Eritrea is a country in the Horn of Africa, on the Red Sea coast, with a long shoreline and a string of islands facing one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. A land of ancient history at the crossroads of Africa and Arabia, it was home to early Christian and Islamic communities and, more recently, to a remarkable thirty-year war for independence. Since winning that freedom, it has become one of the most isolated and tightly controlled states in the world.
The Eritrean coast was part of the ancient world of trade between Africa, Arabia, and the Mediterranean, and the region was within the orbit of the powerful Aksumite kingdom, one of the first states to adopt Christianity, while early Muslims found refuge here in the lifetime of the Prophet. Over the centuries the land saw Ottoman, Egyptian, and other rule. In the late nineteenth century Italy made Eritrea its first colony, building the elegant capital, Asmara. After Italian and then British control, it was federated with and then annexed by Ethiopia, sparking a long war that won independence in 1993.
Eritrea ranges from a hot, arid coastal plain along the Red Sea, including one of the hottest inhabited places on Earth, to a cooler central highland plateau where the capital sits and most people live, and down to western lowlands toward the Sudanese border. The country includes the Dahlak Archipelago, a group of islands in the Red Sea. This varied terrain, from sun-baked coast to temperate highlands, has shaped settlement, farming, and the strategic importance of its long shoreline.
The flag of Eritrea has a red triangle based on the hoist, dividing a green triangle above from a blue one below, with a golden emblem of an olive branch and wreath in the red. The red represents the blood shed in the long struggle for independence, the green the country's agriculture and fertility, and the blue the wealth of the Red Sea. The olive wreath, carried over from an earlier independence-era flag, symbolises peace and the hope of the nation.
Eritrea's population is split almost evenly between Christianity and Islam, a reflection of its position at a crossroads of faiths. The Christians belong mainly to the ancient Eritrean Orthodox Church, related to the Ethiopian tradition and reaching back to the early centuries of the faith, along with Catholics and Protestants, while the Muslims are predominantly Sunni, Islam having reached the Red Sea coast in the earliest days of the religion. The state recognises only a limited number of religious bodies and tightly controls religious life.
Eritrean cuisine is closely related to that of Ethiopia, centred on injera, a large, spongy sourdough flatbread, here often made from sorghum or wheat as well as the tiny grain teff, which serves as both plate and utensil. Onto it are spooned spicy stews of meat, lentils, and vegetables, seasoned with the rich regional spice blends, with plenty eaten during religious fasts. The Italian colonial legacy also left a love of pasta and espresso-style coffee, woven into the food culture.
Agriculture is the livelihood of most Eritreans, despite frequent drought and a harsh environment. Farmers in the highlands grow sorghum, barley, wheat, and teff, along with vegetables and fruit, while in the lowlands herding of cattle, goats, sheep, and camels is important. The country has potential in fishing along its long Red Sea coast and in mining, with significant deposits of gold and other minerals. Recurring drought and the demands of the state, however, weigh heavily on rural life.
The ancient civilisations of the highlands and the role of the coast as an early refuge for Islam and a centre of Christianity mark Eritrea's deep heritage. Its defining modern experience was the long war for independence from Ethiopia, which lasted some thirty years and finally succeeded in 1993, one of the longest such struggles in African history. Since then the country has been governed by a single party and leader, with indefinite national service and tight control that have driven many Eritreans to flee abroad.
Eritrea has a population estimated at around 3.5 million people, made up of nine recognised ethnic groups, the largest being the Tigrinya of the highlands, speaking many languages, with Tigrinya, Arabic, and English widely used. The population is split between Christians and Muslims and divided between highland farmers and lowland herders. Most people live in the central highlands, including the capital, Asmara, famous for its remarkably preserved Italian art deco architecture, recognised as a World Heritage Site.
