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)
Independence date
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Religions
Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages
Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7% note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Exports
scrap metal, wine, mineral water, ores, vehicles, fruits and nuts
External Debt
$11,080,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
laris (GEL) per US dollar - 1.47 (2008 est.), 1.7 (2007), 1.78 (2006), 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
6
0
Location
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Area
69,700 km sq
117,600 km sq
Coastline
310 km
2,234 km
Climate
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
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
