World Context: Eritrea

Source and mapping status

This page maps the site registry entry “Eritrea” to the supplied dataset entity “Eritrea.” Mapping status: exact-name. The source is a frozen 2025 snapshot; dates embedded in individual fields remain controlling.

• Source entity count: 1.
• Selected public fields present: 19.
• Independent corroboration in this page: none.

Place and environment

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan Area: total : 117,600 sq km; land: 101,000 sq km; water: 16,600 sq km Climate: 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 Terrain: 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 Natural hazards: frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms; volcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life in 2011 Environmental issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing

Population, settlement, and language context

Population: total: 6,416,435 (2025 est.); male: 3,158,281; female: 3,258,154 Population distribution: density is highest in the center of the country, in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south, as shown in this population distribution map Urbanization: urban population: 43.3% of total population (2023); rate of urbanization: 3.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) Languages: Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages

Public and legal context

Capital: name: Asmara; geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E; time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time); etymology: the name's origin is unclear; according to Tigrinya oral tradition, the name is part of a phrase meaning "the women made them unite," referring to a group of women who made four clans unite to defeat a common enemy; asmara also means "flowery wood" in the Tigrinya language Government type: authoritarian Legal system: mixed system of civil, customary, and Islamic religious law

Economy and connectivity context

Economic overview: largely agrarian economy with a significant mining sector; substantial fiscal surplus due to tight controls; high and vulnerable debts; increased Ethiopian trade and shared port usage decreasing prices; financial and economic data integrity challenges Industries: food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement Electricity access: electrification - total population: 55.4% (2022 est.); electrification - urban areas: 75.5%; electrification - rural areas: 36% Internet users: percent of population: 20% (2023 est.) Airports: 11 (2025) Ports: total ports: 2 (2024); large: 0; medium: 0; small: 2; very small: 0; ports with oil terminals: 2; key ports: Assab, Mitsiwa Harbor

Interpretation and freshness boundary

Use these fields to ask better questions about material conditions, access, distance, public administration, and information availability. Do not use them to infer intelligence capability, government intent, personal loyalty, protected traits, or a permanent national character. Reverify any time-sensitive claim before publication or comparison.