Eritrea Overview
Eritrea is located in northern East Africa, on the Red Sea. The country borders Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan. The name Eritrea is based on the Latin name of the Red Sea, Mare Erythraeum.
| Capital: | Asmara |
| Biggest city: | Asmara |
| State: | republic |
| Language: | tigrinja, arabic |
| Religion: | Islam. Christianity |
| Surface: | 121 320 km² |
| Population: | 5.8 million (2013) |
| Population density: | 47 residents per km² |
| Life expectancy: | 62 years |
| Illiteracy: | 41% |
| Currency: | nakfa (ERN) 1 nakfa = 0.55 kr |
| GDP per capita: | $ 700 (2010) |
| Time difference: | +2 hours |
| Electricity: | 220 V AC, 50Hz |
| National Day: | 24th of May |
| Country area code: | 291 |
| 2-Letter country abbreviation: | ER (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder) |
| Business: | predominantly subsistence farming; to some extent oil production, fishing and tourism |
| Climate: | hot and dry along the coast, cooler and wetter in the highlands; rainy season from June to September |
Eritrea was created as an Italian colony in 1890. The area in which Eritrea is located previously had a rich and long history. The oldest finds are dated to over 27 million years old and consist of fossils of animals believed to be the elephants’ earliest ancestors. The oldest human finds are over 1 million years old. In 1998, a skull was found in Eritrea, which forms a link between the older human monkey Homo erectus and one of the older variants of modern man, Homo sapiens.
From the mid-1930s, Italy pursued an aggressive expansionist policy and the then Abyssinia was occupied. The Italian possessions: Abyssinia, Eritrea and Italian Somaliland were united into one called Italian East Africa. During World War II, the Italian colony was occupied by British forces from Eritrea and Somalia. In 1941, the Italian forces lost control and Eritrea came under British rule, which was confirmed in connection with Italy’s capitulation in World War II. Between 1941 and 1952, the country was ruled by Britain as a protectorate, after which Eritrea and Ethiopia formed a federation according to a UN decision. Ten years later, however, Eritrea was annexed by Ethiopia. This was the beginning of a 30-year war, which ended in 1991 with the victory of the Eritrean rebels.
ELECTRICAL OUTLET
Electricity and electrical outlets in Eritrea
Voltage: 230 V
Frequency: 50 Hz
Type of plug: C
Need an adapter: No, you do not need an adapter.
CLIMATE AND WEATHER
Weather in Asmara
| Climate | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Christmas | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average temperature °C | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 |
| Day °C | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
| Night °C | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Rainy days | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Asmara
According to Countryaah, Asmara is the capital of Eritrea, and has 579,000 residents. It is an important transport hub with e.g. international airport. Trade and production of textiles, leather goods and food dominate the economy. Asmera was occupied by Italy in 1889 and at the turn of the last century became the capital of the Italian colony of Eritrea.
