pulation: 61.38 years
male: 59.35 years
female: 63.46 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

4.84 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

2.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

60,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

6,300 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups:

Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
dwellers) 3%, other 3%

Religions:

Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages:

Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6%
male: 69.9%
female: 47.6% (2003 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 5 years
male: 6 years
female: 4 years (2004)

Education expenditures:

2.4% of GDP (2006)

Government
Eritrea

Country name:

conventional long form: State of Eritrea
conventional short form: Eritrea
local long form: Hagere Ertra
local short form: Ertra
former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Government type:

transitional government
note: following a successful referendum on independence for the
Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National
Assembly, composed entirely of the People's Front for Democracy and
Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a
Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a
constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the
transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997,
did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential
elections; parliamentary elections were scheduled in December 2001,
but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is
the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Capital:

name: Asmara (Asmera)
geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern),
Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel
(Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)

Independence:

24 May