Part 266

Agriculture - products: sorghum, lentils, vegetables, maize, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal (for making rope); livestock (including goats); fish

Exports: total value: $81 million (1995 est.) commodities: livestock, sorghum, textiles partners: Ethiopia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Yemen

Imports: total value : $404 million (1995 est.) commodities: processed goods, machinery, petroleum products partners: Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, United Arab Emirates

Debt - external: $162 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid: recipient: ODA, $NA

Currency: 1 birr (Br) = 100 cents; at present, Ethiopian currency used; note - new Eritrean currency, the nakfa, to be circulated in 1997

Exchange rates: birr (Br) per US$1 (end of the period) - 6.4260 (December 1996), 6.4260 (1996), 6.3200 (1995), 5.9500 (1994), 5.000 (fixed rate 1992-93); note - following independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea continued to use Ethiopian currency note: since May 1993, the birr market rate has been determined in an interbank market supported by weekly wholesale auction; prior to that date, the official rate was pegged to US$1 = 5.000 birr

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Eritrea:Communications

Telephones: NA

Telephone system: domestic : very inadequate; about 4 telephones per 100 families, most of which are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system international: NA

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave 0

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 1 (government controlled)

Televisions: NA

@Eritrea:Transportation

Railways: total: 307 km narrow gauge: 307 km 0.950-m gauge (1995 est.) note: nonoperational since 1978 except for an about 5 km stretch that was reopened in Massawa in 1994; rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock is under way; links Ak'ordat and Asmara (formerly Asmera) with the port of Massawa (formerly Mits'iwa)

Highways: total: 3,930 km paved: 841 km unpaved : 3,089 km (1995 est.)

Ports and harbors: Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Merchant marine: total : 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,573 GRT/13,593 DWT (1996 est.)

Airports: 14 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total : 4 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total : 10 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1996 est.)

Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: NA

Military manpower - fit for military service: males: NA

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $40 million (1995)