Facts and Figures

Full name: Eritrea  

Nationality 
        noun: Eritrean(s)
        adjective: Eritrean
 

Flag:

Area
        total: 121,320 sq km
        water: 0 sq km 
        land: 121,320 sq km

Population: 4,561,599 (July 2005 est.)

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

Capital:  Asmara, population - 370,000

Largest Cities  
         Assab - 45,000
         Massawa - 25,000

Official Language 
          Afar
          Arabic
          Tigre and Kunama
          Tigrinya
          other Cushitic languages

Religion
          Muslim
          Coptic Christian
          Roman Catholic
          Protestant

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 had been scheduled in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

GDP:   purchasing power parity - $4.154 billion (2004 est.)  

GDP per head:  purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.)  

Annual growth:  2.5% (2004 est.)  

GDP - composition by sector
        agriculture: 12.4%
        industry: 25.9%
        services: 61.7% (2004 est.)

Inflation:  10% (2004 est.)