2
Environment:
frequent droughts, famine; deforestation; soil eroision; overgrazing; loss
of infrastructure from civil warfare
Note:
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and
close to Arabian oilfields, Eritrea retained the entire coastline of
Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 27
April 1993

*Eritrea, People

Population:
3,467,087 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.46% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population
Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate:
NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
NA years
male:
NA years
female:
NA years
Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman
Nationality:
noun:
Eritrean(s)
adjective:
Eritrean
Ethnic divisions:
ethnic Tigrays 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
dwellers) 3%
Religions:
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:
Tigre and Kunama, Cushitic dialects, Tigre, Nora Bana, Arabic
Literacy:
NA%
Labor force:
NA

*Eritrea, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Eritrea
local long form:
none
local short form:
none
former:
Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Digraph:
ER
Type:
transitional government
note:
on 29 May 1991 ISSAIAS Afeworke, secretary general of the Eritrean People's
Liberation Front (EPLF), announced the formation of the Provisional
Government in Eritrea (PGE), in preparation for the 23-25 April 1993
referendum on independence for the autonomous region of Eritrea; the result
was a landslide vote for independence that was announced on 27 April 1993
Capital:
Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Administrative divisions:
NA
Independence:
27 April 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
Constitution:
transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993
Legal system:
NA
National holiday:
National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)
Political parties and leaders:
Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) (Christian Muslim), ISSAIAS
Aferworke, PETROS Soloman; Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) (Muslim),
ABDULLAH Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO),
leader NA
Other political or pressure groups:
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF