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Hagere Ertra ሃገረ ኤርትራ دولة إرتريا Dawlat Iritriya State of Eritrea
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Ertra, Ertra, Ertra
Capital (and largest city)		Asmara 15°20′N, 38°55′E
Official languages		none at national level1 (Tigrinya, Arabic
Demonym		Eritrean
Government		Transitional government
-	President	Isaias Afewerki
Independence		from Ethiopia
-	de facto	May 24, 1991
-	de jure	May 24, 1993
Area
-	Total	117,600 km² (100th) 45,405 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	July 2005 estimate	4,401,009 (118th)
-	2002 census	4,298,270
-	Density	37/km² (165th) 96/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2005 estimate
-	Total	$4.471 billion (168th)
-	Per capita	$1,000 (147)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0.483 (low) (157th)
Currency		Nakfa (ERN)
Time zone		EAT (UTC+3)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.er
Calling code		+291
1	Working languages: Tigrigna, Arabic, Italian,English [1], [2].

Eritrea (IPA: /ˌɛrɨˈtreɪə/, /ˌɛrɨˈtriːə/) (Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country situated in Northeast Africa. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast. The east and northeast of the country have an extensive coastline on the Red Sea, directly across from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands are part of Eritrea. Note: This article contains special characters. ... The UTF-8-encoded Japanese Wikipedia article for mojibake, as displayed in ISO-8859-1 encoding. ... Eritrea may refer to: Eritrea, the modern African state. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Eritrea. ... Image File history File links Eritrea_coa. ... Flag ratio: 1:2 The current flag of Eritrea was adopted on December 5, 1995, and uses the basic layout of the flag of the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front, with the wreath with upright olive branch symbol derived from the 1952 flag. ... The Coat of Arms of Eritrea was adopted May 24, 1993, on the date of declaration of independence. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Ertra, Ertra, Ertra is the national anthem of Eritrea. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Eritreas population is comprised of nine ethnic groups, most of which speak Semitic or Cushitic languages. ... Asmara (English) (Geez: አሥመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in Arabic: Asmaraa) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... Tigrinya (Geez ትግርኛ tigriññā, also spelled Tigrigna) is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigray-Tigrinya people in central Eritrea (there referred to as the Tigrinya people), where it is one of the main working languages (Eritrea does not have official languages), and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia (whose... Arabic redirects here. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... A transitional government is a temporary national administration usually put into place pending the establishment of a permanent government. ... List of Heads of State of Eritrea (Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office) Political Affiliations See also Eritrea Heads of Government of Eritrea Provincial Heads of Eritrea Lists of incumbents Categories: Lists of office-holders | Eritrea ... U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki shake hands in Eritrea Isaias Afewerki (born 2 February 1945) is the first president of Eritrea. ... De facto is a Latin expression that means in fact or in practice. It is commonly used as opposed to de jure (meaning by law) when referring to matters of law or governance or technique (such as standards), that are found in the common experience as created or developed without... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... Look up De jure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... The nakfa is the currency of Eritrea, divided into 100 cents. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Africa: Striped colours indicate countries observing daylight saving East Africa Time, or EAT, is a time zone used in eastern Africa. ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .er is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Eritrea. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Tigrigna (or ትግሪኛ) is a Semitic language spoken in Eritrea, where it is the official language, and in parts of Ethiopia and Israel. ... Arabic redirects here. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Map of Africa with the northeastern countries highlighted North East Africa is the northeastern portion of the African continent. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... The Dahlak Archipelago Dahlak Archipelago seen from Spot satellite The Dahlak Archipelago is an island group located in the Red Sea near Massawa, Eritrea. ... The Hanish Islands are an island group in the Red Sea. ...

Eritrea was conquered by Italy and formally consolidated into a colony by the Italian government on January 1, 1890. Upon Italy's losses in World War II, Eritrea was ruled as a United Nations protectorate between 1941 and 1952 administered by the British; the UN flag flew over all official buildings.^[1] This article is about a type of political territory. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ...

On December 2, 1950 the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 390 A (V) to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia.^[2] From September 1951 to November 1962, Eritrea was an autonomous territory federated with Ethiopia. is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term fédérés (sometimes translated to English as federates) most commonly refers to the troops who volunteered for the French National Guard in the summer of 1792 during the French Revolution. ...

Increasing unrest and resistance in Eritrea against the federation with Ethiopia eventually led to a decision by the Ethiopian government to annex Eritrea as its 14th province in 1962. An Eritrean independence movement formed in the early 1960s which later erupted into a 31 year long civil war against successive Ethiopian governments that ended in 1991. Following a UN supervised referendum in Eritrea dubbed UNOVER in which the Eritrean people overwhelmingly voted for independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea declared its independence and gained international recognition in 1993.^[3] Eritrea's constitution, adopted in 1997, stipulates that the state is a presidential republic with a unicameral parliamentary democracy. The constitution, however, has not yet been implemented fully due to, according to the government, the prevailing border conflict with Ethiopia which began in May 1998. This article is about the definition of the specific type of war. ... The UN Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea (UNOVER) was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 47/114 of 1992-12-16 and lasted until 1993-04-25. ... Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in red and orange—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ...

Eritrea is a multilingual and multicultural country with two dominant religions (Coptic Orthodox Christianity and Sunni Islam) and nine ethnic groups. The country has no official languages but the government makes use of two "working languages" Tigrinya and Arabic in all its official communication, in addition to the other languages used in more specific contexts. English is also used in all of the government's international communication and is the language of instruction in all education beyond 5th grade. Italian is also spoken by some people of the older generations who lived and acquired this language during the colonial era.^[4] The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church is an Oriental Orthodox church. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... Tigrinya (Geez ትግርኛ tigriññā, also spelled Tigrigna) is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigray-Tigrinya people in central Eritrea (there referred to as the Tigrinya people), where it is one of the main working languages (Eritrea does not have official languages), and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia (whose... Arabic redirects here. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

History

Main article: History of Eritrea

The oldest written reference to the territory now known as Eritrea is the chronicled expedition launched to the fabled Punt (or Ta Netjeru, meaning land of the Gods) by the Ancient Egyptians in the twenty-fifth century BC under Pharaoh Sahure. Later sources from the Pharaoh Hatshepsut in the fifteenth century BC present a more detailed portrayal of an expedition in search of incense. The geographical location of the missions to Punt is described as roughly corresponding to the southern west coast of the Red Sea. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Land of Punt, also called Pwenet[1] by the ancient Egyptians, at times synonymous with Ta netjer, the land of the god [2], was a fabled site in the Horn of Africa and was the source of many exotic products, such as gold, aromatic resins, African blackwood, ebony, ivory... Map of Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt was the civilization of the Nile Valley between about 3000 BC and the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. As a civilization based on irrigation it is the quintessential example of an hydraulic empire. ... For other uses, see Pharaoh (disambiguation). ... Father Userkaf(?) Mother Khentkaus I Died 2475 BC Major Monuments Pyramid at Abusir Sahure was the second king of ancient Egypts 5th Dynasty. ... Maatkare[1] Truth is the Ka of Re Nomen Khnumt-Amun Hatshepsut[1] Joined with Amun, Foremost of Noble Ladies Horus name Wesretkau [1] Mighty of Kas Nebty name Wadjrenput[1] Flourishing of years Golden Horus Netjeretkhau[1] Divine of appearance Consort(s) Thutmose II Issue Neferure Father Thutmose I... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ...

The modern name Eritrea was first employed by the Italian colonialists in the late nineteenth century. It is the Italian form of the Greek name Erythraîa (Ερυθραία; see also List of traditional Greek place names), which derives from the Greek term for the Red Sea `Erithrá thálassa (Ἐρυθρὰ Θάλασσα). This is a list of traditional Greek place names. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ...

Pre-history

One of the oldest hominids, representing a possible link between Homo erectus and an archaic Homo sapiens, was found in Buya (Eritrean Danakil) in 1995 by Italian scientists. The cranium was dated to over 1 million years old.^[5] Furthermore, the Eritrean Research Project Team, composed of Eritrean, Canadian, American, Dutch, and French scientists, discovered in 1999, some of the earliest remains in the world, of humans using tools to harvest marine resources, at a site near the bay of Zula south of Massawa. The site contained obsidian tools dated to over 125,000 years old, from the paleolithic era.^[6] Epipaleolithic or mesolithic cave paintings in central and northern Eritrea attest to early hunter-gatherers in this region. Binomial name (Dubois, 1892) Synonyms † Pithecanthropus erectus † Sinanthropus pekinensis † Javanthropus soloensis † Meganthropus paleojavanicus Homo erectus (Latin: upright man) is an extinct species of the genus Homo. ... Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man) is the scientific name for the human species. ... Main articles: History of Canada, Timeline of Canadian history Canada has been inhabited by aboriginal peoples (known in Canada as First Nations) for at least 40,000 years. ... Zula is a small town in Eritrea near the head of Annesley Bay (also known as the Bay of Zula) on the African coast of the Red Sea. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... // The Paleolithic is a prehistoric era distinguished by the development of stone tools. ... The Epipalaeolithic (or Epi-Palaeolithic, Epipaleolithic, or Epi-Paleolithic) was a period in the development of human technology that immediately precedes the neolithic period, as an alternative to mesolithic. ... The Mesolithic (Greek mesos=middle and lithos=stone or the Middle Stone Age[1]) was a period in the development of human technology between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods of the Stone Age. ...

A US paleontologist, William Sanders of the University of Michigan also discovered a possible missing link between ancient and modern elephants in the form of the fossilized remains of a pig-sized creature in Eritrea. Sanders claims that the dating of the fossil to 27 million years ago also pushes the origins of elephants and mastodons five million years further into the past than previously recorded and asserts that modern elephants originated in Africa, in contrast to mammals such as rhinos that had their origins in Europe and Asia and migrated into Africa. In addition to Sanders, the research team included scientists from the Elephant Research Foundation of Wayne State University in Michigan, USA, University of Asmara in Eritrea; Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA, USA; the Eritrean ministry of mines and energy; Global Resources in Asmara, Eritrea; the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris; the National Museum of Eritrea; and German Primate Center in Gottingen, Germany. Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, ancient; ontos, being; and logos, knowledge) is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ... William Sanders is a statistician at the University of Tennessee who discovered how to measure a teacher’s effect on student performance by tracking the progress of students against themselves over the course of their school career with their assignment to various teachers classes. ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U of M, UM, U-M or simply Michigan) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan. ... For College in Nebraska, see Wayne State College. ... The University of Asmara (UoA) was Eritreas first university and is located in the capital city, Asmara. ... Franklin and Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. ... The Muséum national dHistoire naturelle (MNHN) is the French national museum of natural history. ... The National Museum of Eritrea was innagurated in 1992 by Woldeab Woldemariam. ... The German Primate Centre (DPZ, founded in 1977) is a non-profit independent research and service institute. ...

Early history

The earliest evidence of agriculture, urban settlement and trade in Eritrea was found in the western region of the country consisting of archeological remains dating back to 3500 BC in sites called the Gash group. Based on the archaeological evidence, there seems to have been a connection between the peoples of the Gash group and the civilizations of the Nile Valley namely Ancient Egypt and Nubia.^[7] Ancient Egyptian sources also give references to cities and trading posts along the southwestern Red Sea coast, roughly corresponding to modern day Eritrea, calling this the land of Punt famed for its incense. Expeditions to this very land were launched by the Ancient Egyptians as early as the 25th century BC and were chronicled in more detail in later expeditions during the reign of the female Pharaoh Hatshepsut in the 15th century BC. Cities with at least a million inhabitants in 2006 An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... ... The pyramids are the most recognizable symbols of the civilization of ancient Egypt. ... Nubia (not to be confused with Nuba, a collective term used for the peoples who inhabit the Nuba Mountains, in Kordofan province, Sudan, Africa) is the region in the south of Egypt, along the Nile and in northern Sudan. ... The Land of Punt, also called Pwenet[1] by the ancient Egyptians, at times synonymous with Ta netjer, the land of the god [2], was a fabled site in the Horn of Africa and was the source of many exotic products, such as gold, aromatic resins, African blackwood, ebony, ivory... For other uses, see Pharaoh (disambiguation). ... Maatkare[1] Truth is the Ka of Re Nomen Khnumt-Amun Hatshepsut[1] Joined with Amun, Foremost of Noble Ladies Horus name Wesretkau [1] Mighty of Kas Nebty name Wadjrenput[1] Flourishing of years Golden Horus Netjeretkhau[1] Divine of appearance Consort(s) Thutmose II Issue Neferure Father Thutmose I...

In the highlands, in one of the capital city Asmara's suburbs: Sembel; at the mouth of the river Anseba, another site was found from the ninth century BC of another agricultural and urban settlement that traded both with the Sabaeans across the Red Sea and with the civilizations of the Nile Valley further west along caravan routes that followed the Anseba River. Around this time, several cities with a high amount of Sabean remains (inscriptions, artifacts, monuments, architecture, etc.) seem to emerge in the central highlands and along the central coast including one called Saba. Some are undoubtedly built on top of older sites. Asmara (English) (Geez: አሥመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in Arabic: Asmaraa) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ... Anseba (Tigrinya: ) is an inland region of Eritrea, in the west of the country. ... What is left of Awam Temple or the Sun temple in Marib. ... The Anseba River flows flows from the Eritrean Highlands to the plains Sudan. ...

1913 sketch by the Deutsche Aksum-Expedition of Hawulti, a pre-Aksumite or early Aksumite stela at Matara

. Image File history File links HawultiLittman. ... Image File history File links HawultiLittman. ... 1913 sketch by the Deutche Aksum-Expedition of Hawulti, a pre-Aksumite or early Aksumite stela at Matara. ... Stele is also a concept in plant biology. ... Matara (or Metera), is an archeological site in Eritrea (a few kilometers south of Senafe), it was a major Aksumite & Pre-Aksumite City. ...

Around the eighth century BC, a kingdom known as D'mt was established in what is today Eritrea and northern Ethiopia (Tigray), with its capital at Yeha in northern Ethiopia and which had extensive relations with the Sabeans in present day Yemen across the Red Sea.^[8][9] After D'mt's decline around the fifth century BC, the state of Aksum arose in much of Eritrea and northern Ethiopian Highlands. It grew during the fourth century BC and came into prominence during the first century AD, minting its own coins by the third century, converting in the fourth century to Christianity, as the second official Christian state (after Armenia) and the first country to feature the cross on its coins. According to Mani, it grew to be one of the four greatest civilizations in the world, on a par with China, Persia, and Rome. In the seventh century; with the advent of Islam across the Red Sea in Arabia, Aksum's trade and power on the Red Sea began to decline and the center moved farther inland to the highlands of what is today Ethiopia. Dmt is the Arabic name for a kingdom on the northern Ethiopian plateau that existed from around 800 BC until it was united in the Aksum kingdom around the birth of Jesus. ... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Tigray region. ... Yeha is a town in the north of Ethiopia, located in the region of Tigray. ... Harran, also known as Carrhae, is an archeological site in present day southeastern Turkey, 24 miles (39 kilometers) southeast of Sanli Urfa. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... The Kingdom of Aksum (or Axum, Geez አክሱም), was an important trading nation in northeastern Africa, growing from the proto-Aksumite period ca. ... Ethiopian Highlands with Ras Dashan in the background. ... 5th century gold coin of King Ebana. ... Mani may refer to: Mani Peninsula in Greece Maní, Yucatán, a small city in Yucatán, Mexico Mani, Evros, a town in the northeastern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece Mani (prophet), a third-century Persian prophet, the founder of the dualistic Manichaean religion, which borrowed eclectically from... The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty (Persian: []) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian Empire (226–651). ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ...

Medieval history

During the medieval period, contemporary with and following the gradual disintegration of the Axumite state between the 9th and 10th centuries, several states as well as tribal and clan lands emerged in the area known today as Eritrea. Between the eighth and thirteenth century, northern and northwestern Eritrea had largely come under the domination of the Beja, a Cushitic people from northeastern Sudan. They formed five independent islamic kingdoms known as: Naqis, Baqlin, Bazin, Jarin and Qata.^[10] The Beja brought Islam to large parts of Eritrea and connected the region to the greater Islamic world dominated by the Ummayad Caliphate, followed by the Abbasid (and Mamluk) and later the Ottoman Empire. The Ummayads had taken the Dahlak archipelago by 702. Christians of the Axumite era continued nonetheless to inhabit these areas and retain their religion. The southeastern parts of Eritrea, inhabited by the independent Afar since ancient times, came to form part of the islamic sultanate of Adal in the early 13th century. Parts of the southwestern lowlands of Eritrea, were under the dominion of the then christian/animist Funj sultanate of Sinnar. Beja can refer to: The Beja people, an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa The Beja language Beja, Portugal Béja, Tunisia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... The Umayyad Dynasty (Arabic الأمويون / بنو أمية umawiyy; in Turkish, Emevi) was the first dynasty of caliphs of the Prophet Muhammad who were not closely related to Muhammad himself, though they were of the same Meccan tribe, the Quraish. ... Mashriq Dynasties  Maghrib Dynasties  The Abbasid Caliphate Abbasid (Arabic: , ) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... Mamluk Flag Eastern Mediterranean 1450 Capital Cairo Language(s) Arabic, Kipchak Turkic[1] Religion Islam Government Monarchy History  - As-Salih Ayyubs death 1250  - Battle of Ridanieh 1517 Today part of Egypt Saudi Arabia Syria Palestine Israel Lebanon Jordan Turkey Libya A Mamluk cavalryman, drawn in 1810 A mamluk (Arabic... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320... The Dahlak Archipelago Dahlak Archipelago seen from Spot satellite The Dahlak Archipelago is an island group located in the Red Sea near Massawa, Eritrea. ... 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. ... Adal Sultanate Adal (mythology) Adal (sheep) Adal Ramones Adal (Ancient Turkish Name) Category: ... The Funj sultanate of Sinnar, also Sennar, was a sultanate in the north of Sudan, named Funj after the ethnic group of its dynasty or Sinnar (or Sennar) after its capital, which ruled a substantial area of northeast Africa between 1504 and 1821. ...

In the main highland area and adjacent coastline of what were previously moslem (Beja) ruled areas, there broke out a christian Kingdom called Midir Bahr or Midri Bahri (Tigrinya for land of the sea) ruled by the Bahr negus or Bahr negash, ("ruler of the sea") in the 15th century.^[11] Barely a century later, An invading force of the islamic Ottoman Empire, under Suleiman I, conquered Massawa in 1557 from the christians, building what is now considered the "old town" of Massawa on Batsi island. They also conquered the towns of Hergigo, and Debarwa, the capital city of the contemporary christian Bahr negus (ruler), Yeshaq. Suleiman's forces fought as far south as southeastern Tigray in Ethiopia before being repulsed. Yeshaq was able to retake much of what the Ottomans captured with Ethiopian assistance, but he later twice revolted against the Emperor of Ethiopia with Ottoman support. By 1578, all revolts had ended, leaving the Ottomans in control of the important ports of Massawa and Hergigo and their environs, and leaving the interior domains (province) which they had dubbed: "Habesh", to Beja Na'ibs (deputies). The Ottomans maintained their dominion over the coastal areas for nearly 300 years, absorbing the coastal areas of the disintegrated Adal sultanate as vassals in the 16th century. The Funj sultanate of Sinnar converted to Islam in the 16th century but maintained independent control of the southwestern areas of Eritrea until being absorbed into the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century. This is a list of Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Suleiman I (Ottoman Turkish: Sulaymān, Turkish: ; almost always Kanuni Sultan Süleyman) (November 6, 1494 – September 5/6, 1566), was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... ARKIKO or (colonial Italian?) ARCHIGO, in modern usage rather spelled HIRGIGO, HARGIGO or HARKIKO, is an island in the Red Sea and part of the Northern Red Sea Zone region of modern Eritrea. ... Debarwa is a market town with a population of about 25 000 in central Eritrea, about 25 km south of the capital Asmara. ... This is a list of Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Bahr negus Yeshaq (died 1578) was a Bahr negus, or noble of medieval Ethiopia. ... Tigray was a province of Ethiopia. ... The Emperor (Geez ንጉሠ ነገሥት, , King of Kings) of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... ARKIKO or (colonial Italian?) ARCHIGO, in modern usage rather spelled HIRGIGO, HARGIGO or HARKIKO, is an island in the Red Sea and part of the Northern Red Sea Zone region of modern Eritrea. ... Habesh (Turkish: ) was an Ottoman province that bordered the Red Sea. ... Beja can refer to: The Beja people, an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa The Beja language Beja, Portugal Béja, Tunisia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The extent of the islamic Beja's rule over the Eritrean interior from the 16th century and on, did not extend very far into the mainly christian highland (Kebessa) areas. With the feodal rule of the Bahr negash severely weakened, the area became dubbed Mereb Mellash by locals and neighboring Ethiopians alike, meaning "beyond the Mereb" (in Tigrinya). This name defined the territory as being north of the Mareb River which to this day is a natural boundary between the modern states of Eritrea and Ethiopia.^[12] Roughly the same area also came to be referred to as Hamasien in the nineteenth century. In these areas, feudal authority was particularly weak or inexistent and the autonomy of the landowning peasantry was particularly strong, a kind of Republic was prevalent, governed by local customary laws legislated by elected elder's councils (shimagile).^[13] In 1770, the Scottish researcher James Bruce describes Hamasien and Abyssinia as "different countries who are often fighting" (SUKE, p.25). The name Hamasien later came to designate a much smaller area in Eritrea, a province immediately surrounding the capital, until being absorbed into the new administrative divisions in 1994. The Mareb River (or Gash River), is the most northerly of the highland rivers of Ethiopia which flow to the northwest, and forms part of the border with Eritrea. ... Hamasien (Tigrinya: ) was the name of a province including and surrounding Asmara, now part of modern Eritrea. ...

Colonial era

A Roman Catholic Priest by the name of Giuseppe Sapetto acting on behalf of a Genovese shipping company called Rubattino in 1869 purchased the locality of Assab from the Afar Sultan of Obock, an Ottoman vassal. This happened in the same year as the opening of the Suez Canal.^[14] In the ongoing Scramble for Africa, Italy as one of the European colonial powers, began vying for a possession along the strategic coast of what was to become the world's busiest shipping lane. With the approval of the Italian parliament and King Umberto I of Italy (later succeeded by his son Victor Emmanuel III), the government of Italy bought the Rubattino company's holdings and expanded its possessions northward along the Red Sea coast toward and beyond Massawa, encroaching on and quickly expelling previously 'Egyptian' possessions. The Italians met with stiffer resistance in the Eritrean highlands from the invading army of the Ethiopian Emperor Yohannes IV of Ethiopia. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... Assab (or Aseb) is a port in Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. ... For other uses, see Suez (disambiguation). ... Cecil Rhodes: Cape-Cairo railway project. ... Umberto I or Humbert I of Italy (Ranieri Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio of Savoy, 14 March 1844 - 29 July 1900), surnamed the Good, was the King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his death. ... Victor Emmanuel III Victor Emmanuel III (Italian: Vittorio Emanuele III) (November 11, 1869 - December 28, 1947), nicknamed The Soldier, was the King of Italy (July 29, 1900 - May 9, 1946), and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia (1936 - 1943) and King of Albania (1939 - 1943). ... The Emperor (Geez ንጉሠ ነገሥት, , King of Kings) of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. ... Emperor Yohannes IV (c. ...

Nevertheless the Italians consolidated their possessions into one colony, henceforth known as Eritrea, territory of Italy as of New Years Day 1890. This led to Italy's first attempt to colonize Ethiopia, under prime minister Francesco Crispi. Italy had offered to make Ethiopia an Italian protectorate, Emperor Menelik of Ethiopia on the other hand, was intent, like his predecessors, on creating an Ethiopian empire of his own by laying claims to- and invading surrounding territories in competition with the European colonialists. He subsequently declared war on the Italians, defeating an Italian incursion on Ethiopian territory at Adowa in 1896. Upon the treaty with Italy, Emperor Menelik II in 1989 stated "The territories north of the Merab Melash (Modern Eritrea) do not belong to nor are under my rule. I am the Emperor of Abysinnia. The lands referred to as Eritrea is not peopled by Abysinnians, they are Adals, Bejas, and Tigres. Abysinnia will defend her territories but it will not fight for foreign lands of which Eritrea is to my knowledge." Italy refrained from further attempts at invading Ethiopia, until 1935, when under Fascism and Mussolini, Italy attempted to conquer Ethiopia again, this time fighting against Emperor Haile Selassie - using its colonies of Eritrea and Italian Somaliland as its base, Italy was successful in conquering Ethiopia. The Kingdom of Italy ruled Eritrea from 1890 to 1940. In 1936, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini created the Italian Empire (Italian East Africa), with the union of Eritrea, Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. Eritrea enjoyed considerable industrialization and development of modern infrastructure during Italian rule (such as roads and the Eritrean Railway). This article is about January 1st in the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthem Marcia Reale dOrdinanza (Royal March of Ordinance)¹ The Kingdom of Italy at the height of its power in 1940. ... Mussolini redirects here. ... Map of Italian East Africa Italian East Africa or Empire of Italian East Africa (Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana, AOI) was a short-lived (1936-1941) Italian colony in Africa consisting of Ethiopia (recently occupied after the Second Italo-Abyssinian War) and the colonies of Italian Somaliland and Eritrea. ... The Eritrean Railway is the only railway system in the African nation of Eritrea (on the Red Sea coast between Sudan and Ethiopia, and independent from the latter in 1993). ...

Map of the Italian Empire, that included Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia (occupation) (1936 - 1941)

The Italians remained the colonial power in Eritrea throughout the lifetime of fascism and the beginnings of World War II when they were defeated by Allied forces in 1941, and Eritrea became a United Nations protectorate placing it under the trusteeship of Great Britain.^[14] Noted artist Aldo Giorgini was a young child caught up in this difficult transitional period, and his experiences during this time became a recurrent theme in his artwork. The best Italian colonial forces were the Eritrean Ascari, who were defined by Amedeo Guillet as "the Prussians of Africa, but without the defects of the Prussians". They actively supported even the Italian guerrilla against the British between 1941 and 1943. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Fascist redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Combatants United Kingdom Anglo-Egyptian Sudan British Somaliland British East Africa British India Gold Coast Nigeria N. Rhodesia S. Rhodesia Union of S. Africa Belgium Belgian Congo Free France Ethiopian irregulars Italy Italian East Africa German Motorized Company Commanders Archibald Wavell William Platt Alan Cunningham Duke of Aosta Guglielmo Nasi... UN redirects here. ... This article is about states protected and/or dominated by a foreign power. ... Aldo Giorgini (born March 15, 1934 in Voghera, Italy), was a noted artist and a pioneer in computer graphics (and father of music producer Mass Giorgini). ... A drawing of an East African Askari in German service by Wilhelm Kuhnert Askari is an Arabic, Turkish, Persian and Swahili word meaning soldier (Arabic: ‘askarī). It was normally used to describe indigenous troops in East Africa and the Middle East serving in the armies of European colonial powers. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Italian Propaganda Poster (1942): We will return! (to the italian African colonies) When the italian army surrendered in Gondar in november 1941, many Italians decided to start a guerrilla warfare in the mountains and deserts of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. ...

After the war, the United Nations conducted a lengthy inquiry regarding the status of Eritrea, with the superpowers each vying for a stake in the state's future. Britain, the last administrator at the time, put forth the suggestion to partition Eritrea between Sudan and Ethiopia, separating Christians and Muslims. The idea was instantly rejected by Eritrean political parties as well as the UN.^[15] The United States point of view was expressed by its then chief foreign policy advisor John Foster Dulles who said: UN redirects here. ...

From the point of view of justice, the opinions of the Eritrean people must receive consideration. Nevertheless, the strategic interests of the United States in the Red Sea Basin and considerations of security and world peace make it necessary that the country [Eritrea] be linked with our ally, Ethiopia.

—John Foster Dulles, 1952

A UN plebiscite voted 46 to 10 to have Eritrea be federated with Ethiopia which was later stipulated on December 2, 1950 in resolution 390 (V). Eritrea would have its own parliament and administration and would be represented in what had been the Ethiopian parliament and would become the federal parliament.^[2] In 1961 the 30-year Eritrean Struggle for Independence began, following the Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I's dissolution of the federation and shutting down of Eritrea's parliament. The Emperor declared Eritrea the fourteenth province of Ethiopia in 1962.^[16] A map displaying todays federations. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The House of Representatives Chamber of the Parliament of Australia in Canberra. ... Combatants Eritrean Liberation Front Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front Ethiopia Cuba The Eritrean War of Independence started on 1 September 1961 when Hamid Idris Awate and his companions fired the first shots against the occupying Ethiopian Army and Police. ... Haile Selassie Haile Selassie (Power of Trinity) (July 23, 1892 – August 27, 1975) was the last Emperor (1930–1936; 1941–1974) of Ethiopia, and is a religious symbol in the Rastafarian movement. ...

Struggle for independence

The sandals worn by the fighters of independence have become iconic. This monument in Asmara was erected in memoriam.

Eritreans formed the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) and rebelled. The ELF was initially a conservative grass-roots movement dominated by Muslim lowlanders and thus received backing from Arab socialist governments such as Syria and Egypt. Ethiopia's imperial government received support from the United States which had established a radio listening base (the Kagnew base) in Eritrea's Ethiopian-occupied capital, Asmara. Internal divisions within the ELF based on religion, ethnicity, clan and, sometimes, personalities and ideologies, led to the weakening and factioning of the ELF from which sprung the Eritrean People's Liberation Front. Image File history File links Shida_monument. ... Image File history File links Shida_monument. ... Wikipedia does not yet have a page called Eritrean Liberation Front. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ... The Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF) was an armed organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. ...

Members of the EPLF. Isaias Afwerki, the current president of Eritrea, is second from bottom left.

The EPLF professed Marxism and egalitarian values devoid of gender, religion, or ethnic bias. Its leadership was educated in China. It came to be supported by a growing Eritrean diaspora. Bitter fighting broke out between the ELF and EPLF during the late 1970s and 1980s for dominance over Eritrea. The ELF continued to dominate the Eritrean landscape well into the 1970s when the struggle for independence neared victory due to Ethiopia's internal turmoil caused by a socialist revolution against monarchy there. Image File history File links EPLFrebels. ... Image File history File links EPLFrebels. ... The Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF) was an armed organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. ... Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

The ELF's gains suffered when Ethiopia's ailing US-backed Emperor was deposed and replaced by the Derg, a Marxist military junta with backing from the Soviet Union and other communist countries, who continued the Ethiopian policy of repressing Eritrean "separatists" with increased military assistance and fervour. Nevertheless, the Eritrean resistance which saw itself forced to retreat from most of the Eritrean countryside it had previously occupied, became instead entrenched in the northern parts of the country around the Sudanese border from where the most important supply lines came. The heavily bombarded and embattled northern town of Nakfa came to symbolize the Eritrean struggle. (The Eritrean currency is named after it.)^[17] Derg party badge, c1979. ... Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... The currency of Eritrea is the Nakfa, divided into 100 cents. ... The nakfa is the currency of Eritrea, divided into 100 cents. ...

The numbers of the EPLF swelled in the 1980s as did that of Ethiopian resistance movements with which the EPLF struck alliances to overthrow the communist Ethiopian regime, weakening and all but annihilating the precursor ELF. However, due to their own Marxist orientation, neither EPLF nor any of the Ethiopian resistance movements were able to acquire any significant US/Western or Arab support against the Soviet backed might of the Ethiopian military which has since been sub-Saharan Africa's largest, outside of South Africa. The EPLF relied largely on armaments captured from the Ethiopian army itself as well as financial and political support from the Eritrean diaspora and the cooperation of neighbouring states hostile to Ethiopia such as Somalia and Sudan (although the support of the latter was briefly interrupted and turned into hostility against EPLF and Eritrean refugees at large, in agreement with Ethiopia during the Gaafar Nimeiry administration between 1971 and 1985). Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry (otherwise known as Jaafar Nimeiry, Gaafar Nimeiry or Gafar Muhammad an-Numayri; born 1 January 1930) (Arabic: جعفر محمد النميري) was the President of Sudan from 1971 to 1985. ...

Drought, famine, and intensive offensives launched by the Ethiopian army on Eritrea took a heavy toll on the population — more than half a million fled to Sudan as refugees. Amid the culmination of Soviet support to Ethiopia and a major fall-out between Eritrean and Ethiopian anti-government rebels, the EPLF achieved two of its greatest and most decisive victories alone and unsupported. In 1985, Eritrean elite commandos infiltrated the Ethiopian and Soviet held air force base in Asmara and destroyed all 30 fighter jets there, suffering only one casualty. In 1988 during a massive Ethiopian military offensive against Eritrean rebels, a third of the Ethiopian army was annihilated in the northern Eritrean town of Afabet.^[18]

Following the decline of the Soviet Union in 1989 and diminishing support for the Ethiopian war, Eritrean rebels advanced further, capturing the port of Massawa and putting the Ethiopian and Soviet naval capabilities there out of action. By 1990 and early 1991 virtually all Eritrean territory had been liberated by EPLF except for the capital, whose only connection with the rest of government-held Ethiopia during the last year of the war was by an air-bridge. In 1991, Eritrean and Ethiopian rebels jointly held the Ethiopian capital under siege as the Ethiopian president Mengistu Haile Mariam fled to Zimbabwe where he lives to this day despite requests for extradition by both Eritrea and Ethiopia. Mengistu Haile Mariam (IPA: //) (born 1937[3][4]) was the most prominent officer of the Derg, the military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the president of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. ...

The Ethiopian army finally capitulated and Eritrea was completely in Eritrean hands in May 24, 1991 when the rebels marched into Asmara while Ethiopian rebels with Eritrean assistance overtook the government in Ethiopia. The new Ethiopian government conceded to Eritrea's demands to have an internationally (UN) supervised referendum dubbed UNOVER to be held in Eritrea which ended in April 1993 with an overwhelming vote by Eritreans for independence. Independence was declared on May 24, 1993.^[19] is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... The UN Observer Mission to Verify the Referendum in Eritrea (UNOVER) was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 47/114 of 1992-12-16 and lasted until 1993-04-25. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

Independence

Map of Eritrea

Upon Eritrea's declaration of independence, the leader of the EPLF, Isaias Afewerki, became Eritrea's first Provisional President, and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (later renamed the People's Front for Democracy and Justice, or PFDJ) created a government.^[20] map of Eritrea (CIA World Factbook) File links The following pages link to this file: Eritrea Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... map of Eritrea (CIA World Factbook) File links The following pages link to this file: Eritrea Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki shake hands in Eritrea Isaias Afewerki (born 2 February 1945) is the first president of Eritrea. ... For other uses, see President (disambiguation). ... The Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice is the only legal Eritrean political party. ...

Faced with limited economic resources and a country shattered by decades of war, the government embarked on a reconstruction and defense effort later called the Warsai Yikalo Program based on the labour of national servicemen and women. It is still ongoing and deploys the enlisted into a combination of duties ranging from military service to construction projects, health care, teaching and training/education as well as agricultural work to improve the country's food security.^[21] The Wefri Warsay Yikaalo (WWY) or Warsay Yikaalo Program of Eritrea is an ambitious project of post-war recovery. ...

The government also attempts to tap into the resources of the Eritreans living abroad by levying a 2% tax on the gross income of those who wish to gain full economic rights and access as citizens in Eritrea (land ownership, business licenses and other privileges for nationals etc).^[22] while at the same time encouraging tourism and investment both from Eritreans living abroad and other foreign investors.

This has been complicated by Eritrea's tumultuous relations with its neighbours, lack of stability and subsequent political problems.

Eritrea severed diplomatic relations with Sudan in 1994 citing that the latter was hosting islamic terrorist groups to destabilize Eritrea and both countries entered into an acrimonious relationship, each accusing the other of hosting various opposition rebel groups or "terrorists" and soliciting outside support to destabilize the other. Diplomatic relations were resumed over 10 years later in 2005 following a reconciliation agreement reached with the help of Qatar's negotiation in 1999.^[23][24] Eritrea now plays a prominent role in the internal Sudanese peace and reconciliation effort.^[25]

Eritrea was also embroiled in a brief war with Yemen over a border dispute surrounding the Hanish Islands in 1996 which was later resolved by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 1998^[26]. Yemen was granted full ownership of the larger islands while Eritrea was awarded the peripheral islands to the southwest of the larger islands^[27]. Relations between both states have since normalized. The Hanish Islands are an island group in the Red Sea. ... The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), also known as the Hague Tribunal is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands. ... Hague redirects here. ...

Perhaps the conflict with the deepest impact on independent Eritrea has been the renewed hostility with Ethiopia. In 1998, a border war with Ethiopia over the town of Badme occurred. The Eritrean-Ethiopian War ended in 2000 with a negotiated agreement known as the Algiers Agreement, which assigned an independent, UN-associated boundary commission known as the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC), whose task was to clearly identify the border between the two countries and issue a final and binding ruling. Along with the agreement the UN established a Temporary Security Zone consisting of a 25 kilometre demilitarized buffer zone within Eritrea running along the length of the disputed border between the two states and patrolled by UN troops in the mission named UNMEE. Ethiopia was to withdraw to positions held before the outbreak of hostilities in May of 1998 there among Badme. The peace agreement would be completed with the implementation of the Border Commission's ruling, also ending the task of the peacekeeping mission of UNMEE. The EEBC's verdict came in April 2002 which awarded Badme to Eritrea. However, Ethiopia has refused to withdraw its military from positions in the disputed areas, there among Badme, and also refuses to allow the implementation of the EEBC's ruling i.e. final demarcation of the border, resulting in the continuation of the UNMEE mission and a continued hostility between the two states who as of yet do not have any diplomatic relations.^[28] Eritrea's diplomatic relations with Djibouti were briefly severed during the border war with Ethiopia in 1998 due to a dispute over Djibouti's intimate relation with Ethiopia during the war but were restored and normalized in 2000.^[29] Combatants Eritrea Ethiopia Commanders Sebhat Ephrem Tsadkan Gebre-Tensae[3] Casualties Estimates vary: 19,000;[4][5] 20-50,000[6] 67,000[7] Estimates vary: 34,000[8] up to 60,000;[9] 60,000[10] 123,000[11][12] The Eritrean-Ethiopian War took place from May 1998... Badme is a town in the Horn of Africa that is the focus of a territorial dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia. ... Combatants Eritrea Ethiopia Commanders Sebhat Ephrem Tsadkan Gebre-Tensae[3] Casualties Estimates vary: 19,000;[4][5] 20-50,000[6] 67,000[7] Estimates vary: 34,000[8] up to 60,000;[9] 60,000[10] 123,000[11][12] The Eritrean-Ethiopian War took place from May 1998... The Algiers Agreement was an agreement between the governments of Eritrea and Ethiopia signed on 12 December 2000 at Algiers, Algeria to end the Ethiopia-Eritrea War, a border war fought by the two countries from 1998 to 2002. ... The UNMEE (United Nations Mission To Ethiopia and Eritrea) was originally formed to monitor a ceasefire in the border war that began in 1998 between Ethiopia and Eritrea. ... Badme is a town in the Horn of Africa that is the focus of a territorial dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia. ...

Regions and districts

Main articles: Regions of Eritrea and Districts of Eritrea

Regions of Eritrea

Early morning in a Gash Barka village

Eritrea is divided into six regions (zobas) and subdivided into districts ("sub-zobas"). The geographical extent of the regions is based on their respective hydrological properties. This a dual intent on the part of the Eritrean government: to provide each administration with sufficient control over its agricultural capacity and eliminate historical intra-regional conflicts. Map of Eritrea At the time of Independence in 1993 Eritrea was arranged into ten provinces. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Image File history File links Eritrea_regions_numbered. ... Image File history File links Eritrea_regions_numbered. ... Map of Eritrea At the time of Independence in 1993 Eritrea was arranged into ten provinces. ... Gash-Barka is one of the six main regions of Eritrea, where over 500,000 Eritreans live. ... Map of Eritrea At the time of Independence in 1993 Eritrea was arranged into ten provinces. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

The regions, followed by the sub-region, are:

Central Eritrea is one of the six main regions of Eritrea. ... Debub is a region of Eritrea, also known as the Southern region. ... Adi Keyh is a market town in Eritrea, lying south of Asmara. ... Adi Quala is a market town in Eritrea, lying south of Mendefera near the Ethiopian border, over 2,000m above sea level. ... Debarwa is a market town with a population of about 25 000 in central Eritrea, about 25 km south of the capital Asmara. ... Senafe is a market town in southern Eritrea, on the edge of the Ethiopian highlands. ... Gash-Barka is one of the six main regions of Eritrea, where over 500,000 Eritreans live. ... Agordat (also Akordat or Akordat, Geez ኣቆርዳት) was the former capital of the now defunct Barka Province of Eritrea (present day Gash-Barka). ... Barentu is a town in south western Eritrea, lying south of Agordat. ... Anseba is an inland region of Eritrea, in the west of the country. ... Adi Tekelezan (in Tigrinya, Ad Tekelezan in Tigre) is a small town in the Anseba region of Eritrea. ... Keren is the third largest city in Eritrea, lying north west of Asmara, with a population of around 75,000 people. ... The Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea is one of the countrys six regions. ... Afabet is a town in northern Eritrea. ... The Dahlak Archipelago Dahlak Archipelago seen from Spot satellite The Dahlak Archipelago is an island group located in the Red Sea near Massawa, Eritrea. ... Ghinda is a town in Eritrea, lying between Asmara and Massawa. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... Nakfa is a town in northern Eritrea, after which the Nakfa currency is named. ... Sheeb is a town in northeastern Eritrea, in the Northern Red Sea administrative region with its capital in Massawa. ... The Southern Red Sea region of Eritrea is one of the six main regions of Eritrea. ... Assab (or Aseb) is a port in Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. ...

Politics and government

Main article: Politics of Eritrea

Government building of Eritrea in Asmara

Eritrea is a single-party state, run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). No other political groups are allowed to organise, although the non-implemented Constitution of 1997 provided for the existence of multi-party politics. The National Assembly of 150 seats (of which 75 were occupied by handpicked EPLF guerilla members while the rest went to local candidates and diasporans more or less sympathetic of the regime), formed in 1993 shortly after independence, "elected" the current president, Isaias Afewerki. No time frame was announced for the alleged obscure presidency. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. Independent local sources of political information on Eritrean domestic politics are scarce; in September 2001 the government closed down all of the nation's privately owned print media, and outspoken critics of the government have been 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 alleged record of religious persecution (see below). In 2007, Reporters Without Borders, a lobby group, ranked Eritrea bottom in the world for overall press freedom in its annual study. The new government faces formidable challenges. ... U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki shake hands in Eritrea Isaias Afewerki (born 2 February 1945) is the first president of Eritrea. ... Human Rights Watch Banner Human Rights Watch is a United States-based international non-government organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amnesty international Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience... Department of State redirects here. ... Country of Particular Concern is a designation by the United States Secretary of State (under authority delegated by the President) of a nation guilty of particularly severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998 (H.R. 2431) and its amendment of 1999 (Public Law... Look up Persecution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

National elections

Eritrean National elections were set for 1995 and then postponed until 2001; it was then decided that because 20% of Eritrea's land was under occupation that elections would be postponed until the resolution of the conflict with Ethiopia. However, local elections have continued in Eritrea. The most recent round of local government elections were held in May 2004. On further elections, the President's Chief of Staff, Yemane Ghebremeskel said,^[30]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Eritrea

Eritrea is a member in good standing of the African Union (AU), the successor of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). But it has withdrawn its representative to the AU in protest of the AU's lack of leadership in facilitating the implementation of a binding border decision demarcating the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrea's relationship with the United States is complicated. Although the two nations have a close working relationship regarding the on-going war on terror, there has been a growing tension in other areas. As of September 2007, relations with the US appear to be worsening. US Assistant Secretary of State, Jendayi Frazer, has called the nation a 'state sponsor of terrorism' and the US government is considering adding Eritrea to its list of rogue states, along with Iran, North Korea and Cuba. The reason for this is the presence of Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, an exiled Somali Islamist leader, whom the US suspects of having links to Al Qaeda, at a recent Somalian opposition conference in Asmara. Economic sanctions against Eritrea could soon follow.^[31] Eritrea's relationship with Italy and the EU has become equally strained in many areas in the last three years. Eritrea is a member in good standing of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). ... The Assistant Secretary of State, from 1853 until 1913, was the second-ranking official within the American Department of State. ... Dr. Jendayi Frazer Jendayi E. Frazer is the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, heading the Bureau of African Affairs. ... A rogue state is a political entity that, contrary to the stated desires of other powers, attempts to acquire weapons that other countries seek to prevent from appearing under their custody, use weapons in domestic or international warfare that other powers consider abominable, commit crimes against humanity, harbor terrorists, tolerate... Mr. ... Map of major attacks attributed to al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (also al-Qaida or al-Qaida or al-Qaidah) (Arabic: ‎ , translation: The Base) is an international alliance of terrorist organizations founded in 1988[4] by Osama bin Laden and other veteran Afghan Arabs after the Soviet War in... Asmara (English) (Geez: አሥመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in Arabic: Asmaraa) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ...

Within the region, Eritrea's relations with Ethiopia turned from that of close alliance to a deadly rivalry that led to a war from May 1998 to June 2000 in which approximately 19,000 Eritreans^[32] and 123,000 Ethiopians^[33][34] were killed.

External issues include an undemarcated border with Sudan, a war with Yemen over the Hanish Islands in 1996, and a recent border conflict with Ethiopia. The Hanish Islands are an island group in the Red Sea. ...

The undemarcated border with Sudan poses a problem for Eritrean external relations.^[35] After a high-level delegation to Sudan from the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ties are being normalized. Meanwhile, Eritrea has been recognized as a broker for peace between the separate factions of the Sudanese civil war. "It is known that Eritrea played a role in bringing about the peace agreement [between the Southern Sudanese and Government],"^[36] while the Sudanese Government and Eastern Front rebels have requested Eritrea to mediate peace talks.^[37]

A dispute with Yemen over the Hanish Islands in 1996 resulted in a brief war. As part of an agreement to cease hostilities the two nations agreed to refer the issue to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague. At the conclusion of the proceedings, both nations acquiesced to the decision. Since 1996 both governments have remained wary of one another but relations are relatively normal.^[38] The Hanish Islands are an island group in the Red Sea. ... The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), also known as the Hague Tribunal is an international organization based in The Hague in the Netherlands. ... Hague redirects here. ...

The undemarcated border with Ethiopia is the primary external issue facing Eritrea. This led to a long and bloody border war between 1998 and 2000. As a result, the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) is occupying a 25 kilometers by 900 kilometers area on the border to help stabilize the region.^[39] Disagreements following the war have resulted in stalemate punctuated by periods of elevated tension and renewed threats of war.^[40][41][42] Central to the continuation of the stalemate is Ethiopia's failure to abide by the border delimitation ruling and reneging on its commitment to demarcation. The stalemate has led the President of Eritrea to urge the UN to take action on Ethiopia. This request is outlined in the Eleven Letters penned by the President to the United Nations Security Council. The situation is further escalated by the continued effort of the Eritrean and Ethiopian leaders in supporting each other's opposition. On July 26, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Eritrea had been supplying weapons to the Somali insurgent group Al-Shabaab, who is allegedly tied to al Qaeda. The incident has fueled concerns that Somalia may become the grounds for a de-facto war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, who invaded Somalia in December 2006 with U.S. assistance to overthrow the rule of the widely popular Islamic Courts Union which had stabilized the country and unified the capital Mogadishu for the first time since 1991. Amid fears of an emerging islamic and nationalist Somalia, Ethiopia with US assistance invaded Somalia, putting in place the weak and locally unpopular UN/AU-backed government which without Ethiopian support had been unable to exercise any control beyond its base in Baidoa and along the Ethio-Somali border.^[43] For its part, Eritrea is hosting members of the ousted Union of Islamic Courts and the Somali Free Parliament. The Eritrean government has been accused of sponsoring, arming and hosting numerous militant leaderships and separatist rebels in the horn of Africa.^[44] According to the United States, the Isaias's government is "sponsoring and supporting the rebel groups" who are "also attacking civilians and are a part of the problem in Darfur." Thus, even though the Eritrean government bringing these same rebels to the table is positive, the US claims that the Eritrean government is doing this "by effectively destabilizing Sudan, because they're paying for rebels who are part of the process of destabilizing that country."^[45] The United States is considering to label Eritrea a state sponsor of terrorism which carries sanctions with it.^[46] The UNMEE (United Nations Mission To Ethiopia and Eritrea) was originally formed to monitor a ceasefire in the border war that began in 1998 between Ethiopia and Eritrea. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... Map of major attacks attributed to al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (also al-Qaida or al-Qaida or al-Qaidah) (Arabic: ‎ , translation: The Base) is an international alliance of terrorist organizations founded in 1988[4] by Osama bin Laden and other veteran Afghan Arabs after the Soviet War in... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Motto: none Anthem: none Capital formerly Mogadishu and Kismayu Largest city n/a Official languages Somali and Arabic Government Sharia Krytocracy  - Executive Chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmed  - Shura Chairman Hassan Dahir Aweys Civil War Faction Has not declared autonomy or independence   - Established June 6th 2006 in Mogadishu  Area  - Total not finalized... Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar; Arabic: ; Italian: ) is the largest city in Somalia, and its capital. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ... Look up Au, au in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Baidoa (Somali: Baydhabo) is a city in south-central Somalia, situated 256 kilometers (159 miles) by road northwest of the capital Mogadishu. ...

Government and media censorship

In the 2007 Reporters Without Borders Annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index Eritrea ranked last at number 169,^[47] unseating the previous holder North Korea which had been last every other year of the survey. Reporters Without Borders claims that, in Eritrea, a private newspaper has been shut down and generally exorcised from the country by the President Isaias Afewerki. Also, any journalists who criticize the president or his regime are immediately put into prison; amongst the many reporters and writers who have been put in jail, four have died in detention.^[48] Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ... U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki shake hands in Eritrea Isaias Afewerki (born 2 February 1945) is the first president of Eritrea. ...

Although Eritrea is new at the very bottom of the list in 2007, its positions by year are as follows:

Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Geography

A view from the Keren-Asmara Highway.

Main article: Geography of Eritrea

Eritrea is located in East Africa, more specifically the Horn of Africa, and is bordered on the northeast and east by the Red Sea. The country is virtually bisected by one of the world's longest mountain ranges, the Great Rift Valley, with fertile lands to the west and the descent to desert in the East. Off the sandy and arid coastline is situated the Dahlak Archipelago and its fishing grounds. The land to the south, in the highlands, is slightly drier and cooler. Eritrea at the southern end of the Red Sea is the home of the fork in the rift. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 952 KB) Summary A sunset on the road between Akordat and Keren. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 952 KB) Summary A sunset on the road between Akordat and Keren. ... Eritrea is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered on the northeast and east by the Red Sea, on the west and northwest by Sudan, on the south by Ethiopia, and on the southeast by Djibouti. ... The Horn of Africa. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Northern section of the Great Rift Valley. ... The Dahlak Archipelago Dahlak Archipelago seen from Spot satellite The Dahlak Archipelago is an island group located in the Red Sea near Massawa, Eritrea. ...

The Afar Triangle or Danakil Depression of Eritrea is the probable location of a triple junction where three tectonic plates are pulling away from one another: the Arabian Plate, and the two parts of the African Plate (the Nubian and the Somali plate) splitting along the East African Rift Zone (USGS). The highest point of the country, Emba Soira, is located in the center of Eritrea, at 9,902 ft (3,018 metres ) above sea level. MODIS satellite image of the Afar Depression and surrounding regions of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabia, and the Horn of Africa. ... A triple junction is the point where three tectonic plates diverge. ...

The main cities of the country are the capital city of Asmara and the port town of Asseb in the southeast, as well as the towns of Massawa to the east, and Keren to the north. Asmara (English) (Geez: አሥመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in Arabic: Asmaraa) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ... Asseb (or Aseb) is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... Keren is the third largest city in Eritrea, lying north west of Asmara, with a population of around 75,000 people. ...

Environment

Eritrea formerly supported a large population of elephants. Ptolemaic kings of Egypt used it as a source of war elephants in the third century BC. Between 1955 and 2001 there were no reported sightings of elephant herds, and they were thought to have fallen victim to the war of independence. In December 2001 a herd of about 30, including 10 juveniles, was observed in the vicinity of the Gash River. The elephants seemed to have formed a symbiotic relationship with olive baboons. It is estimated that there are around 100 elephants left in Eritrea, the most northerly of East Africa's elephants.^[55] For other uses, see Elephant (disambiguation). ... Ptolemaic Kingdom, in blue. ... The Mareb River (or Gash River), is a river flowing out of central Eritrea which partly forms a natural frontier between Eritrea and Ethiopia. ... Binomial name (Lesson, 1827) The Olive Baboon (Papio anubis), also called the Anubis Baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae (Old World monkeys). ...

In 2006, Eritrea announced it would become the first country in the world to turn its entire coast into an environmentally protected zone. The 1,347 km (837 mile) coastline, along with another 1,946 km (1,209-miles) of coast around its more than 350 islands, will come under governmental protection.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Eritrea

See also: Eritrean Railway and Transport in Eritrea

Men in Agordat

Like the economies of many other African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The only natural disaster that sometimes affects Eritrea, drought, has often created trouble in the farming areas.^[56] This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Eritrean Railway is the only railway system in the African nation of Eritrea (on the Red Sea coast between Sudan and Ethiopia, and independent from the latter in 1993). ... This article summarizes characteristics of a number of forms of transport in the coastal African nation of Eritrea. ... Agordat (also Akordat or Akordat, Geez ኣቆርዳት) was the former capital of the now defunct Barka Province of Eritrea (present day Gash-Barka). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

The Eritrean-Ethiopian 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 southern 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%.^[57][58] Combatants Eritrea Ethiopia Commanders Sebhat Ephrem Tsadkan Gebre-Tensae[3] Casualties Estimates vary: 19,000;[4][5] 20-50,000[6] 67,000[7] Estimates vary: 34,000[8] up to 60,000;[9] 60,000[10] 123,000[11][12] The Eritrean-Ethiopian War took place from May 1998... GDP redirects here. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ...

Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges as a part of the Warsay Yika'alo Program. The most significant of these projects was the building of a coastal highway of more than 500 km connecting Massawa with Asseb as well as the rehabilitation of the Eritrean Railway. The rail line now runs between the Port of Massawa and the capital Asmara. The Wefri Warsay Yikaalo (WWY) or Warsay Yikaalo Program of Eritrea is an ambitious project of post-war recovery. ... Massawa in the 19th century Massawa or Mitsiwa (15° 36′ 33″ N 39° 26′ 43″ E) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. ... Asseb (or Aseb) is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea on the west coast of the Red Sea. ... The Eritrean Railway is the only railway system in the African nation of Eritrea (on the Red Sea coast between Sudan and Ethiopia, and independent from the latter in 1993). ...

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, and low skills. World illiteracy rates by country Literacy is the ability to read and write. ...

Society

Demographics

A map indicating the ethnic composition of Eritrea.

Main article: Demographics of Eritrea

A wedding in Eritrea

Eritrean society is ethnically heterogeneous. Independent census has yet to be conducted but the Tigrinya people and the Tigre people together make up about 80%. These form the bulk of the country's predominantly Semitic population which are thought to have originated from massive migrations from Saba in Southern Arabia between 900 and 500 BC. The Sabean area in Eritrea is mainly to be found in the Kebessa highlands in central and northern Eritrea. There the Sabeans found the same geographical conditions as in their native Saba, suitable to terracing and their pre-existing agricultural modes of production. Later more recent migrations from Arabia includes the Arabic speaking Rashaida who arrived in Eritrea in the late 19th century and comprise less than 1% of the population. Image File history File links Eritrea-people-map. ... Image File history File links Eritrea-people-map. ... Eritreas population is comprised of nine ethnic groups, most of which speak Semitic or Cushitic languages. ... For other uses, see Wedding (disambiguation). ... The Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in the southern, central and northern parts of Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopias Tigray province. ... The Tigre are an ethnic group of Eritrea who speak the Tigre language. ... In linguistics and ethnology, Semitic (from the Biblical Shem, Hebrew: שם, translated as name, Arabic: سام) was first used to refer to a language family of largely Middle Eastern origin, now called the Semitic languages. ... The Rashaida are a Bedouin people populating either side of the Red Sea, they come from a major tribe in mainland Arabia called Banu Abs, most of the Rashaida live in the Arabian Peninsula. ...

The rest of the population comprises the smaller nations of the Saho, Hedareb, Afar, Bilen who constitute the cushitic stock of the population and are thought to be some of the oldest inhabitants of the Horn of Africa region along with the nilotic peoples who are represented in Eritrea by the Kunama and Nara. 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 Hedareb people include the Beni-Amer people who have retained the use of the Beja language, To-Bedawi (Hedareb). ... 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. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages phylum, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... The Horn of Africa. ... Nilotic people or Nilotes, in its contamporary usage, refers to some ethnic groups mainly in southern Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and northern Tanzania, who speak Nilotic languages, a large sub-group of Nilo-Saharan languages. ... 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. ...

Each nationality speaks a different native tongue but, typically, many of the minorities speak more than one language.

There exist minorities of Italians and Ethiopian Tigrayans. Neither is generally given citizenship unless through marriage or even more rarely: having it conferred upon them by the State.

The most recent addition to the nationalities of Eritrea is the Rashaida. The Rashaida came to Eritrea in the 19th century^[59] from the Arabian Coast. The Rashaida do not typically intermarry, are typically nomadic, and number approximately 61,000, less than 1% of the population. Rashaida are a nomadic people in Sudan, and Eritrea. ...

The Kunama are one of the earliest settled peoples in Eritrea. They adopted rain-fed agriculture and settled into communal villages in the "lowlands" of Eritrea.

Languages

Rashaida children in the Eritrean lowlands.

Main article: Languages of Eritrea

Many languages are spoken in Eritrea today, but the country does not have any official languages: Tigrinya and Arabic are the most used; Italian and English are also widely understood ^[60]. The two language families that most of the languages stem from are the Semitic and Cushitic families. The Semitic languages in Eritrea are Arabic (spoken natively by the Rashaida Arabs), Tigre, Tigrinya, and the newly recognized Dahlik; these languages (primarily Tigre and Tigrinya) are spoken as a first language by over 80% of the population. The Cushitic languages in Eritrea are just as numerous, including Afar, Beja, Blin, and Saho. Kunama and Nara are also spoken in Eritrea and belong to the Nilo-Saharan language family. English is spoken to a degree by more educated Eritreans, Italian is a leftover from colonial times. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1419x1671, 3614 KB) Summary Rashaida family near Massawa, ZSKB(NRSZ), Eritrea photographer: Temesgen Woldezion Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1419x1671, 3614 KB) Summary Rashaida family near Massawa, ZSKB(NRSZ), Eritrea photographer: Temesgen Woldezion Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Eritrea is generally considered to have nine ethno-linguistic groups. ... Tigrigna (or ትግሪኛ) is a Semitic language spoken in Eritrea, where it is the official language, and in parts of Ethiopia and Israel. ... Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Italian ( , or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people,[4] primarily in Italy. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... 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. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Rashaida are a nomadic people in Sudan, and Eritrea. ... Tigre (Geez ትግረ tigre or ትግሬ tigrÄ“; sometimes written as Tigré, also known as Xasa in Sudan; Arabic ألخاصية ) is a Semitic language that closely speaks the Geez in its purest form and it is also closely related to Tigrinya. ... Tigrinya (Geez ትግርኛ tigriññā, also spelled Tigrigna) is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigray-Tigrinya people in central Eritrea (there referred to as the Tigrinya people), where it is one of the main working languages (Eritrea does not have official languages), and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia (whose... Dahlik (Dahaalik, Dahalik, Dahlak) is a newly discovered language spoken exclusively in Eritrea off the coast of Massawa, on three islands in the Dahlak Archipelago: Dahlak Kebir, Nora and Dehil. ... Afar () is a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. ... 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 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. ... 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. ... Map showing the distribution of the Nilo-Saharan languages. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

The local Tigrinya and the wider Arabic language are the two predominant languages for official purposes.

Education

Main article: Education in Eritrea

There are five levels of education in Eritrea: pre-primary, primary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary. There are nearly 238,000 students in the primary, middle, and secondary levels of education. There are approximately 824 schools^[61] in Eritrea and two universities (University of Asmara and the Institute of Science and Technology) as well as several smaller colleges and technical schools. Education in Eritrea is officially compulsory between seven and 13 years of age. ...

One of the most important goals of Eritrea's education policy is to provide basic education in each of Eritrea's mother tongues, as well as to develop a self-motivated and conscientious population to fight poverty and disease. Furthermore it is tooled to produce a society that is equipped with the necessary skills to function with a culture of self-reliance in the modern economy.

The education system in Eritrea is also designed to promote private sector schooling, equal access for all groups (i.e., prevent gender discrimination, ethnic discrimination, and class discrimination, etc.) and promote continuing education, both formally and informally. The private sector of a nations economy consists of all that is outside the state. ... Gender discriminaton is discrimination based on gender. ... Categories: Move to Wiktionary | Stub | Persecution ...

Barriers to education in Eritrea include traditional taboos, school fees (for registration and materials), and the opportunity costs of low-income households.^[62] For the Taboo party game, see Taboo (game). ... Opportunity cost is a term used in economics, to mean the cost of something in terms of an opportunity foregone (and the benefits that could be received from that opportunity), or the most valuable foregone alternative. ... Poverty is the state of being without, often associated with need, hardship and lack of resources across a wide range of circumstance. ...

Religion

Main article: Religion in Eritrea

Enda Mariam Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Cathedral, Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin Mosque (in the foreground, rear left, and rear right respectively) in the capital Asmara.

Eritrea has two dominant religions, Christianity and Islam, sharing 50:50 in the population. Most Muslims follow Sunni Islam. The Christians consist primarily of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, which is the local Oriental Orthodox church, but small groups of Roman Catholics, Protestants, and other denominations also exist. Image File history File links Churchesndmosque_eritrea. ... Image File history File links Churchesndmosque_eritrea. ... Asmara (English) (Geez: አሥመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in Arabic: Asmaraa) is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church is an Oriental Orthodox church. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keeps the faith of only the first three ecumenical councils of the undivided Church - the councils of Nicea, Constantinople and Ephesus. ... 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. ...

Since May 2002, the Government of Eritrea has officially recognized the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, Sunni Islam, Catholicism, and the Evangelical Lutheran church. All other faiths and denominations are required to undergo a registration process. Among other things, the Government's registration system requires religious groups to submit personal information on their membership to be allowed to worship. The few organisations that have met all of the registration requirements have still not received official recognition. The Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church is an Oriental Orthodox church. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Taken during a Hindu prayer ceremony on the eve of Diwali. ...

Other faith groups such as the Jehovah's Witnesses,^[63] Bahá'í Faith, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and numerous Protestant denominations are not registered and cannot worship freely. They have effectively been banned, and measures have been taken against their adherents. Many have been incarcerated for months or even years. None have been charged officially or given access to the judicial process. In its 2006 religious freedom report, the U.S. State Department for the third year in a row named Eritrea a "Country of Particular Concern", designating it one of the worst violators of religious freedom in the world. This article is about the generally recognized global religious community. ... The Seventh-day Adventist (abbreviated Adventist[3]) Church is a Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week, as the Sabbath. ...

There is one last native Jew in Eritrea, formerly from a community of hundreds in Asmara, whose ancestors had crossed from Aden in the late 19th century.^[64][65]

Culture

The typical Kitcha fit-fit is presented here with a scoop of fresh yogurt and topped with berbere (spice).

Main article: Culture of Eritrea

See also: Cuisine of Eritrea, Literature of Eritrea, and Music of Eritrea

The Eritrean region has traditionally been a nexus for trade throughout the world. Because of this, the influence of diverse cultures can be seen throughout Eritrea. Today, the most obvious influences in the capital, Asmara, are that of Italy. Throughout Asmara, there are small cafes serving beverages common to Italy. In Asmara, there is a clear merging of the Italian colonial influence with the traditional Tigrinya lifestyle. In the villages of Eritrea, these changes never took hold. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x868, 1006 KB) Summary An Eritrean breakfast food. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (828x868, 1006 KB) Summary An Eritrean breakfast food. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This meal is typical of Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine. ... The literature of Eritrea in the Tigrinya language dates, as far as is currently known, from the mid-19th century. ... Eritrea is a North East African country. ... This article is about economic exchange. ... The word culture comes from the Latin root colere (to inhabit, to cultivate, or to honor). ...

In the cities, before the Occupation and during the early years, the import of Bollywood films was commonplace, while Italian and American films were available in the cinemas as well. In the 1980s and since Independence, however, American films have certainly become the most common. Vying for market share are films by local producers, who have slowly come into their own. The global broadcast of Eri-TV has brought cultural images to the large Eritrean population in the Diaspora who frequents the country every summer. Successful domestic films are produced by government and independent studios with revenue from ticket sales typically covering the production costs. Bollywood (Hindi: , Urdu: ) is the informal term popularly used for Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. ...

A traditional Kunama herder posing for a picture near Barentu, Zoba Gash-Barka.

Traditional Eritrean dress is quite varied with the Kunama traditionally dressing in brightly colored clothes while the Tigrinya and Tigre traditionally dress in bright white costumes, resembling traditional Oriental and Indian clothing. The Rashaida women are ornately bejeweled and scarfed. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1397 KB)A Kunama man near Barentu, Zoba Gash-Barka, Eritrea. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1397 KB)A Kunama man near Barentu, Zoba Gash-Barka, Eritrea. ... Kunamas are one of the smallest ethnic group from Eritrea, they live in region of Gash-Barka. ...

Popular sports in Eritrea are football and bicycle racing. In recent years Eritrean athletes have seen increasing success in the international arena. Soccer redirects here. ...

Almost unique on the African continent, the Tour of Eritrea is a bicycle race from the hot desert beaches of Massawa, up the winding mountain highway with its precipitous valleys and cliffs to the capital Asmara. From there, it continues downwards onto the western plains of the Gash-Barka Zone, only to return back to Asmara from the south. This is, by far, the most popular sport in Eritrea, though, as of late long-distance running has garnered its own supporters. The momentum for long-distance running in Eritrea can be seen in the successes of Zersenay Tadesse and Mebrahtom (Meb) Keflezighi, both Olympians. Bicyclists competing in the Tour of Eritrea in Asmara, Eritrea The Tour of Eritrea (also, Giro dEritrea or Zur Ertra) is a multiday, bicycle race held throughout Eritrea. ... Zersenay Tadesse (born February 9, 1982) is an Eritrean long distance track, and road running athlete. ... Mebrahtom Keflezighi Mebrahtom (Meb) Keflezighi (born May 5, 1975 in Asmara, Eritrea) is an American athlete specializing in long distance running, specifically marathons. ...

See also

• List of Eritrea-related topics

This page aims to list articles on Wikipedia that are related to Eritrea. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “PDF” redirects here. ... A kibibyte (a contraction of kilo binary byte) is a unit of information or computer storage, commonly abbreviated KiB (never kiB). 1 kibibyte = 210 bytes = 1,024 bytes The kibibyte is closely related to the kilobyte, which can be used either as a synonym for kibibyte or to refer to... Construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, from July 8, 1888 to May 15, 1894. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 254th day of the year (255th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 341st day of the year (342nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 357th day of the year (358th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 207th day of the year (208th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 219th day of the year (220th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 122nd day of the year (123rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Thomas Michael Keneally AO (born October 7, 1935) also Tom Keneally, is an Australian novelist. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 10th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 343rd day of the year (344th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Find more about Eritrea on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Dictionary definitions
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Government Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiversity-logo-Snorky. ...

• Official website of the Ministry of Information of Eritrea
• Official website of the Ministry of Education of Eritrea

Other

• Tigrinya online learning with numbers, alphabet and history[Eritrea and north Ethiopia(Tigray-Province)]
• Ferrovia eritrea Eritrean Railway
• Eritrea About Eritrea
• CIA World Factbook - Eritrea
• Extract from Justin Hill's Ciao Asmara in The Globalist Magazine
• History of Eritrea: First recordings - Munzinger - exploitation by colonialism and fight against colonialism (Italy, England, Ethiopia, Soviet Union, USA, Israel) - independence (chronology)

Geographic locale

v • d • e Countries of Africa West Africa Justin Hill is an English novelist. ... The Globalist is an daily online magazine that focuses on the economics, politics and culture[1] of globalization. ... This is an alphabetical list of African countries and dependencies. ... Image File history File links LocationWesternAfrica. ... Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d'Ivoire · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo North Africa Image File history File links LocationNorthernAfrica. ... Algeria · Egypt1 · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Sudan · Tunisia · Western Sahara Central Africa Image File history File links LocationCentralMiddleAfrica. ... Angola · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe East Africa Image File history File links LocationEasternAfrica. ... Burundi · Comoros · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Kenya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Rwanda · Seychelles · Somalia · Tanzania · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe Southern Africa Image File history File links LocationSouthernAfrica. ... Botswana · Lesotho · Namibia · South Africa · Swaziland Dependencies British Indian Ocean Territory (UK) · Mayotte (France) · Réunion (France) · St. Helena2 (UK) Unrecognized Canary Islands (Spain) · Ceuta (Spain) · Madeira (Portugal) · Melilla (Spain) · Socotra (Yemen) · Puntland · Somaliland · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic 1 Partly in Asia.  2 Includes the dependencies of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. World map of dependent territories. ... For other uses, see Saint Helena (disambiguation). ... The list of unrecognized countries enumerates those geo-political entities which lack general diplomatic recognition, but wish to be recognized as sovereign states. ... This article is about the islands in the Atlantic Ocean. ... Capital Ceuta City Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked  28 km²   Population  â€“ Total (2006)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked  75,861    2,709. ... For other uses, see Madeira (disambiguation). ... Capital Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked  20 km²   Population  â€“ Total (2006)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked  66,871    3,343. ... Map of the Socotra archipelago Socotra or Soqotra (Arabic سقطرى ; ) is a small archipelago of four islands and islets in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the Horm Africa some 350 km south of the Arabian peninsula. ... Motto None Anthem Puntland Somali National Anthem Capital Garowe (Administrative), Bosaso (Commercial) Largest city Bosaso Official languages Somali and Arabic Government  -  President Mohamud Muse Hersi  -  Vice-President Hassan Dahir Mohamud Autonomy Inside Somalia   -  Declared 1998   -  Recognition   Area  -  Total 212,510 km km² (84th) n/a sq mi   -  Water (%) Negl. ... For other territories formerly called Somaliland, see Somaliland (disambiguation). ... Motto: حرية ديمقراطية وحدة (Arabic) Liberty, Democracy, Unity Anthem: Yābaniy Es-Saharā  listen This map indicates the territory claimed by the SADR, viz. ... This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent. ... Anthem: God Save the Queen Capital Georgetown Largest city Georgetown Official languages English Government Dependency of St. ... Motto Our faith is our strength Anthem God Save the Queen Capital (and largest city) Edinburgh of the Seven Seas Official languages English Government Dependency of St. ... v • d • e Countries and territories of the Middle East Bahrain · Egypt · Iraq · Iran · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · United Arab Emirates · Yemen This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A 2003 satellite image of the region. ... Greater Middle East: Afghanistan · Cyprus · Pakistan · Turkey · Sudan · Somalia · Eritrea · Djibouti · Libya · Algeria · Tunisia · Morocco · Northern Cyprus, Turkish Republic of,1 Anthem: Ä°stiklâl Marşı(Turkish) Independence March Capital Nicosia (LefkoÅŸa in Turkish) Official languages Turkish Government Representative democratic republic1  -  President Mehmet Ali Talat  -  Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer Independence from Cyprus   -  Proclaimed November 15, 1983   -  Recognition By Turkey only  Area  -  Total 3,355 km² (167th ranked together with Cyprus... 1 The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not officially recognized by the United Nations, recognized only by Turkey; see Cyprus dispute. Anthem: Ä°stiklâl Marşı(Turkish) Independence March Capital Nicosia (LefkoÅŸa in Turkish) Official languages Turkish Government Representative democratic republic1  -  President Mehmet Ali Talat  -  Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer Independence from Cyprus   -  Proclaimed November 15, 1983   -  Recognition By Turkey only  Area  -  Total 3,355 km² (167th ranked together with Cyprus... UN redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... v • d • e Countries bordering the Red Sea  Djibouti  ·    Egypt  ·    Eritrea  ·    Israel  ·    Jordan  ·    Saudi Arabia  ·    Somalia  ·    Sudan  ·    Yemen

International membership

v • d • e African Union (AU) Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Cape Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Côte d'Ivoire · Djibouti · Egypt · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · The Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Nigeria · Rwanda · Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Africa · Sudan · Swaziland · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe v • d • e Afro-Asiatic-speaking nations v • d • e Berber  Algeria  Egypt This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Djibouti. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Eritrea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jordan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Somalia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sudan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Yemen. ... Anthem Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together [1] Administrative Centre Working languages Arabic English Spanish French Portuguese Swahili Membership 53 African states Leaders  -  Chairman Jakaya Kikwete  -  Jean Ping Establishment  -  as the OAU May 25, 1963   -  as the African Union July 9, 2002  Area  -  Total 29,757,900 km² (1st1... Motto: Unité, Progrès, Justice(French) Unity, Progress, Justice Anthem: Une Seule Nuit(French) One Single Night Capital (and largest city) Ouagadougou Official languages French Demonym Burkinabé Government Semi-presidential republic  -  President Blaise Compaoré  -  Prime Minister Tertius Zongo Independence from France   -  Date August 5, 1960  Area  -  Total 274,000 km... For the surface feature on Mars, see Cape Verde (Mars). ... Motto Unité, Dignité, Travail(French) Unity, Dignity, Work Anthem La Renaissance(French) E Zingo(Sango) Capital (and largest city) Bangui Official languages Sango, French Government Republic  -  President François Bozizé  -  Prime Minister Élie Doté Independence from France   -  Date August 13, 1960  Area  -  Total 622,984 km² (43rd) 240,534 sq... Motto: Justice – Paix – Travail(French) Justice – Peace – Work Anthem: Debout Congolais Capital (and largest city) Kinshasaa Official languages French Recognised regional languages Lingala, Kongo/Kituba, Swahili, Tshiluba Demonym Congolese Government Semi-Presidential Republic  -  President Joseph Kabila  -  Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga Independence  -  from Belgium June 30, 1960  Area  -  Total 2,344... Motto Unité, Travail, Progrès(French) Unity, Work, Progress Anthem La Congolaise Capital (and largest city) Brazzaville Official languages French Government Republic  -  President Denis Sassou Nguesso  -  Prime Minister Isidore Mvouba Independence from France   -  Date 15 August 1960  Area  -  Total 342,000 km² (64th) 132,047 sq mi   -  Water (%) 3. ... Motto Unity, Discipline and Labour(translation) Anthem LAbidjanaise Capital Yamoussoukro (de jure) Abidjan (de facto) Largest city Abidjan Official languages French Demonym Ivorian Government Republic  -  President Laurent Gbagbo[1]  -  Prime Minister Guillaume Soro[1] Independence from France   -  Date August 7, 1960  Area  -  Total 322,460 km² (68th) 124,502... Motto Unidad, Paz, Justicia(Spanish) Unity, Peace, Justice Anthem Caminemos pisando la senda Capital (and largest city) Malabo Official languages Spanish, Portuguese[1], French Government Republic  -  President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo  -  Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama Nfubea Independence  -  from Spain October 12, 1968  Area  -  Total 28,051 km² (144th) 10... For the river, see Gambia River. ... Motto: حرية ديمقراطية وحدة (Arabic) Liberty, Democracy, Unity Anthem: Yābaniy Es-Saharā  listen This map indicates the territory claimed by the SADR, viz. ... Anthem: Independência total Capital (and largest city) São Tomé Official languages Portuguese Demonym Santomean Government Republic  -  President Fradique de Menezes  -  Prime Minister Tomé Vera Cruz Independence from Portugal   -  Date 12 July 1975  Area  -  Total 964 km² (183rd) 372 sq mi   -  Water (%) 0 Population  -  2005 estimate 157,000 (188th... Motto: Unity - Freedom - Justice Anthem: High We Exalt Thee, Realm of the Free Capital Freetown (1,070,200) , Largest city Freetown Official languages English Demonym Sierra Leonean, Sierra Leonian Government Constitutional republic  -  President Ernest Bai Koroma  -  Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana Independence  -  from the United Kingdom April 27, 1961   -  Republic... This article is about the country on the southern tip of the African continent. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_African_Union. ... The Afro-Asiatic languages constitute a language family (Languages of Africa) with about 375 languages (SIL estimate) and more than 300 million speakers spread throughout North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, and Southwest Asia (including some 200 million speakers of Arabic). ... The Berber languages (or Tamazight) are a group of closely related languages mainly spoken in Morocco and Algeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Algeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ...  Libya  Mali Image File history File links Flag_of_Libya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mali. ...  Mauritania  Morocco Image File history File links Flag_of_Mauritania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ...  Niger  Tunisia Image File history File links Flag_of_Niger. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... v • d • e Chadic  Cameroon  Central African Republic  Chad The Chadic languages are a language family spoken across northern Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Central African Republic and Cameroon, belonging to the Afro-Asiatic phylum. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cameroon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Central_African_Republic. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Chad. ...  Niger  Nigeria Image File history File links Flag_of_Niger. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Nigeria. ... v • d • e Cushitic Cushitic  Djibouti  Eritrea The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... The Cushitic languages are a subgroup of the Afro-Asiatic languages, named after the Biblical figure Cush by analogy with Semitic. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Djibouti. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Eritrea. ...  Ethiopia  Kenya Image File history File links Flag_of_Ethiopia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kenya. ...  Somalia Image File history File links Flag_of_Somalia. ... Beja  Egypt  Eritrea 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. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Eritrea. ...  Sudan Image File history File links Flag_of_Sudan. ... v • d • e Egyptian     Egypt v • d • e Omotic  Ethiopia v • d • e Semitic Arabic / Maltese  Algeria  Bahrain  Egypt  Iraq  Israel  Jordan The language of the Egyptian hieroglyphs and their modern descendant, the Coptic language is classifed under this category. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... The Omotic languages are Afro-Asiatic languages spoken in northeast Africa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ethiopia. ... 14th century BC diplomatic letter in Akkadian, found in Tell Amarna. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Algeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bahrain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jordan. ...  Kuwait  Lebanon  Libya  Malta  Mauritania  Morocco Image File history File links Flag_of_Kuwait. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lebanon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Libya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malta. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mauritania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Morocco. ...  Oman  PNA  Qatar  Saudi Arabia  Sudan1 Image File history File links Flag_of_Oman. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Palestine. ... This article is about the Palestinian territories as a geopolitical phenomenon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Qatar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sudan. ...  Syria  Tunisia  UAE  W. Sahara  Yemen Image File history File links Flag_of_Syria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tunisia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates. ... UAE redirects here. ... Western Sahara (Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: ; Spanish: Sahara Occidental) is a territory of northwestern Africa, bordered by Morocco to the north, Algeria in the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Yemen. ... Northwest Semitic2  Iraq  Israel  Syria The Northwest Semitic languages form a medium-level division of the Semitic language family. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Israel. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Syria. ... South Semitic  Eritrea  Ethiopia  Oman  Yemen South Semitic is one of the three macro-classifications in Semitic linguistics, the other two being North Semitic (e. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Eritrea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ethiopia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Oman. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Yemen. ... 1 excluding Southern Sudan.    2 Aramaic and Hebrew. v • d • e Arab League Members Algeria · Bahrain · Comoros · Djibouti · Egypt · Iraq · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Libya · Mauritania · Morocco · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Sudan · Somalia · Syria · Tunisia · United Arab Emirates · Yemen Observers Eritrea · India · Venezuela

Southern Sudan is a region of Sudan. ... Aramaic is a group of Semitic languages with a 3,000-year history. ... Hebrew redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_League_of_Arab_States. ... Headquarters Cairo, Egypt1 Official languages Arabic Membership 22 Arab states 2 observer states Leaders  -  Secretary General Amr Moussa (since 2001)  -  Council of the Arab League Sudan  -  Speaker of the Arab Parliament Nabih Berri Establishment  -  Alexandria Protocol March 22, 1945  Area  -  Total 13,953,041 (Western Sahara Included) = 13,687,041... “Palestinian government” redirects here. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_League_of_Arab_States. ...