Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general. Prime minister : Freundel Stuart
Population
6,086,495
287,733
Life Expectancy
62.860 years
74.520 years
Capital City
Bridgetown
Largest city
Asmara (population: 563,930)
Bridgetown (population: 98,511)
Human Development Index
0.442
0.889
GDP per capita
$23,700 US
Literacy Rate
58.6%
99.7%
Corruption Perception Index
2.6
7
Percentage of Women in Parliament
22%
13.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
12.000%
Death Penalty
Abolished in practice
Legal
Political System
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)
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
30 November 1966 (from UK)
Religions
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Protestant 63.4% (Anglican 28.3%, Pentecostal 18.7%, Methodist 5.1%, other 11.3%), Roman Catholic 4.2%, other Christian 7%, other 4.8%, none or unspecified 20.6% (2008 est.)
Languages
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
English
Exports
manufactures, sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components
External Debt
$668,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Barbadian dollars (BBD) per US dollar - NA (2007), 2 (2006), 2 (2005), 2 (2004), 2 (2003)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Caribbean, island in the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela
Area
117,600 km sq
430 km sq
Coastline
2,234 km
97 km
Climate
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
