Facts About Eritrea

A former Italian colony, Eritrea was occupied by the British in 1941. In 1952 the United Nations resolved to establish it as an autonomous entity federated with Ethiopia as a compromise between Ethiopian claims for sovereignty and Eritrean aspirations for independence. However, 10 years later the Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, decided to annex it, triggering a 32-year armed struggle.

* Full name: The State of Eritrea
* Population: 5.2 million (UN, 2010)
* Capital: Asmara
* Area: 117,400 sq km (45,300 sq miles)
* Major languages: Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic, English
* Major religions: Islam, Christianity
* Life expectancy: 59 years (men), 64 years (women) (UN)
* Monetary unit: 1 Nakfa = 100 cents
* Main exports: Livestock, hides, sorghum, textiles, salt, light manufactures
* GNI per capita: US $300 (World Bank, 2009)
* Internet domain: .er
* International dialling code: +291

Facts About Eritrea

Today, a fragile peace prevails and Eritrea faces the gigantic tasks of rebuilding its infrastructure and of developing its economy after more than 30 years of fighting.

This culminated in independence after an alliance of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) and a coalition of Ethiopian resistance movements defeated Haile Selassie's communist successor, Mengistu Haile Mariam.

In 1993, in a referendum supported by Ethiopia, Eritreans voted almost unanimously for independence, leaving Ethiopia landlocked.

The two countries hardly became good neighbours, with the issues of Ethiopian access to the Eritrean ports of Massawa and Assab and unequal trade terms souring relations.

In 1998 border disputes around the town of Badme erupted into open hostilities. This conflict ended with a peace deal in June 2000, but not before leaving both sides with tens of thousands of soldiers dead. A security zone separates the two countries. The UN patrolled the zone at one time but pulled out, unable to fulfil its mandate.

The unresolved border issue compounds other pressing problems. These include Eritrea's inability to provide enough food; two thirds of the population receive food aid. Moreover, economic progress is hampered by the proportion of Eritreans who are in the army rather than the workforce.

Facts About Eritrea