Eritrea, officially the
State of Eritrea, is a very little-known country in East
Africa, north of
Ethiopia that holds the notable distinction of having the single lowest freedom of news media on the planet, worse even than
North Korea. This is because there's only one party
note The People's Front for Democracy and Justice, if you were wondering that hasn't held elections, closed all the private media and has done all the typical stuff of an authoritarian government.
Eritrea was occupied (i.e. invaded) by a lot of countries and kingdoms, the most prominent of all being Italy, ruling the country from 1870s until they were kicked out in the aftermath of World War II, being replaced by the British. This insane interest in the country can be explained with its location (right in the middle of the Red Sea).
It was annexed by Ethiopia in 1962 in a gradual process, so gradual that apparently nobody noticed until they were a part of Ethiopia. This devolved into a war that only ended in 1991. Eritrea finally became independent in 1993. Not that it has much, besides access to the sea. Its infrastructure is not well developed, with its railway
(yes, just the one) being a literal case of Break Out the Museum Piece, as 1930s-era Italian steam engines still chug up and down the mountains from Asmara to Massawa◊.
The relations of the country with its neighbors are not very good, with wars and frontier disputes ongoing (including with Yemen... at the other side of the sea). With Ethiopia in particular, they're especially poor, particularly with their polarizing positions in the Somali conflict and the fact that both governments try to destabilize each other.
The population is also neatly divided between Christian and Sunni Muslim.
Some Western media is allowed in, however. Eritreans are known to be fond of Prison Break. One wonders why...
The Eritrean flag
The flag is dominated by a red triangle running from hoist to fly, symbolizing the blood of the fallen throughout Eritrea's turbulent history; in its center is a golden wreath with an upright olive branch, symbolizing both mineral resources and presumably the
United Nations' role in helping Eritrea gain independence; the green upper half symbolizes fertility; and the blue lower half symbolizes the Red Sea.
The Eritrean national anthem
ኤርትራ ኤርትራ ኤርትራ፡
በዓል ደማ እናልቀሰ ተደምሲሱ፡
ኤርትራ ኤርትራ ኤርትራ፡
በዓል ደማ እናልቀሰ ተደምሲሱ፡
መዋእል ነኺሳ ኣብ ዕላማ፡
ትእምርቲ ጽንዓት ኰይኑ ስማ፡
ኤርትራ'ዛ ሓበን ውጹዓት፡
ኤርትራ ኤርትራ፡
ናጽነት ዘምጽኣ ልዑል ኒሕ፡
ንህንጻ ንልምዓት ክሰርሕ፡
ስልጣነ ከነልብሳ ግርማ፡
ኤርትራ ኤርትራ፡
ኤርትራ ኤርትራ፡
ኣብ ዓለም ጨቢጣቶ ግቡእ ክብራ።
note
Ertra, Ertra, Ertra,
Bä‘al däma Ǝnalqäsä tädämsisu,
Mäswaʼəta bəħarnät tädäbisu.
Ertra, Ertra, Ertra,
Bä‘al däma Ǝnalqäsä tädämsisu,
Mäswaʼəta bəħarnät tädäbisu.
Mäwaʼəl näxisa ab ‘əlama,
Təʼəmərti tsən‘at kʷäynu səma,
Ertra-za ħabän wətsu‘at,
Amäskira ħaqi kəmtə‘əwät.
Ertra, Ertra,
Ab ‘Aläm chʼäbitʼato gəbuʼə kəbra!
Natsənät zämtsəʼa lə‘ul niħ,
Nəhnətsa nəlmə‘at kəsärəħ,
Səltʼanä känälbəsa gərma,
Ħədri-läna gəmja kənsəlma.
Ertra, Ertra,
Ab ‘Aläm chʼäbitʼato gəbuʼə kəbra!
Ertra, Ertra,
Ab ‘Aläm chʼäbitʼato gəbuʼə kəbra!
—
إريتريا ، إريتريا ، إريتريا ،
قد دحرت بغيظهم أعداءها ،
إريتريا ، إريتريا ، إريتريا ،
قد دحرت بغيظهم أعداءها ،
على الأهداف عضت من عهود ،
غدا اسمها معجزة الصمود ،
فخر المكافحين إريتريا ،
إريتريا ، إريتريا ،
بإصرارنا الذي جنى التحرير ،
سننجز البناء والتعمير ،
لتزدهر وتلبس الوقار ،
إريتريا ، إريتريا ،
إريتريا ، إريتريا ،
تبوأت مكانها بين الأمم.
note
'iiritria , 'iiritria , 'iiritria ,
qid daharat bighayzihim 'aeda'uha ,
watawjat bialnasr tadhiatiha.
'iiritria , 'iiritria , 'iiritria ,
qid daharat bighayzihim 'aeda'uha ,
watawjat bialnasr tadhiatiha.
eilaa al'ahdaf eadat min euhud ,
ghida aismuha muejazat alsumud ,
fukhr almukafihin 'iiritria ,
qid barhant 'ana aleala laha.
'iiritria , 'iiritria ,
tabawa'at makanaha bayn al'umm.
bi'iisrarina aldhy janaa altahrir ,
snnjz albina' waltaemir ,
litazadhur watalabus alwiqar ,
taehiduna 'an tasmu 'iiritariana.
'iiritria , 'iiritria ,
tabawa'at makanaha bayn al'umm.
'iiritria , 'iiritria ,
tabawa'at makanaha bayn al'umm.
—
Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea,
Her Nemesis destroyed while wailing,
her sacrifices vindicated by freedom.
Eritrea, Eritrea, Eritrea,
Her Nemesis destroyed while wailing,
her sacrifices vindicated by freedom.
Forever firm in her principles,
her name became a synonym of tenacity,
Eritrea, the pride of the oppressed,
is a testament that truth prevails.
Eritrea, Eritrea,
has taken her rightful place in the world.
So that the supreme dedication that brought us freedom,
will serve to rebuild her and develop her,
We shall honor her with progress,
It is our legacy to crown her.
Eritrea, Eritrea,
has taken her rightful place in the world.
Eritrea, Eritrea,
has taken her rightful place in the world.
Government
- Unitary single-party state
- President: Isaias Afwerkinote Afwerki simultaneously holds the office of President of Eritrea, President of the National Assembly, and Chairman of the country's sole legal political party, People's Front for Democracy and Justice.
Miscellaneous
- Capital and largest city: Asmara
- Population: 6,081,196
- Area: 117,600 km² (45,400 sq mi) (99th)
- Currency: Eritrean nakfa (Nkf) (ERN)
- ISO-3166-1 Code: ER
- Country calling code: 291
- Highest point: Emba Soira (3018 m/9,902 ft) (59th)
- Lowest point: Lake Kulul (−75 m/−246 ft) (11th)
◊.
