmerom
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
consulate(s) general: Oakland (California) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI
embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara
mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara
telephone: [291] (1) 120004
FAX: [291] (1) 127584 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Since
independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has
faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor
country. Like the economies of many African nations, the
economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture,
with 80% of the population involved in farming and
herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely
hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999
and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive
into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in
property damage and loss, including losses of $225
million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack
prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive
region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even
during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation
infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its
ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges.
Since the war ended, 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. Erratic rainfall and the
delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the
military kept cereal production well below normal,
holding down growth in 2002-04. Eritrea's economic
future depends upon its ability to master social
problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low
skills, and to open its economy to private enterprise so
the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic
growth. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$4.154
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2.5%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 25.9%
services: 61.7% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% |
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Unemployment rate:
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NA (2003
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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50% (2004
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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10% (2004
est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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26.3% of
GDP (2002) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $235.2 million
expenditures: $373.2 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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sorghum,
lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee,
sisal; livestock, goats; fish |
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Industries:
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food
processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt,
cement, commercial ship repair |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA |
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Electricity - production:
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246.6
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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229.4
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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6,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Current account balance:
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$-144.9
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$64.44
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures
(2000) |
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Exports - partners:
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Malaysia
26.6%, Italy 17.1%, Japan 8%, Germany 6.6%, China 5%, UK
4.9%, US 4.7%, France 4.4%, Poland 4.2% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$622
million f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
(2000) |
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Imports - partners:
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Ireland
26.6%, US 18.6%, Italy 16.6%, Turkey 6.4% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$30.87
million (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$311
million (2000 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$77
million (1999) |
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Currency (code):
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nakfa
(ERN) |
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Currency code:
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ERN |
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Exchange rates:
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nakfa
(ERN) per US dollar - 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003),
13.958 (2002), 11.31 (2001), 9.625 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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38,100
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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NA |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: inadequate
domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in
Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to
improve the system (2002)
international: country code - 291; note -
international connections exist |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM
NA, shortwave 2 (2000) |
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Radios:
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345,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2000)
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Televisions:
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1,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.er |
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Internet hosts:
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1,047
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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5 (2001)
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Internet users:
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9,500
(2003) |
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Railways:
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total:
306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
4,010 km
paved: 874 km
unpaved: 3,136 km (1999 est.) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Assab,
Massawa |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,069 GRT/19,549 DWT
by type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum
tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
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Airports:
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17 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
13
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army,
Navy, Air Force |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary and compulsory military service;
conscript service obligation - 16 months (2004) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: NA (2005) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$151
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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13.4%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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Eritrea
and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea
Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but
despite international intervention, mutual animosities,
accusations and armed posturing prevail, preventing
demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the
delimited boundary until technical errors made by the
EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed,
including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000
war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be
implemented immediately without modifications; since
2000, the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and
Eritrea (UNMEE) monitors the 25km-wide Temporary
Security Zone in Eritrea until the demarcation; Sudan
accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups;
Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish
Islands awarded to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999 |
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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IDPs:
59,000 (border war with Ethiopia from 1998-2000; most
IDPs are near the central border region) (2004) |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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