Eritrea's population is comprised of nine ethnic groups, most of which speak Semitic or Cushitic languages. The Tigrinya and Tigre make up four-fifths of the population and speak different, but related and somewhat mutually intelligible, Semitic languages. Tigrinya and Arabic are the most frequently used languages for commercial and official transactions, but English is widely spoken and is the language used for secondary and university education. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional beliefs live in the lowland regions. 14th century BC diplomatic letter in Akkadian, found in Tell Amarna. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... The Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group on the Horn of Africa whose language is called Tigrinya. ... The Tigre are an ethnic group of Eritrea who speak the Tigre language. ... Tigrinya (also spelt Tigrigna) is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigray people in central Eritrea, where it is one of the main working languages (Eritrea does not have official languages), and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, where it also has official status, and among groups of emigrants from... The Arabic language ( ), or simply Arabic ( ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Representation of a university class, 1350s. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian and Urdu: مسلمان, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of Islam. ...

The present composition of the Eritrean population is the result of a complex and extensive intermixing of different peoples of North African, Near and Middle Eastern, and south-Saharan origin. The two main groups inhabiting the country are the Tigray, descended from Arabian conquerors. On the basis of historical, linguistic, and genetic data, it has been suggested that the Eritrean and Ethiopian population has been strongly affected by Caucasoid migrations since Neolithic times. Typical Caucasoid skull Caucasoid is a racial classification usually used as part of a phenotypal system, also including other classifications such as Australoid, Mongoloid, Negroid, and sometimes others such as Capoid. ...

Current Demographic data (2006)

Population: 4,786,994 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458; female 1,046,955)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153; female 1,268,189)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112; female 86,127) (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.47% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 34.33 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) For other uses, see Death (disambiguation). ...

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) This article is about non-human migration. ...

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 59.03 years
male: 57.44 years
female: 60.66 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.) Fertility is the ability of people or animals to produce healthy offspring in abundance. ...

Nationality:
noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ...

Ethnic groups: There are 9 ethnic groups: Afar, Bilen, Beja (Hedareb), Kunama, Nara, Rashaida, Saho, Tigre and Tigrinya. Afar (or Danakil) are a tribal people who reside principally in the Danakil Desert in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in Eritrea and Djibouti. ... The Bilen, Blin or Bilin are an African ethnic group of south-central Eritrea, in and around the city of Keren, and south toward Asmara, the capital city. ... BEJA PEOPLE The Beja tribes are the indigenous inhabitants of the Eastern Region of the Sudan. ... The Hedareb people include the Beni-Amer people who have retained the use of the Beja language, To-Bedawi (Hedareb). ... The Kunama are an ethnic group living in Eritrea and Ethiopia, making up only 2 percent of the population of Eritrea, where they are one of the smallest ethnic groups. ... The Nara are an ethnic group living in Eritrea and make up less than 1% of the population. ... The Rashaida are a nomadic people in Sudan (68,000) and Eritrea (225,000). ... The Saho are an ethnic group living largely in the Southern and Northern Red Sea regions of Eritrea, but some also live in adjacent parts of Ethiopia. ... The Tigre are an ethnic group of Eritrea who speak the Tigre language. ... The Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group on the Horn of Africa whose language is called Tigrinya. ...

U.S. State Department^[1]: Tigrinya 50%, Tigre 31.4%, Saho 5%, Afar 5%, Beja 2.5%, Bilen 2.1%, Kunama 2%, Nara 1.5%, and Rashaida .5%. The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ...

CIA Factbook: Tigrinya: 50%, Tigre and Kunama: 40%, Afar: 4%, Saho: 3%

Religions: Coptic Christian, Sunni Islam, Roman Catholic, Protestant Christ - Coptic Art Coptic Orthodox Christianity is the indigenous form of Christianity that, according to tradition, the apostle Mark established in Egypt in the middle of the 1st century AD (approximately AD 60). ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Languages: Afar, Arabic (spoken by the Rashaida), Beja (spoken by the Hedareb), Blin, Kunama, Nara, Saho, Tigre, Tigrinya, English as a second language. Tigrinya and Arabic are the foremost second languages. Afar is a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. ... The Arabic language ( ), or simply Arabic ( ), is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Beja (also called Bedawi, Bedauye, To Bedawie) is an Afro-Asiatic language of the southern coast of the Red Sea, spoken by about two million nomads in parts of Egypt, Sudan, and Eritrea. ... Note: Blin is the English spelling which is prefered by native speakers, but Bilin and Bilen are also commonly used. ... The Kunama language is spoken by the Kunama people who straddle the Eritrean, Ethiopian border (in the west). ... The Nara language is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken chiefly in western Eritrea. ... The Saho language is an East Cushitic language of Eritrea, spoken in the middle of the country, as well as by a small group across the border in Ethiopia. ... Tigre is a Semitic language descended from Geez and is closely related to Tigrinya and Amharic. ... Tigrinya (also spelt Tigrigna) is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigray people in central Eritrea, where it is one of the main working languages (Eritrea does not have official languages), and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, where it also has official status, and among groups of emigrants from... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6%
male: 69.9%
female: 47.6% (2003 est.) World literacy rates by country The traditional definition of literacy is the ability to use language–to read, write, listen, and speak. ...

References

1. ^ U.S. State Department - Eritrea. Accessed May 21, 2006.

This article contains material from the CIA World Factbook (2006 edition) which, as a US government publication, is in the public domain. World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ...

See also

• Eritrea
• Languages of Eritrea
• Culture of Eritrea

Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

External links

• Languages in Eritrea
• Ethnic groups in Eritrea