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Eritrea: SOCIETY
Population: According to the United Nations, in 2004 Eritrea’s population reached 4.3 million, with an annual growth rate of 2.6 percent. Twenty percent of Eritreans lived in urban areas, which experienced an average annual growth rate of 5.8 percent between 2000 and 2005. Population density was 36.7 persons per square kilometer, with the greatest concentration in the highlands and the lowest along the Red Sea littoral. At the end of 2004, nearly 120,000 Eritreans were refugees abroad, mostly in Sudan.
Demography: In 2004, 44.8 percent of the population (male 998,404; female 993,349) was less than 15 years of age, 51.9 percent (male 1,140,892; female 1,166,481) was 15–64, and those aged 65 and older accounted for 3.3 percent of the population (male 72,776; female 75,405). In the overall population, there were 0.99 males for every female. The number of births per 1,000 population was 39; the number of deaths, 13.4. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births was 75.6. The total fertility rate was 5.7 children born per woman. Life expectancy at birth was estimated at 52.7 years (51.3 years for men, 54.1 years for women).
Ethnic Groups: The Eritrean government recognizes nine major ethnic groups in Eritrea, although the ethnic and linguistic context is complex. The Tigray and Tigre-speakers (such as the Mensa, the Marya, and others) constitute 80 percent of the population. The other seven groups are the Afar (Denakil), Bilen, Beni Amir (Beja), Kunama, Nera (Nara, Barya), Rasha’ida, and Saho.
The Tigray live on the central and southern plateau and are agriculturalists. The Tigre-speaking groups inhabit the northern hills and lowlands and are mostly pastoralists. The Afar, nomadic herdsmen, live along the Red Sea coast. The Bilen are agriculturalists in the Keren area. The Beni Amir are pastoralists who live in the western lowlands and along the border with Sudan. The Kunama occupy the region between the Gash and Setit rivers. The Nera reside north of the Gash around Barentu. The Rasha’ida, Arabic-speaking bedouin from Saudi Arabia, live along the Sudan border. The Saho, farmers or herdsmen depending on elevation, live on the escarpment and coastal plain southeast of Asmara.
Languages: Arabic, English, and Tigrinya are the three official languages in Eritrea. Arabic and Tigrinya are the most widely used languages and, along with Italian, are used in commercial and public business. English is also widely spoken and is the medium of instruction in middle and secondary schools and in higher education. Other languages spoken in Eritrea are Afar (Denkali), Amharic, Beja (Hadareb), Bilen, Kunama, Nera, Saho, and Tigre. Languages in Eritrea belong to one of three linguistic families: Semitic (Amharic, Arabic, Tigre, Tigrinya); Cushitic (Afar, Beja, Bilen, Saho); and Nilotic (Kunama and Nera). Linguistic categories do not always coincide with ethnic identities; for example, the Beni Amir include both Beja- and Tigre-speakers.
Religion: No reliable figures on religious affiliation are available, but approximately half of the Eritrean population is Sunni Muslim, and some 40 percent, Orthodox Christian. The remainder includes Eastern Rite and Roman Catholics, Protestants, smaller numbers of Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses, and a few Baha’is. Approximately 2 percent of the population practices traditional indigenous religions. Muslims are the majority in the eastern and western lowlands, whereas Orthodox Christians predominate in the highlands. The government recognizes five religious groups—Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, and the Evangelical Church of Eritrea (affiliated with the Lutheran World Federation), and since May 2002 has attempted to proscribe all other forms of religious practice.
Education and Literacy: Education in Eritrea is officially compulsory between seven and 13 years of age. However, the education infrastructure is inadequate to meet current needs. Statistics vary at the elementary level, suggesting that between 39 and 57 percent of school-aged children attend primary school; only 21 percent attend secondary school. Student-teacher ratios are high: 45 to 1 at the elementary level and 54 to 1 at the secondary level. There are an average 63 students per classroom at the elementary level and 97 per classroom at the secondary level. Learning hours at school are often less than four hours per day. Skill shortages are present at all levels of the education system, and funding for and access to education vary significantly by gender (with dropout rates much higher for girls) and location. Illiteracy estimates for Eritrea range from around 40 percent to as high as 70 percent.
Health and Welfare: Eritrea remains one of the poorest countries in the world. About one-third of the population lives in extreme poverty, and more than half survives on less than US$1 per day. Health care and welfare resources generally are believed to be poor, although reliable information about conditions is often difficult to obtain. In 2001, the most recent year for which figures are available, the Eritrean government spent 5.7 percent of gross domestic product on national health accounts. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2004 there were only three physicians per 100,000 people in Eritrea. The two-year war with Ethiopia, coming on the heels of a 30-year struggle for independence, negatively affected the health sector and the general welfare. The rate of prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), although low by sub-Saharan African standards, was high enough at 2.7 percent in 2003 to be considered a generalized epidemic. In the decade since 1995, however, impressive results have been achieved in lowering maternal and child mortality rates and in immunizing children against childhood diseases. In 2003 average life expectancy was slightly less than 53 years, according to the WHO.
AllAfrica.com,Eid AL-Fetir was today celebrated across the nation in a colorful manner. The celebrations here in the capital took place at Bahti Meskerem Square. ... Ethiopia: Eritrea's Proxy War Jeopardizing Regional Stability ... - Oct 22, 2006 AllAfrica.com,Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Thursday accused Eritrea of jeopardizing regional stability in its efforts to wage a proxy war against Ethiopia. ... US envoy accuses Eritrea of attacking Ethiopia through proxies in ... - Oct 23, 2006 AND,By www.andnetwork .com. US Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today expressed outrage at the Ethiopian government’s continued silence about ... Eritrea says it not arming Somali Islamists - Oct 20, 2006 Reuters AlertNet,ASMARA, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Eritrea dismissed as a "pure fabrication" a US diplomat's charge that it was opening a new front against arch-foe Ethiopia by arming ... Eritrea: Eritrean-Ethiopian Border Zone is Volatile After Troop ... - Oct 20, 2006 AllAfrica.com,The situation inside the buffer zone along the disputed border between Eritrea and Ethiopia has become volatile after Eritrea moved 1,500 troops and 14 tanks ... Eritrea: Eritrea Rejects Jendayi Fraser's Press Statement - Oct 20, 2006 AllAfrica.com,Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Fraser's statement to the press in Nairobi on the 19 th of October 2006 , alleging that " Eritrea has opened ... A look at US deaths in Afghan fighting - Oct 23, 2006 Jordan Falls News,The military lists these other locations as: Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; Djibouti; Eritrea; Jordan; Kenya; Kyrgyzstan; Philippines; Seychelles; Sudan ... No dirty tricks anymore from the nephews in Ethiopia & Eritrea - Oct 22, 2006 Nazret.com,A new front is about to emerge in the east and the question is if the Ethiopian population will unite when Tigray is forced into a second war with Eritrea. ... Eritrea: Deploying Military Forces into Temporary Security Zone - Oct 21, 2006 NewsBlaze,The United States calls on Eritrea to respond to the October 17 statement issued by the United Nations Security Council by immediately withdrawing the tanks ... Eritrea: Soil And Water Conservation Activities in Geleb Sub-Zone - Oct 20, 2006 AllAfrica.com,The inhabitants of 11 administrative areas in Geleb sub-zone are carrying out effective soil and water conservation activities. ... Eritrea: "Physicians for Peace" Extends Medical Assistance to ... - Oct 20, 2006 AllAfrica.com,An 11-member group from "Physicians for Peace" has extended assistance of surgical and other different medical equipment and drugs to Mendefera Referral ... Ethiopia, Eritrea exchange accusations - Oct 17, 2006 San Jose Mercury News,ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Ethiopia and Eritrea traded accusations of peace-deal violations Tuesday, a day after the UN said Eritrea was moving troops and tanks ... Ethiopia calls Eritrea troop move minor provocation - Oct 17, 2006 Reuters South Africa,ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia said on Tuesday it would not respond militarily to what it called a "minor provocation" after Eritrea moved troops into a UN ... UN Calls on Eritrea to Withdraw Troops - Oct 17, 2006 Forbes,The UN Security Council called on Eritrea Tuesday to immediately withdraw troops and tanks from a buffer zone next to Ethiopia and urged both countries to ... UN Security Council calls on Eritrea to immediately withdraw ... - Oct 17, 2006 International Herald Tribune,AP. UNITED NATIONS The UN Security Council called on Eritrea Tuesday to immediately withdraw troops and tanks from a buffer zone established after a 2 1/2-year ... Ethiopia's president urges Eritrea to talk peace - Oct 19, 2006 EiTB,The United Nations said Eritrea's decision to move troops and tanks into a UN buffer zone between the two countries was a "major breach" of a 2000 peace ... Un Accuses Eritrea Cease-fire Breach - Oct 16, 2006 Guardian Unlimited,UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The United Nations on Monday accused Eritrea of moving 1,500 troops and 14 tanks into a buffer zone established after a 2-year border war ... UN Accuses Eritrea Cease-Fire Breach - Oct 16, 2006 Forbes,The United Nations on Monday accused Eritrea of moving 1,500 troops and 14 tanks into a buffer zone established after a 2 1/2-year border war with Ethiopia in ... UN Accuses Eritrea Cease-Fire Breach - Oct 16, 2006 CBS News,...(AP) The United Nations on Monday accused Eritrea of moving ... Eritrea's action raised the threat of renewed war between the feuding Horn of Africa neighbors. ... ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: 'Troops harvesting buffer zone' - Oct 17, 2006 AND,NAIROBI, Eritrea has moved 1,500 troops and 14 tanks to a buffer zone along its border with Ethiopia, which was created after the war between the two countries ... UN warns Eritrea over troop shifts nearer Ethiopia - Oct 18, 2006 Reuters AlertNet,UNITED NATIONS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The United Nations has warned Eritrea that its shift of troops and tanks into a UN buffer zone along the Ethiopian border ... Stay away from buffer zone, UN tells Eritrea - Oct 18, 2006 Independent Online,New York - The United Nations has warned Eritrea that its shift of troops and tanks into a UN buffer zone along the Ethiopian border could raise tensions in ... UN: Eritrea breaching ceasefire - Oct 16, 2006 News24,New York - The United Nations accused Eritrea on Monday of moving 1 500 troops and 14 tanks into a buffer zone established after a 2½ year border war with ... Ethiopia calls Eritrea troop move minor provocation - Oct 17, 2006 ReutersPrime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Tuesday his country would not respond militarily to what he called a "minor provocation" after Eritrea moved troops into a ... ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: 'Troops harvesting buffer zone' - Oct 17, 2006 Reuters AlertNet,NAIROBI, 17 October (IRIN) - Eritrea has moved 1,500 troops and 14 tanks to a buffer zone along its border with Ethiopia, which was created after the war ... Ethiopia and Eritrea trade accusations - Oct 17, 2006 EiTB,The UN accused Eritrea on Monday of moving troops and tanks into a buffer zone established after the Horn of Africa rivals went to war over their still ... US accuses Eritrea of providing arms to Somali Islamists - Oct 19, 2006 EiTB,Eritrea has long denied any involvement in Somalia, but a UN Security Council report in May said it has sent weapons to the Islamists repeatedly in a bid to ... Eritrea moving troops closer to Ethiopia - UN - Oct 16, 2006 Independent Online,New York - The United Nations accused Eritrea on Monday of moving soldiers and tanks closer to Ethiopia in violation of a six-year-old peace agreement ending a ... UN says Eritrea moving troops closer to Ethiopia - Oct 16, 2006 Reuters AlertNet,UNITED NATIONS, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The United Nations accused Eritrea on Monday of moving soldiers and tanks closer to Ethiopia in violation of a six-year-old ... Eritrea defends troop movement in UN buffer zone - Oct 17, 2006 ReutersADDIS ABABA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Eritrea on Tuesday defended its decision to move troops into a UN-monitored buffer zone along its border with Ethiopia, citing ... Eritrea troops near Ethiopia border - Oct 16, 2006 Aljazeera.net,The United Nations has accused Eritrea of moving soldiers and tanks closer to Ethiopia in violation of a six-year-old peace agreement ending a border war ... US accuses Eritrea of arming Somali Islamists - Oct 19, 2006 ReutersNAIROBI (Reuters) - The United States accused Eritrea on Thursday of opening another front against its foe Ethiopia by shipping arms to Somali Islamists who ... Meles urges Eritrea, rebels to choose dialogue - Oct 19, 2006 Mail & Guardian Online,Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Thursday urged Eritrea and rebel groups he said it supports to talk peace and stop trying to destabilise his Horn of ... US urges Eritrea pullback from Ethiopia buffer zone - Oct 19, 2006 Reuters South Africa,WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States urged Eritrea on Thursday to withdraw its forces from a UN buffer zone along the Ethiopian border amid concerns the ... UN chief urges Eritrea to withdraw from security zone with ... - Oct 16, 2006 People's Daily Online,General Kofi Annan on Monday expressed deep concern at the incursion by Eritrean troops into the Temporary Security Zone(TSZ) separating Eritrea from Ethiopia ... Eritrea sends troops to Ethiopia border, violating peace deal - UN - Oct 17, 2006 Monsters and Critics.com,New York/Nairobi - Ethiopia accused its neighbour and foe Eritrea on Tuesday of breaking a peace deal after it sent at least 1,500 troops and 14 tanks into a UN ... Security Council urges Eritrea to ‘immediately withdraw’ ... - Oct 17, 2006 AND,Expressing deep concern over reports that Eritrea has moved around 1,500 troops and 15 tanks into the Temporary Security Zone with Ethiopia, the United Nations ... This series of profiles of foreign nations is part of the Country Studies Program, formerly the Army Area Handbook Program. The profiles offer brief, summarized information on a country’s historical background, geography, society, economy, transportation and telecommunications, government and politics, and national security. In addition to being featured in the front matter of published Country Studies, they are now being prepared as stand-alone reference aides for all countries in the series, as well as for a number of additional countries of interest. The profiles offer reasonably current country information independent of the existence of a recently published Country Study and will be updated annually or more frequently as events warrant. |
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