Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. In November 2006, the international commission informed Eritrea and Ethiopia they had one year to demarcate the border or the border demarcation would be based on coordinates.
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Location:
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Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 00 N, 39 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 121,320 sq km
land: 121,320 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than Pennsylvania
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
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Coastline:
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2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate:
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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
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Terrain:
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dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m
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Natural resources:
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gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
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Land use:
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arable land: 4.78%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 95.19% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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210 sq km (2003)
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Natural hazards:
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frequent droughts; locust swarms
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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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
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Population:
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4,786,994 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458/female 1,046,955)
15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153/female 1,268,189)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112/female 86,127) (2006 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 17.8 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 18 years (2006 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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2.47% (2006 est.)
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Birth rate:
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34.33 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Death rate:
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9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 59.03 years
male: 57.44 years
female: 60.66 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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2.7% (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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60,000 (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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6,300 (2003 est.)
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk in some locations (2007)
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Nationality:
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noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean
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Ethnic groups:
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Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%
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Religions:
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Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
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Languages:
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Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6%
male: 69.9%
female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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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
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Government type:
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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)
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Capital:
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name: Asmara (Asmera)
geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 53 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions:
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6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)
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Independence:
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24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 24 May (1993)
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Constitution:
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a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented
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Legal system:
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primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly
head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993)
cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)
election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)
elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely
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Judicial branch:
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High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts
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Political parties and leaders:
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People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement)); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]; Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]
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International organization participation:
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ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam
chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991
FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI
embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara
mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara
telephone: [291] (1) 120004
FAX: [291] (1) 127584
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Flag description:
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red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle
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Economy - overview:
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Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the PFDJ. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. In January 2005, the government essentially banned all imports. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency, limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy is heavily dependent on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have not been able to meet the food needs of the country. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$4.471 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$1.244 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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2% (2005 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$1,000 (2005 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 9.9%
industry: 25.4%
services: 64.6% (2006 est.)
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Labor force:
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NA
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20%
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Unemployment rate:
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NA%
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Population below poverty line:
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50% (2004 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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14% (2006 est.)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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24.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $257.6 million
expenditures: $424 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
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Agriculture - products:
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sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
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Industries:
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food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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276.1 million kWh (2004)
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Electricity - consumption:
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256.7 million kWh (2004)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2004)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2004)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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5,300 bbl/day (2004 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA bbl/day
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Oil - imports:
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NA bbl/day
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2004 est.)
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Current account balance:
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$-440.5 million (2006 est.)
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Exports:
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$17.65 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)
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Exports - partners:
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Italy 31.9%, US 12.1%, Belarus 6%, Germany 4.7%, Turkey 4.5%, UK 4% (2005)
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Imports:
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$701.8 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 16.5%, Italy 15.1%, France 11.8%, US 9.5%, India 7%, Ireland 6.1%, Turkey 4.4%, Jordan 4.2% (2005)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$30.6 million (2006 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$311 million (2000 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$77 million (1999)
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Currency (code):
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nakfa (ERN)
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Exchange rates:
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nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.4 (2006), 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003), 13.958 (2002)
note: the official exchange rate is 15 nakfa to the dollar
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Airports:
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17 (2006)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 13
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
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Railways:
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total: 306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2005)
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Roadways:
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total: 4,010 km
paved: 874 km
unpaved: 3,136 km (1999)
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Merchant marine:
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total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,506 GRT/23,649 DWT
by type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2006)
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Ports and terminals:
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Assab, Massawa
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This page was last updated on 8 March, 2007
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