ion, Endangered
Species
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: strategic geopolitical position along world's
busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of
Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on
24 May 1993

@Eritrea:People

Population: 4,135,933 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 888,573; female 883,939)
15-64 years: 54% (male 1,104,082; female 1,122,683)
65 years and over: 3% (male 69,518; female 67,138) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.86% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 42.71 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 12.3 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)
note: according to the UNHCR, about 150,000 Eritrean refugees in Sudan
have registered for voluntary repatriation, following the restoration
of diplomatic relations between Eritrea and Sudan in January 2000

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 76.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 55.79 years
male: 53.36 years
female: 58.29 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.93 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups: ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%,
Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%

Religions: Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages: Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other
Cushitic languages

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 25%
male: NA%
female: NA%

@Eritrea:Government

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

Data code: ER

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 l