01
Physical geography
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.
Local timeAsmara ·
Africa / Eastern Africa · Card 017
Eritrea
Eritrea is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Asmara.
Find Eritrea
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Asmara
- Languages
- Tigrinya, Arabic & English
- Currency
- Eritrean nakfa (ERN)
- Population
- 3.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 117,600 km²45,406 square miles
- Independence
- 1993from Ethiopia
Eritrea in context
Africa and its surrounding islands. The dot marks Asmara; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Tigrinya, Arabic and English are used in public administration; several other languages are spoken. Language use should not be confused with a single nationwide mother tongue.
03
Location
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan.
Flag
A red isosceles triangle (based on the left side) divides the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower is blue; a gold wreath around a gold olive branch is on the left side of the red triangle
History & independence
Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia in 1952 after Italian colonial rule and British administration. A long liberation struggle followed; Ethiopian forces were defeated in 1991. A UN-observed referendum led to internationally recognized independence in 1993.
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Eritrea is federated with Ethiopia
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Eritrean forces take control
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A referendum is followed by independence
Economy
Main activities
Agriculture and livestock support many households. Mining, including gold and base metals, provides export earnings. Rainfall variability, infrastructure and access to investment affect economic activity.
Industry and production
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people3.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,243,453 | 1.243 |
| 1980 | 1,605,797 | 1.606 |
| 1990 | 2,032,737 | 2.033 |
| 2000 | 2,247,031 | 2.247 |
| 2010 | 2,945,186 | 2.945 |
| 2020 | 3,291,271 | 3.291 |
| 2025 | 3,607,003 | 3.607 |
Real GDP, 1992–2011
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars2.32011 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1,154,926,146 | 1.155 |
| 1993 | 1,310,318,716 | 1.310 |
| 1994 | 1,588,386,838 | 1.588 |
| 1995 | 1,633,788,955 | 1.634 |
| 1996 | 1,785,058,837 | 1.785 |
| 1997 | 1,926,233,510 | 1.926 |
| 1998 | 1,960,377,600 | 1.960 |
| 1999 | 1,960,641,860 | 1.961 |
| 2000 | 1,899,038,769 | 1.899 |
| 2001 | 2,065,307,885 | 2.065 |
| 2002 | 2,127,379,251 | 2.127 |
| 2003 | 2,070,886,356 | 2.071 |
| 2004 | 2,100,950,150 | 2.101 |
| 2005 | 2,155,038,051 | 2.155 |
| 2006 | 2,134,151,054 | 2.134 |
| 2007 | 2,164,601,595 | 2.165 |
| 2008 | 1,952,837,971 | 1.953 |
| 2009 | 2,028,539,765 | 2.029 |
| 2010 | 2,073,049,789 | 2.073 |
| 2011 | 2,252,986,366 | 2.253 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.503Low human developmentRank 178 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
20100.465
20200.495
20230.503
68.6 yearsLife expectancy at birth
5.1 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
One-party state led by the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice. The 1997 constitution has not been implemented, and national elections under that constitution have not taken place.
Knowledge check
Three questions about Eritrea.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Eritrea?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived country profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.