Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Pearlette Louisy Prime minister: Kenny Anthony
Population
6,086,495
162,178
Life Expectancy
62.860 years
77.040 years
Capital City
Largest city
Asmara (population: 563,930)
Bisee (population: 12,980)
Human Development Index
0.442
0.821
GDP per capita
Literacy Rate
58.6%
90.1%
Corruption Perception Index
2.6
7.1
Percentage of Women in Parliament
22%
17.2%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
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
Religions
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Roman Catholic 67.5%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.5%, Pentecostal 5.7%, Rastafarian 2.1%, Anglican 2%, Evangelical 2%, other Christian 5.1%, other 1.1%, unspecified 1.5%, none 4.5% (2001 census)
Languages
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
English (official), French patois
Exports
External Debt
Exchange Rate
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago
Area
117,600 km sq
616 km sq
Coastline
2,234 km
158 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
tropical, moderated by northeast trade winds; dry season January to April, rainy season May to August
