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
Capital: Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Independence: 23-25 April 1993 referendum was held with vote for independence as the outcome; 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
Legal system: operates on the basis of transitional laws that incorporate pre-independence statutes of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, revised Ethiopian laws, customary laws, and post independence enacted laws
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador SEMERE Russom chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William D. CLARKE embassy: Franklin D. Roosevelt Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584
Economy
Economy - overview: With independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country.
Population below poverty line: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1998 est.)
Industries: food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles
Telephone system: domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 1, shortwave 2 (2000)
Radios: 345,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2000)
Televisions: 1,000 (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (1999)
Transportation
Railways: total: 317 km narrow gauge: 317 km 0.950-m gauge (1999) note: links Ak'ordat and Asmara with the port of Massawa; nonoperational since 1978 except for about a 5 km stretch that was reopened in Massawa in 1994; rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock is under way
Highways: total: 4,010 km paved: 874 km unpaved: 3,136 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)
Merchant marine: total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,069 GRT/19,549 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, liquified gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off 1 (1999 est.)
Airports: 21 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 18 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
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