The InfoStride Forum

Eritrea emerged from its long war of independence in 1993 only to plunge once again into military conflict, first with Yemen and then, more devastatingly, with its old adversary, Ethiopia.

•   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

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.

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.

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.

BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13349078)

Provides an overview of Eritrea, including key events and facts for this country on the Horn of Africa.

Attribution: CNN, BBC and IOL Africa.