An Overview of Eritrea Profile

[BBC]

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

[afroboy]

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

Attribution: CNN, BBC and IOL Africa.