Eritrea

Another article treats the Greek city of Eretria.

Eritrea is a country in northeast Africa. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the east. The northeast of the country has an extensive coastline with the Red Sea. Having achieved independence in 1993 from Ethiopia, Eritrea is currently one of the youngest independent states.

Hagere Ertra

(In Detail)
National motto: None
Official languages	Tigrigna, Arabic and English
Capital	Asmara
President	Isaias Afewerki
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 96th 121,320 km² Negligible
Population  - Total (2002)  - Density	Ranked 118th 4,298,269 37/km²
Independence  - Limited  - Fully	From Ethiopia  May 29, 1991  May 24, 1993
Currency	Nakfa
Time zone	UTC +3
National anthem	Ertra, Ertra, Ertra
Internet TLD	.ER
Calling Code	291

History

Main article: History of Eritrea

Eritrea had been ruled by many powers before it was colonised by the Italians in 1885. The Italians remained in power until they were defeated by Allied Forces in World War II (1941), and Eritrea became a British protectorate. After the war, the United Nations eventually decided that the area was to become part of a federation with Ethiopia. When Eritrean independence fighters rioted in the early 1960s, the land was annexed by Ethiopia, starting a 30-year long civil war.

This war ended in 1991, when Eritrean forces defeated the Ethiopian army. Two years later, after a referendum, independence was declared.

In 1998, a border war with Ethiopia broke out which killed thousands of soldiers from both countries and left Eritrea with significant economic and social stresses, including massive population displacement, reduced economic development, and one of Africa's more severe landmine problems. The border war ended in 2002 with a negotiated agreement known as the "Algiers Agreement". One of the terms of the agreement was the establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation, known as the United Nations Mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE); over 4,000 UN peacekeepers remain as of August 2004. Another term of the Algiers agreement was the establishment of a final demarcation of the disputed border area between Eritrea and Ethiopia. An independent, UN-associated boundary commission known as the Ethiopian-Eritrean Boundary Commission (EEBC), after extensive study, issued a final border ruling in 2003, but its decision was rejected by Ethiopia. As of August 2004 the border question remains in dispute, even while a tentative peace remains in place.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Eritrea

Because the Eritrean constitution is not yet in effect, the unicameral Eritrean parliament, the National Assembly, is entirely populated by members of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). This assembly of 150 seats, formed in 1993 shortly after independence, elected the current president Isaias Afewerki. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled. Independent local sources of political information on Eritrean domestic politics are scarce; in 2001 the government closed down all of the nation's privately owned print media and outspoken critics of the government have been allegedly arrested and held without trial, according to various international observers including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. In 2004 the U.S. State Department declared Eritrea a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its record of religious persecution.

Two years ago the government of this small African country eliminated all religious activity outside of four state-sanctioned groups. All other religious groups have been forced to close, and several hundred Protestant Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses remain in prison for their beliefs. Those incarcerated are reportedly suffering from severe torture and pressure to renounce their faith. Those not imprisoned have been detained and interrogated.

Regions

Main article: Regions of Eritrea

Eritrea is divided into 6 regions:

• Central (Maekel)
• Anseba
• Southern Red Sea (Debubawi-Keih-Bahri)
• Northern Red Sea (Semienawi-Keih-Bahri)
• Southern (Debub)
• Gash-Barka

Geography

Main article: Geography of Eritrea

Eritrea is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the northeast and east by the Red Sea. Off the sandy and arid coastline, the Dahlak Islands are situated, an archipelago with fishing grounds. The land to the south, in the highlands, is slightly less dry, and cooler. The highest point of the country, Soira, is located in the centre of Eritrea, at 3018 m above sea level.

The main cities of the country are the capital city of Asmara, the port town of Assab in the southeast, as well as the towns of Massawa and Keren.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Eritrea

Since independence from Ethiopia, 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 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth in 1999 fell to less than 1%, and GDP decreased by 8.2% 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. Eritrea's economic future remains mixed. The cessation of Ethiopian trade, which mainly used Eritrean ports before the war, leaves Eritrea with a large economic hole to fill. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master fundamental social problems like illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to convert the diaspora's money and expertise into economic growth.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Eritrea

Eritrea's two main ethnic groups are the Tigrigna, which forms about half of the population, and the Tigre and Kunama, which amount to circa 40%. The remainder includes Afar and Saho. The local Tigrignan and the wider Arabic language are the two predominant working languages for official purposes, but Amharic languages as well as English are also spoken.

The dominant religions are Christianity and Islam with each group representing roughly 50% of the population. The Christians consist primarily of the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the local Oriental Orthodox church, but small groups of Roman Catholics and Protestants also exist.

Members of the Eritrean Orthodox Church are sometimes described as Coptic Christians because the hierarchy of that church was formerly subject to that of the Tawahido Church of Ethiopia, which was in turn formerly (before 1950) subject to the Coptic Pope. But the word Coptic means Egyptian or indigenous (pre-Arab) Egyptian, and so is a misnomer.

The vast majority of Muslims in Eritrea are Sunni Muslims.

Religion

Main article: Culture of Eritrea

Eritrea only recognizes the Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox or Evangelical churches all other religions are not registered and not allowed to worship freely.

People who believe other faiths are routinely persecuted by government and police forces, according to human rights groups.

The Eritrean government's registration system forced religious groups to submit personal information in order to be allowed to worship, and has systematically carried on a campaign of harassment and persecution on its own countries citizens who belong to a religion which isn't allowed official registration by the government.

Jehovah's Witnesses have according to reports been singled out for special harsh treatment for their refusal to perform military service.

The U.S. State Department has condemned such actions divulging that "Some of the detainees had reportedly been rolled around in oil drums, abused by fellow prisoners and the women sexually abused"

Articles by BBC news concerning the religious situation in Eritrea:

• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3663654.stm
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3343635.stm

• See also: Eritrean Orthodox Church

See also: Music of Eritrea

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Eritrea
• Transportation in Eritrea
  • Eritrean Railway
• Military of Eritrea
• Foreign relations of Eritrea
• Zula

External links

• Dehai (http://dehai.org) - DEHAI-Eritrea OnLine
• Shaebia (http://www.shaebia.org/artman/publish/index.html) - Official site of the PFDJ
• Ertra.com (http://www.ertra.com) - Eritrean portal
• MESKEREM (http://www.meskerem.net) - THE FIRST ERITREAN OPPOSITION WEBSITE
• BBC highlights crisis in Eritrea due to high oil price (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3747600.stm)

de:Eritrea es:Eritrea eo:Eritreo fr:Érythrée it:Eritrea la:Erythraea nl:Eritrea ja:エリトリア no:Eritrea pt:Eritreia ru:Эритрея sl:Eritreja fi:Eritrea sv:Eritrea uk:Еритрея

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