Eastern Africa · Africa

Eritrea

Discover Eritrea - home to one of the world's best-preserved Art Deco cities, a Red Sea coastline, ancient Aksumite ruins, and one of the planet's most isolated governments.

Where Is Eritrea?

Eritrea is a country in Eastern Africa. Its capital is Asmara.

Where Eritrea isEastern Africa · Capital Asmara

Capital Asmara
Population 3.61M
Area 117,600 km²

Eritrea is one of the world's youngest nations and one of its most isolated. After a thirty-year war for independence from Ethiopia - one of the longest conflicts in African history - it became a sovereign state in 1993. The celebration was short-lived. The government never held the promised elections, indefinite national military service became mandatory, and the country closed itself off from the outside world so thoroughly that it earned the nickname "Africa's North Korea." More Eritreans have fled the country per capita than almost any other nationality.

And yet, what's inside the borders is remarkable. Asmara, the capital, is a living museum of 1930s Italian Art Deco architecture - futurist cinemas, Rationalist government buildings, Cubist villas, and a Fiat Tagliero service station that looks like an airplane about to take off. UNESCO recognized the entire city center as a World Heritage Site in 2017. Beyond Asmara, the landscape drops from the highland plateau through terraced hillsides down to the Dahlak Archipelago in the Red Sea, where pristine coral reefs sit untouched by mass tourism. The Eritrean people, shaped by decades of struggle, are known for a fierce independence and quiet resilience that defines the national character.

At a glance

Language

Tigrinya, Arabic & English

Currency

Eritrean Nakfa (ERN)

Calling Code

+291

Drives On

Right

Internet

.er

Timezone

EAT (UTC+3)

Script

Ge'ez & Latin

Government

Presidential Republic (Single-party)

Independence

1993

By population

Largest cities in Eritrea

Asmara

Capital city at 2,300 meters elevation, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with one of the world's finest collections of intact Art Deco architecture

800,000

Keren

Second largest city set in a mountain valley, known for its lively camel market and the site of a crucial WWII battle

86,000

Massawa

Ancient Red Sea port city with Ottoman and Egyptian architecture, heavily damaged in the independence war but slowly rebuilding

52,000

Mendefera

Southern highlands town and capital of the Debub region, surrounded by ancient archaeological sites from the pre-Aksumite period

35,000

People

Famous people from Eritrea

Isaias Afwerki
Politics
Led the Eritrean independence movement as head of the EPLF and has served as the country's only president since independence in 1993
Zersenay Tadese
Sport
Half marathon world record holder for over a decade, World Championship bronze medalist and one of the greatest distance runners ever produced by Eritrea
Ghirmai Ghebreslassie
Sport
Won the 2015 World Championship marathon in Beijing at age 19, becoming the youngest ever men's marathon world champion

Food

Traditional cuisine of Eritrea

Zigni: Spicy beef or lamb stew simmered in berbere spice paste and served on injera, the everyday dish that defines Eritrean home cooking
Injera: Spongy fermented flatbread made from teff flour, used as both plate and utensil for scooping up stews and vegetable dishes
Ful Medames: Fava bean stew topped with olive oil, tomatoes, chili, and a squeeze of lemon - the beloved breakfast that fuels Asmara every morning
Shiro: Thick chickpea or broad bean puree seasoned with berbere and garlic, a staple during Orthodox fasting periods when meat is off limits
Hamli: Sauteed collard greens with garlic, onions, and spices, a simple vegetable side served alongside nearly every meal

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Eritrea

Dahlak ArchipelagoIsland: Over 200 islands in the Red Sea with pristine coral reefs, pearl oyster beds, and marine biodiversity untouched by mass tourism
Dankalia DepressionDesert: One of the hottest and lowest places on Earth, a volcanic landscape of salt flats, sulfur springs, and Afar salt caravans
Semenawi BahriForest: Cloud forest on the eastern escarpment near Asmara, a green belt of tropical vegetation dropping toward the coastal plain
QohaitoLandmark: Ancient pre-Aksumite archaeological site on the southern plateau, with a dam, temple ruins, and rock art spanning thousands of years

Sport

Sports in Eritrea

Cycling: Africa's oldest cycling culture dating to the Italian colonial era, with the Tour of Eritrea road race running since 1946 and multiple riders competing in European professional teams
Athletics: Distance running powerhouse producing world-class marathoners and half-marathoners including Zersenay Tadese and Ghirmai Ghebreslassie
Football: The Red Sea Camels compete in East African qualifiers, though the national team has been heavily impacted by player defections during international travel

Facts

Did you know?

Asmara's city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized as one of the world's best-preserved collections of Modernist Art Deco architecture
Eritrea fought a 30-year war for independence from Ethiopia (1961-1991), one of the longest armed conflicts in African history
The Fiat Tagliero building in Asmara, shaped like an airplane, has cantilevered concrete wings spanning 15 meters with no visible support
Cycling is so popular in Eritrea that it's often called the African country that loves cycling most, with roots in the Italian colonial period
Eritrea has nine recognized ethnic groups, each with its own language, and the country has no official language by constitutional design
The Eritrean railway, built by the Italians in the early 1900s, climbs from sea level to 2,400 meters using dramatic switchbacks and tunnels carved by hand

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