Part 264

Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 48% forests and woodland: 20% other : 19% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 280 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 27 April 1993

@Eritrea:People

Population: 3,589,687 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 781,169; female 770,497) 15-64 years: 54% (male 963,542; female 966,083) 65 years and over: 3% (male 55,811; female 52,585) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 6.35% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 43.96 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 15.26 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 34.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.) note: it is estimated that between 200,000 and 350,000 Eritrean refugees were still living in Sudan in mid-1997

Sex ratio: at birth : 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population : 1.01 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 117.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.61 years male: 48.85 years female : 52.42 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 6.47 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean

Ethnic groups: ethnic Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%

Religions: Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Languages: Afar, Amharic, Arabic, Italian, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, minor tribal languages

@Eritrea:Government

Country name: conventional long form: State of Eritrea conventional short form: Eritrea local long form : Hagere Ertra local short form: Ertra former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia

Data code: ER

Government type: transitional government note : following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely of the Peoples' Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, was established as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afworki was elected president by the transitional legislature pending the promulgation of a constitution and popular elections

National capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)

Administrative divisions: 8 provinces (singular - awraja); Akele Guzay, Barka, Denkel, Hamasen, Sahil, Semhar, Senhit, Seraye note: in May 1995 the National Assembly adopted a resolution stating that the administrative structure of Eritrea, which had been established by former colonial powers, would consist of only six provinces when the new constitution, then being drafted, would go into effect sometime in 1998; the new provinces, which have not been recommended by the US Board on Geographic Names for recognition by the US government, pending acceptable definition of the boundaries, are: Anseba, Debub, Debubawi, Gash-Barka, Maakel, and Semanawi Keyih Bahri

Independence: 27 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)