Jump to content

Eritrea

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Headshot789 (talk | contribs) at 03:48, 22 January 2012. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other uses, see Eritrea (disambiguation).
State of Eritrea
ሃገረ ኤርትራ
Hagere Ertra
دولة إرتريا
Dawlat Iritrīya
Anthem: Ertra, Ertra, Ertra
Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea
Location of Eritrea
Capital
and largest city
Asmara
Official languagesTigrinya
Arabic
English
Italian[1]
Other languagesTigre, Saho, Bilen, Afar, Kunama, Nara, Hedareb[2][3]
Ethnic groups
  • Tigrinya 55%
  • Tigre 30%
  • Saho 4%
  • Kunama 2%
  • Rashaida 2%
  • Bilen 2%
  • Other 5% (Afar, Beni, Amir, Nera)[4]
    • Demonym(s)Eritrean
    GovernmentProvisional government Single-party state
    • President
    		Isaias Afewerki
    Independence
    • From Italy
    		November 1941
    • From United Kingdom under UN Mandate
    		1951
    • from Ethiopia de facto
    		24 May 1991
    • From Ethiopia de jure
    		24 May 1993
    Area
    • Total
    		117,600 km2 (45,400 sq mi) (100th)
    • Water (%)
    		0.14%
    Population
    • 2011 estimate
    		5,824,000 (109th)
    • 2008 census
    		5,291,370
    • Density
    		43.1/km2 (111.6/sq mi) (165th)
    GDP (PPP)2011 estimate
    • Total
    		$3.625 billion[5]
    • Per capita
    		$720[5]
    GDP (nominal)2011 estimate
    • Total
    		$2.590 billion[5]
    • Per capita
    		$472[5]
    HDI (2007)Steady 0.472
    Error: Invalid HDI value (165th)
    CurrencyNakfa (ERN)
    Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
    • Summer (DST)
    		UTC+3 (not observed)
    Driving sideright
    Calling code291
    ISO 3166 codeER
    Internet TLD.er
    1. ,.[2][3]

    Template:Contains Ethiopic text Eritrea (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˌɛr[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtreɪ.ə/ or /ˌɛr[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈtriːə/;[6] Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritrīyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea is the Italian form of the Greek name Ἐρυθραίᾱ (Erythraíā), meaning "red [land]". The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast. The northeast and east of the country has an extensive coastline on the Red Sea, directly across from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands are part of Eritrea. Eritrea's size is approximately 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi) with an estimated population of 6 million.

    History

    Main article: History of Eritrea

    Together with northern Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and the Red Sea coast of Sudan, Eritrea is considered the most likely location of the land known to the ancient Egyptians as Punt (or "Ta Netjeru", meaning "God's Land"), whose first mention dates to the 25th century BC.[7] The ancient Puntites were a nation of people that had close relations with Pharaonic Egypt during the times of Pharaoh Sahure and Queen Hatshepsut.

    Map of the Kingdom D'mt in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia ca. 400 BC.

    D'mt was a kingdom located in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia that existed during the 8th and 7th centuries BC. With its capital at Yeha, the kingdom developed irrigation schemes, used plows, grew millet, and made iron tools and weapons. After the fall of Dʿmt in the 5th century BC, the plateau came to be dominated by smaller successor kingdoms, until the rise of one of these polities, the Aksumite Kingdom during the first century, which was able to reunite the area.[8]

    The history of Eritrea is tied to its strategic position on the Red Sea littoral, with a coastline that extends more than 1,000 km. Many scientists believe that it is from this area that anatomically modern humans first expanded out of Africa.[9] From across the seas came various invaders and colonizers, such as the South Arabians hailing from the present-day Yemen area, as well as the Ottoman Turks, the Portuguese from Goa (India), the Egyptians, the British and, in the 19th century, the Italians. Over the centuries, invaders also came from the neighboring countries in Africa, like Egypt and Sudan to the west and north, as well as Ethiopia to the south. However, present-day Eritrea was largely affected by the Italian colonisers of the 19th century.

    In the period following the opening of the Suez canal in 1869, when European powers scrambled for territory in Africa and tried to establish coaling stations for their ships, Italy invaded Ethiopia and occupied Eritrea. On January 1, 1890, Eritrea officially became a colony of Italy. In 1936, it became a province of Italian East Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana), along with Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. By 1941, Eritrea had about 760,000 inhabitants, including 70,000 Italians.[10] Through the 1941 Battle of Keren, the British expelled the Italians[11] and took over the administration of the country. The British continued to administer the territory under a UN Mandate until 1951, when Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia per UN Resolution 390A(V) under the prompting of the United States adopted in December 1950.[12]

    Pre-Axumite monolithic columns in Qohaito.

    The strategic importance of Eritrea, due to its Red Sea coastline and mineral resources, along with their shared history, was the main cause for the federation with Ethiopia, which in turn led to Eritrea's annexation as Ethiopia's 14th province in 1952. This was the culmination of a gradual process of takeover by the Ethiopian authorities, a process which included a 1959 edict establishing the compulsory teaching of Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia, in all Eritrean schools. The lack of regard for the Eritrean population led to the formation of an independence movement in the early 1960s (1961), which erupted into a 30-year war against successive Ethiopian governments that ended in 1991. Following a UN-supervised referendum in Eritrea (dubbed UNOVER) in which the Eritrean people overwhelmingly voted for independence, Eritrea declared its independence and gained international recognition in 1993.[13]

    The de facto predominant languages are Tigrinya and Arabic, both of which belong to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. English is used in the government's international communication and is the language of instruction in all formal education beyond the fifth grade.[14]

    Eritrea is a single-party state. Though its constitution, adopted in 1997, stipulates that the state is a presidential republic with a unicameral parliamentary democracy, it has yet to be implemented. In 1998 a border dispute with Ethiopia led to the Eritrean-Ethiopian War. The war resulted in the death of as many as 100,000 Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers, although specific casualty estimates are varied.[15]

    Politics and government

    Main article: Politics of Eritrea

    Eritrea is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ).[16] Other political groups are not allowed to organize, although the unimplemented Constitution of 1997 provides for the existence of multi-party politics. The National Assembly has 150 seats, of which 75 are occupied by the PFDJ. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country.[17]

    Independent local sources of political information on Eritrean domestic politics are scarce; in September 2001 the government closed down all of the nation's privately owned print media, and outspoken critics of the government have been arrested and held without trial, according to various international observers, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. In 2004 the U.S. State Department declared Eritrea a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its record of religious persecution.[18]

    Human rights

    Main article: Human rights in Eritrea

    The human rights record of Eritrea is considered poor. Since Eritrea's independence from Ethiopia in 1991, Eritrea's human rights record has worsened. Several human rights violations are committed by the government or on behalf of the government. Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association are limited. Thousands of Eritreans are arrested if they rebel against any rules held by the government. Those that practice "unregistered" religions, try to flee the nation, or escape military duty are arrested and put into prison. Those that are arrested are held in prison indefinitely and are not legally charged. Prisoners are not well cared for. Well known prisoners are usually held in underground cells and less known prisoners are usually put together in cargo containers or in very overcrowded prisons. Domestic and international human rights organizations are not allowed to function in Eritrea.

    The registered religions are the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church (a monophysite Oriental Orthodox denomination), the Roman Catholic Church, and Sunnite Islam, which represents a majority and is often hostile to Christianity. All other religions are persecuted, including other denominations of Islam, such as Shi'ism, and other denominations of Christianity, such as any of the myriad Protestant denominations. Pentecostal Christians were allowed freedom of worship until 2002; after that time, the practice was prohibited by the government.[citation needed] After Pentecostalism was outlawed, all groups who worship secretly in a house or other unregistered place of assembly are imprisoned in poor conditions and possibly beaten, often along with other religious prisoners.[citation needed] They are only released if they sign a document saying they will return to the country's predominant Christian Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.[citation needed] If they do not sign, they are held in prison indefinitely. As a result, thousands of Eritreans leave the country in order to worship freely.[citation needed] There are thousands of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia and the Sudan seeking asylum in Europe or another region of the West.[19] Eritrea is a one-party state in which national legislative elections have been repeatedly postponed.[20]

    Media

    In its 2010 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders classified the media environment in Eritrea at 175 out of 175, the lowest possible rating, and below that of totalitarian North Korea at 174.[21] According to the BBC, "Eritrea is the only African country to have no privately-owned news media",[22] and Reporters Without Borders said of the public media, "[they] do nothing but relay the regime's belligerent and ultra-nationalist discourse. ... Not a single [foreign correspondent] now lives in Asmara."[23] The state-owned news agency censors news about external events.[24] Independent media has been banned since 2001.[24]

    National elections

    Building of regional administration in Asmara.

    Eritrean National elections were set for 2001 but was then decided that because 20% of Eritrea's land was under occupation, elections would be postponed until the resolution of the conflict with Ethiopia. However, local elections have continued in Eritrea. The most recent round of local government elections were held in May 2004. On further elections, the President's Chief of Staff, Yemane Gebremeskel said,[25]

    The electoral commission is handling these elections this time round so that may be the new element in this process. The national assembly has also mandated the electoral commission to set the date for national elections, so whenever the electoral commission sets the date there will be national elections. It's not dependent on regional elections.

    Regions and districts

    Main articles: Regions of Eritrea and Districts of Eritrea

    Template:Regions of Eritrea Image Map

    Map of Eritrea

    Eritrea is divided into six regions (zobas) and subdivided into districts (sub-zobas). The geographical extent of the regions is based on their respective hydrological properties. This a dual intent on the part of the Eritrean government: to provide each administration with sufficient control over its agricultural capacity, and to eliminate historical intra-regional conflicts.

    The regions, followed by the sub-region, are:

    No. Region (ዞባ) Sub-region (ንኡስ ዞባ)
    1 Central
    (ዞባ ማእከል)     		Berikh, Ghala-Nefhi, Semienawi Mibraq, Serejaka, Debubawi Mibraq, Semienawi Mi'erab, Debubawi Mi'erab, Asmara
    2 Southern
    (ዞባ ደቡብ)     		Adi Keyh, Adi Quala, Areza, Debarwa, Dekemhare, Mai Ayni, Mai Mne, Mendefera, Segeneiti, Senafe, Tserona
    3 Gash-Barka
    (ዞባ ጋሽ ባርካ)     		Agordat, Barentu, Dghe, Forto, Gogne, Haykota, Logo-Anseba, Mensura, Mogolo, Molki, Guluj, Shambuko, Tesseney, La'elay Gash
    4 Anseba
    (ዞባ ዓንሰባ)     		Adi Tekelezan, Asmat, Elabered, Geleb, Hagaz, Halhal, Habero, Keren, Kerkebet, Sel'a
    5 Northern Red Sea
    (ዞባ ሰሜናዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ)     		Afabet, Dahlak, Ghel'alo, Foro, Ghinda, Karura, Massawa, Nakfa, She'eb
    6 Southern Red Sea
    (ዞባ ደቡባዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ)     		Are'eta, Central Dankalia, Southern Dankalia, Assab

    Military

    The Eritrean Defence Forces are the official armed forces of the State of Eritrea.

    Foreign relations

    Main article: Foreign relations of Eritrea
    Embassy of Eritrea in Washington, D.C.

    Eritrea is a full member of the African Union (AU), the successor of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). However, it had withdrawn its representative to the AU in protest at the AU's alleged lack of leadership in facilitating the implementation of a binding border decision demarcating the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The Eritrean government has since January 2011 appointed an envoy, Tesfa-Alem Tekle, to the AU.[26]

    Relations with the United States

    Eritrea's relationship with the United States has a short yet complex history. The United States Army operated Kagnew Station in Eritrea from 1943 to 1977. Relations worsened in October 2008 when U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer called the nation a 'state sponsor of terrorism' and stated that the U.S. government might add Eritrea to its list of rogue states, along with Iran and Sudan.[27] The stated reason for this was the presence of Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, an exiled Somali Islamist leader, whom the U.S. suspects of having links to Al Qaeda, at a Somali opposition conference in Asmara.[28]

    During the week of August 2, 2009, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed that Eritrea was supplying weapons to the Somali militant group al-Shabab.[29] Although Eritrea denied this accusation in a public statement the following day,[30] the United Nations, with the backing of the African Union, imposed sanctions and an arms embargo on Eritrea under Resolution 1907 for its alleged role in Somalia and refusal to withdraw troops from the border with Djibouti.

    Relations with the European Union

    Eritrea's relationship with the Italian Republic and the European Union are still both reasonably strong and do not seem to be as strained as is the country's relationship with the United States. On 27 January 2009, the Dutch Ambassador, Yoka Brandt, Director General of International Development Cooperation, paid an official visit to the country for bilateral talks with President Isaias' government, which were held in Massawa.

    Relations with neighboring countries

    Eritrea's relations with its neighbours have been strained due to a series of wars and disputes. These include a break of diplomatic relations with Sudan in 1994, for hosting network of terrorists in 1994, a war with Yemen over the Hanish Islands in 1996 (the conflict was settled through the verdict of the International Court of Arbitration in 1998), and a border conflict with Ethiopia from 1997–2000. An international border commission, the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission had delimited and virtually demarcated the border, but Ethiopia has refused to implement it.

    Eritrea's relations with the Sudan have normalised. Meanwhile, Eritrea has been recognised as a broker for peace between the separate factions of the Sudanese civil war: "It is known that Eritrea played a role in bringing about the peace agreement [between the Southern Sudanese and Government]."[31] In addition, the Sudanese government and Eastern Front rebels requested Eritrea to mediate peace talks in 2006.[32]

    A dispute with Yemen over the Hanish Islands in 1996 resulted in a brief war. As part of an agreement to cease hostilities the two nations agreed to refer the issue to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague in 1998.[33] Yemen was granted full ownership of the larger islands while Eritrea was awarded the peripheral islands to the southwest of the larger islands.[34] At the conclusion of the proceedings, both nations acquiesced to the decision. Since 1996, both governments have remained wary of one another but relations are relatively normal.[35]

    Relations with Ethiopia

    A train tunnel on the Eritrean Plateau
    See also: Eritrean–Ethiopian War

    The undemarcated border with Ethiopia is the primary external issue currently facing Eritrea. Eritrea's relations with Ethiopia turned from that of cautious mutual tolerance, following the 30-year war for Eritrean independence, to a deadly rivalry that led to the outbreak of hostilities from May 1998 to June 2000 which claimed approximately 70,000 casualties from both sides.

    Disagreements following the war have resulted in stalemate punctuated by periods of elevated tension and renewed threats of war.[36][37][38] The stalemate led the President of Eritrea to urge the UN to take action on Ethiopia with the Eleven Letters penned by the President to the United Nations Security Council. The situation is further escalated by the continued efforts of the Eritrean and Ethiopian leaders in supporting opposition in one another's countries.[citation needed] In 2011, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of planting bombs at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, which was later supported by a UN report. Eritrea has denied the claims.[39] U.S. diplomats in a cable leaked by Wikileaks stated that according to an embassy source, as well as clandestine reporting, the bombing may have in fact been the work of Ethiopian government's security forces.[40]

    Amid fears of an emerging Islamic and nationalist Somalia, Ethiopia invaded Somalia with U.S. assistance, putting in place the at first weak and locally unpopular UN/AU-backed Transitional Federal Government which, without Ethiopian support, had been unable to exercise any control beyond its base in Baidoa and along the Ethio-Somali border. The Transitional Federal Government as of 2011 taken full control of the capital and made significant gains on the territory of the now defunct Islamic Courts Union.[41] The United States Central Intelligence Agency also conducted a covert program of funding and assisting a coalition of Somali warlords to replace the Islamic Courts Union government in southern Somalia.[42]

    On its part, Eritrea used to host members of the ousted Union of Islamic Courts and the Somali Free Parliament, including the current President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, who was also the leader of the Union of Islamic Courts ousted by Ethiopia in 2007. The Eritrean government has been accused of sponsoring, arming and hosting numerous militant leaderships and separatist rebels in the Horn of Africa.[43]

    Geography

    Main article: Geography of Eritrea
    Eritrean highlands

    Eritrea is located in Northeast Africa and is bordered on the northeast and east by the Red Sea, on the south by Ethiopia, and on the northwest by Sudan. It lies between latitudes 12° and 18°N, and longitudes 36° and 44°E.

    The country is virtually bisected by a branch of the East African Rift. It has fertile lands to the west, descending to desert in the east. Eritrea, at the southern end of the Red Sea, is the home of the fork in the rift. The Dahlak Archipelago and its fishing grounds are situated off the sandy and arid coastline. The land to the south, in the highlands, is slightly drier and cooler.[citation needed]

    The Afar Triangle or Danakil Depression of Eritrea is the probable location of a triple junction where three tectonic plates are pulling away from one another: the Arabian Plate, and the two parts of the African Plate (the Nubian and the Somali plate) splitting along the East African Rift Zone (USGS). The highest point of the country, Emba Soira, is located in the center of Eritrea, at 3,018 meters (9,902 ft) above sea level.

    The main cities of the country are the capital city of Asmara and the port town of Asseb in the southeast, as well as the towns of Massawa to the east, and Keren to the north.

    Environment

    Eritrea formerly supported a large population of elephants. The Ptolemaic kings of Egypt used the country as a source of war elephants in the third century BC [citation needed]. Between 1955 and 2001 there were no reported sightings of elephant herds, and they are thought to have fallen victim to the war of independence. In December 2001 a herd of about 30, including 10 juveniles, was observed in the vicinity of the Gash River. The elephants seemed to have formed a symbiotic relationship with olive baboons. It is estimated that there are around 100 elephants left in Eritrea, the most northerly of East Africa's elephants.[44] The endangered Painted Hunting Dog (Lycaon pictus) was previously found in Eritrea, but is now deemed extirpated from the entire country.[45]

    In 2006, Eritrea announced it would become the first country in the world to turn its entire coast into an environmentally protected zone. The 1,347 km (837 mi) coastline, along with another 1,946 km (1,209 mi) of coast around its more than 350 islands, will come under governmental protection.

    Economy

    Another view of Asmara
    Main article: Economy of Eritrea

    Like the economies of many other African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. Drought has often created trouble in the farming areas.[46]

    The Real GDP (2009 est.): $1.87 billion, and the annual growth rate (2009 est.): 3.6%.[47]

    The Eritrean-Ethiopian War severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth in 1999 fell to less than 1%, and GDP decreased by 8.2% in 2000. In May 2000, the war resulted in some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The war also prevented the planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%.[48][49]

    Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure by asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges as a part of the Warsay Yika'alo Program. The most significant of these projects was the building of a coastal highway of more than 500 km connecting Massawa with Asseb as well as the rehabilitation of the Eritrean Railway. The rail line now runs between the Port of Massawa and the capital Asmara.

    Society

    Demographics

    Main article: Demographics of Eritrea
    File:Eritrea-people-map.gif
    A map indicating the ethnic composition of Eritrea

    Eritrean society is ethnically heterogeneous. An independent census has yet to be conducted, but the Tigrinya people make up about 60% and Tigre people make up about 30% of the population. These form the bulk of the country's predominantly Semitic-speaking population.

    A wedding in Eritrea

    Most of the rest of the population belong to other Afro-Asiatic-speaking communities of the Cushitic branch, such as the Saho, Hedareb, Afar and Bilen.

    There are also a number of Nilotic ethnic minorities who are represented in Eritrea by the Kunama and Nara. Each ethnicity speaks a different native tongue but, typically, many of the minorities speak more than one language.

    In addition, there exist Italian Eritrean (concentrated in Asmara) and Ethiopian Tigrayan communities. Neither is generally given citizenship unless through marriage or, more rarely, by having it conferred upon them by the State.

    The most recent addition to the nationalities of Eritrea is the Rashaida. The Rashaida came to Eritrea in the 19th century from the Arabian Coast.[50]

    Languages

    Main article: Languages of Eritrea
    Rashaida children in the Eritrean lowlands.

    Many languages are spoken in Eritrea today. There is no official language as such, as the Constitution establishes the "equality of all Eritrean languages"[51] but Tigrinya and Arabic are the two predominant languages for official purposes. English and Italian are also widely understood.

    Most of the languages spoken in Eritrea stem from the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.[52] The Semitic languages in Eritrea are Tigre, Tigrinya, the newly-recognized Dahlik, and Arabic (spoken natively by the Rashaida Arabs).

    Other Afro-Asiatic languages belonging to the Cushitic branch are also widely spoken in the country.[52] The latter include Afar, Beja, Blin and Saho.

    In addition, Nilo-Saharan languages (Kunama and Nara) are also spoken as a mother tongue by the Nilotic Kunama and Nara ethnic minority groups that live in the north and northwestern part of the country.[52]

    Education

    Main article: Education in Eritrea

    There are five levels of education in Eritrea: pre-primary, primary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary. There are nearly 238,000 students in the primary, middle, and secondary levels of education. There are approximately 824 schools[53] in Eritrea and two universities (the University of Asmara and the Institute of Science and Technology) as well as several smaller colleges and technical schools.

    One of the most important goals of Eritrea's education policy is to provide basic education in each of Eritrea's mother tongues, as well as to develop a self-motivated and conscientious population to fight poverty and disease. Furthermore it is tooled to produce a society that is equipped with the necessary skills to function in the modern economy.

    The education system in Eritrea is also designed to promote private sector schooling, equal access for all groups (i.e., to prevent gender discrimination, ethnic discrimination, and class discrimination) and promote continuing education, both formally and informally.

    Education in Eritrean include kindergartens for young children of both genders.

    Barriers to education in Eritrea include traditional taboos, school fees (for registration and materials), and the opportunity costs of low-income households.[54]

    Religion

    Main article: Religion in Eritrea
    Enda Mariam Orthodox Church, St Joseph's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin Mosque in the capital Asmara.

    Eritrea has two dominant religions, Christianity and Islam. Various approximations have estimated that 50 to 62.5% are Christians (mostly followers of Orthodox Christianity and, to a lesser extent, Roman Catholicism) and 36.5 to 50% of the population is Sunni Muslim.[55] The Christians are primarily members of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, which is the local Oriental Orthodox church, while considerable groups of Roman Catholics (including Italian Eritreans), Protestants, and other denominations also exist. Most Muslims follow Sunni Islam.

    Since May 2002, the Government of Eritrea has officially recognized the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, Sunni Islam, Catholicism, and the Evangelical Lutheran church. All other faiths and denominations are required to undergo a registration process.[56] Among other things, the Government's registration system requires religious groups to submit personal information on their membership to be allowed to worship.[56] The few organizations that have met all of the registration requirements have still not received official recognition. [citation needed]

    The Eritrean Government is against reformed or radical versions of its established religions. Therefore, radical forms of Islam, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Bahá'í Faith, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and numerous other Protestant denominations are not registered and cannot worship freely. Three named men are known to have been imprisoned since 1994.[57] Additionally, on June 28, 2009, police raided a private home where Jehovah's Witnesses were meeting. 23 were arrested including children as young as two years old. Some of the women and children were later released, however, two children who are now three and four years of age are still imprisoned with their mothers. None have been charged officially or given access to the judicial process. As of July 29, 2010, 52 Jehovah's Witnesses have been imprisoned in Eritrea for attending their religious meetings and engaging in religious activity.[58]

    In its 2006 religious freedom report, the U.S. State Department named Eritrea a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) for the third year in a row.[59]

    Health

    Main article: Health in Eritrea

    Eritrea has achieved significant improvements in health care and is one of the few countries to be on target to meet its Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets in health, in particular child health.[60] Life expectancy at birth has increased from 39.1 in 1960 to 59.5 years in 2008, maternal and child mortality rates have dropped dramatically and the health infrastructure has been expanded.[60] Due to Eritrea's relative isolation, information and resources are extremely limited and according the World Health Organisation (WHO) found in 2008 average life expectancy to be slightly less than 63 years. Immunisation and child nutrition has been tackled by working closely with schools in a multi-sectoral approach; the number of children vaccinated against measles almost doubled in seven years, from 40.7% to 78.5% and the underweight prevalence among children decreased by 12% in 1995–2002 (severe underweight prevalence by 28%).[60] The National Malaria Protection Unit of the Ministry of Health has registered tremendous improvements in reducing malarial mortality by as much as 85% and the number of cases by 92% between 1998 and 2006.[60] The Eritrean government has banned female genital mutilation (FGM), saying the practice was painful and put women at risk of life-threatening health problems.[61]

    However, Eritrea still faces many challenges. Despite number of physicians increasing from only 0.2 in 1993 to 0.5 in 2004 per 1000 population, this is still very low.[60] Malaria and Tubercolosis both are common in Eritrea.[62] HIV prevalence among the 15–49 group exceeds 2%.[62] The fertility rate is at about 5 births per woman.[62] Maternal mortality dropped by more than half from 1995 to 2002, although the figure is still high.[60] Similarly, between 1995 and 2002, the number of births attended by skilled health personnel has doubled but still is only 28.3%.[60] A major cause of deaths of neonates is by severe infection.[62] Per capita expenditure on health is low in Eritrea.[62]

    Culture

    File:Tour of Eritrea.jpg
    Cyclists competing in the Tour of Eritrea in Asmara.
    Kitcha fit-fit is a staple of Eritrean cuisine. A dish of shredded, oiled, and spiced bread, it is often served with a scoop of fresh yogurt and topped with berbere (spice).
    Main article: Culture of Eritrea
    See also: Cuisine of Eritrea and Music of Eritrea

    The Eritrean region has traditionally been a nexus for trade throughout the world. Because of this, the influence of diverse cultures can be seen throughout Eritrea. Today the most obvious influences in the capital, Asmara, are those of Italy. Throughout Asmara, there are small cafes serving beverages common in Italy. In Asmara, there is a clear merging of the Italian colonial influence with the traditional Tigrinya lifestyle. In the villages of Eritrea, these changes never took hold. In the cities, before the occupation and during the early years, the import of Bollywood films was commonplace, while Italian and American films were available in the cinemas as well. In the 1980s and since independence, however, American films have become the most common. Vying for market share are films by local producers, who have slowly come into their own. The global broadcast of Eri-TV has brought cultural images to the large Eritrean population in the Diaspora that visits the country every summer. Successful domestic films are produced by government and independent studios with revenue from ticket sales typically covering the production costs.

    Traditional Eritrean dress is quite varied, with the women of most lowland ethnicities traditionally dressing in brightly colored clothes, while the Tigrinya traditionally dress in bright white costumes. Of the Muslim ethnicities, only the Arab or Rashaida tribeswomen maintain a tradition of covering their faces.

    Football and cycling are the most popular sports in Eritrea.[citation needed] In recent years, Eritrean athletes have also seen increasing success in the international arena.

    See also

    Template:Satop

    References

    1. ^ CIA – The World Factbook – Eritrea
    2. ^ a b "Les langues en Erythrée". Cy.revues.org. 2000-01-14. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
    3. ^ a b "Eritrea" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-05-02.
    4. ^ CIA - Eritrea - Ethnic groups
    5. ^ a b c d "Eritrea". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
    6. ^ "Merriam-Webster Online". Merriam-webster.com. 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
    7. ^ Simson Najovits, Egypt, trunk of the tree, Volume 2, (Algora Publishing: 2004), p.258.
    8. ^ Pankhurst, Richard K.P. Addis Tribune, "Let's Look Across the Red Sea I", January 17, 2003 (archive.org mirror copy)
    9. ^ Walter RC, Buffler RT, Bruggemann JH; et al. (2000). "Early human occupation of the Red Sea coast of Eritrea during the last interglacial". Nature. 405 (6782): 65–9. doi:10.1038/35011048. PMID 10811218. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
    10. ^ Tesfagiorgis, Gebre Hiwet (1993). Emergent Eritrea: challenges of economic development. The Red Sea Press. p. 111. ISBN 0932415911.
    11. ^ Law, Gwillim. "Regions of Eritrea". Administrative Divisions of Countries ('Statoids'). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
    12. ^ United Nations General Assembly. "Eritrea: Report of the United Nations Commission for Eritrea; Report of the Interim Committee of the General Assembly on the Report of the United Nations Commission for Eritrea" (PDF). Retrieved 15 August 2011.
    13. ^ "Eritrea – The spreading revolution". Encyclopædia Britannica Article. Retrieved 2007-10-16.
    14. ^ "Template:PDFlink. Library of Congress. Retrieved 18 July 2006.
    15. ^ Eritrea orders Westerners in UN mission out in 10 days. International Herald Tribune. 7 December 2005
    16. ^ "Country profile: Eritrea". BBC News. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
    17. ^ "Government – overview". World Factbook. CIA. 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
    18. ^ "2005 Executive Summary". International Religious Freedom Report. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. 2005-11-08. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
    19. ^ Eritrea Human Rights Overview Human Rights Watch
    20. ^ Eritrea[dead link] Grassroots International
    21. ^ "Press Freedom Index 2009 - Reporters Without Borders". En.rsf.org. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    22. ^ "Country profile: Eritrea". BBC News. 2010-11-30.
    23. ^ "World Report - Eritrea - Reporters Without Borders". En.rsf.org. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    24. ^ a b "Sub-Saharan Africa censors Mideast protests". 18 February 2011.
    25. ^ "Interview of Mr. Brandon Edmonds, Director of the Office of the President of Eritrea". PFDJ. 2004-04-01. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    26. ^ "Eritrea appoints AU envoy in Ethiopia - Sudan Tribune: Plural news and views on Sudan". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    27. ^ "Embargoed Countries". US Department of State. October 6, 2008.
    28. ^ Martell, Peter (2007-09-11). "How Eritrea fell out with the west". BBC. Retrieved 2007-09-12.
    29. ^ "Clinton vows new U.S. support for Somalia". USA Today. 2009-08-06. Retrieved 2010-11-20.
    30. ^ "Eritrea: 'We Are Not Arming Somali Insurgents' – Government". Stratfor. 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
    31. ^ "Turabi terms USA "world's ignoramuses", fears Sudan's partition". Sudan Tribune. 2005-11-04. Archived from the original on 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    32. ^ "Sudan demands Eritrean mediation with eastern Sudan rebels". Sudan Tribune. 2006-04-18. Archived from the original on 2006-05-19. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    33. ^ "PCA – Documents: Eritrea-Yemen Award – CHAPTER I". Library2.lawschool.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
    34. ^ "International Maritime Boundary". Archived from the original on 2006-02-18. Retrieved 2006-07-17.
    35. ^ "Flights back on between Yemen and Eritrea". BBC. 1998-12-13. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    36. ^ "Horn tensions trigger UN warning". BBC. 2004-02-04. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    37. ^ "Army build-up near Horn frontier". BBC. 2005-11-02. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    38. ^ "Horn border tense before deadline". BBC. 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    39. ^ Rice, Xan (2011-07-28). "Eritrea planned massive bomb attack on African Union summit, UN says". The Guardian. Retrieved 2011-07-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    40. ^ "cable 06ADDISABABA2708, ETHIOPIA: RECENT BOMBINGS BLAMED ON OROMOS". Wikileaks. 2011-08-30. Retrieved 2011-09-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    41. ^ "U.N.: Eritrea giving arms to Somalis tied to al Qaeda". CNN. 2007-07-26. Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2007-08-04.
    42. ^ Mark Mazzetti (2006-12-27). "U.S. Signals Backing for Ethiopian Incursion Into Somalia". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/27/world/africa/27africa.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
    43. ^ "Accounts of rebels in Eritrea". Investing.reuters.co.uk. 2009-02-09. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
    44. ^ "The rediscovery of Eritrea's elephants". BBC Wildlife Magazine. 2003. Retrieved 2007-07-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help) [dead link]
    45. ^ C. Michael Hogan (2009) Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus, GlobalTwitcher.com, ed. N. Stromberg
    46. ^ "An Environmental Impact Assessment of African Armyworm Control in Eritrea: An Amendment to the "Eritrean Supplemental Environmental Assessment For Grasshopper And Locust Control"". Retrieved 2010-05-02.
    47. ^ "Eritrea". State.gov. 2011-03-09. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    48. ^ "Economy – overview". CIA. 2006-06-06. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    49. ^ "Aid sought for Eritrean recovery". BBC. 2001-02-22. Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    50. ^ Alders, Anne. "the Rashaida". Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    51. ^ "Constitution of the State of Eritrea". Shaebia.org. Retrieved 2010-05-02.
    52. ^ a b c Minahan, James (1998). Miniature empires: a historical dictionary of the newly independent states. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 76. ISBN 0313306109. The majority of the Eritreans speak Semitic or Cushitic languages of the Afro-Asiatic language group. The Kunama, Baria, and other smaller groups in the north and northwest speak Nilotic languages.
    53. ^ Baseline Study on Livelihood Systems in Eritrea. National Food Information System of Eritrea. 2005.
    54. ^ Kifle, Temesgen (2002). Educational Gender Gap in Eritrea.
    55. ^ Miller, Tracy, ed. (2009), Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population (PDF), Pew Research Center, retrieved 2009-10-08 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
    56. ^ a b Fisher, Jonah (2004-09-17). "Religious persecution in Eritrea". BBC News. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
    57. ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses — Eritrea Country Profile – October 2008". Retrieved 2009-09-25. [dead link]
    58. ^ "Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site". Jw-media.org. 2010-07-29. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    59. ^ "Eritrea. International Religious Freedom Report 2008". U.S. Department of State. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
    60. ^ a b c d e f g Romina Rodríguez Pose and Fiona Samuels 2010. Progress in health in Eritrea: Cost-effective inter-sectoral interventions and a long-term perspective. London: Overseas Development Institute
    61. ^ "IRIN Africa | ERITREA: Government outlaws female genital mutilation | Eritrea | Gender Issues | Human Rights". Irinnews.org. 2007-04-05. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
    62. ^ a b c d e Health profile PDF at http://www.afro.who.int/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1029&Itemid=2070

    Further reading

    • Cliffe, Lionel; Connell, Dan; Davidson, Basil (2005), Taking on the Superpowers: Collected Articles on the Eritrean Revolution (1976–1982). Red Sea Press, ISBN 1-56902-188-0
    • Cliffe, Lionel & Davidson, Basil (1988), The Long Struggle of Eritrea for Independence and Constructive Peace. Spokesman Press, ISBN 0-85124-463-7
    • Connell, Dan (1997), Against All Odds: A Chronicle of the Eritrean Revolution With a New Afterword on the Postwar Transition. Red Sea Press, ISBN 1-56902-046-9
    • Connell, Dan (2001), Rethinking Revolution: New Strategies for Democracy & Social Justice : The Experiences of Eritrea, South Africa, Palestine & Nicaragua. Red Sea Press, ISBN 1-56902-145-7
    • Connell, Dan (2004), Conversations with Eritrean Political Prisoners. Red Sea Press, ISBN 1-56902-235-6
    • Connell, Dan (2005), Building a New Nation: Collected Articles on the Eritrean Revolution (1983–2002). Red Sea Press, ISBN 1-56902-198-8
    • Firebrace, James & Holand, Stuart (1985), Never Kneel Down: Drought, Development and Liberation in Eritrea. Red Sea Press, ISBN 0-932415-00-8
    • Gebre-Medhin, Jordan (1989), Peasants and Nationalism in Eritrea. Red Sea Press, ISBN 0-932415-38-5
    • Hatem Elliesie: Decentralisation of Higher Education in Eritrea, Afrika Spectrum, Vol. 43 (2008) No. 1, p. 115–120.
    • Hill, Justin (2002), 'Ciao Asmara, A classic account of contemporary Africa'. Little, Brown, ISBN 978-0-349-11526-9
    • Iyob, Ruth (1997), The Eritrean Struggle for Independence : Domination, Resistance, Nationalism, 1941–1993. Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-59591-6
    • Jacquin-Berdal, Dominique; Plaut, Martin (2004), Unfinished Business: Ethiopia and Eritrea at War. Red Sea Press, ISBN 1-56902-217-8
    • Johns, Michael (1992), "Does Democracy Have a Chance", Congressional Record, May 6 1992
    • Keneally, Thomas (1990), "To Asmara" ISBN 0-446-39171-9
    • Kendie, Daniel (2005), The Five Dimensions Of The Eritrean Conflict 1941–2004: Deciphering the Geo-Political Puzzle. Signature Book Printing, ISBN 1-932433-47-3
    • Killion, Tom (1998), Historical Dictionary of Eritrea. Scarecrow Press, ISBN 0-8108-3437-5
    • Mauri, Arnaldo (2004), "Eritrea's Early Stages in Monetary and Banking Development", International Review of Economics, Vol. LI, n. 4, [1]
    • Mauri, Arnaldo (1998), "The First Monetary and Banking Experiences in Eritrea", African Review of Money, Finance and Banking, n. 1–2.
    • Müller, Tanja R.: Bare life and the developmental State: the Militarization of Higher Education in Eritrea, Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 46 (2008), No. 1, p. 1–21.
    • Ogbaselassie, G (2006-01-10). "Response to remarks by Mr. David Triesman, Britain's parliamentary under-secretary of state with responsibility for Africa". Retrieved 2006-06-07.
    • Pateman, Roy (1998), Eritrea: Even the Stones Are Burning. Red Sea Press, ISBN 1-56902-057-4
    • Phillipson, David W. (1998), Ancient Ethiopia.
    • Wrong, Michela (2005), I Didn't Do It For You: how the world betrayed a small African Nation. Harper Collins, ISBN 0-06-078092-4
    Government
    Other
    Magazine

    Template:Link FA Template:Link GA

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eritrea&oldid=472550652"