Eritrea

I

Introduction

Eritrea, independent state in Africa, bordered on the east by the Red Sea, on the south-east by Djibouti, on the south and west by Ethiopia, and on the north and north-west by Sudan. Formerly under Italian control, Eritrea was taken over by Britain during World War II and was a British protectorate from 1941 until 1952, when it was federated with Ethiopia. The creation of an Ethiopian unitary state in 1962, in which Eritrea was incorporated as a province, helped to provoke a long war of liberation that culminated in Eritrean independence in 1993. Eritrea has an area of 121,144 sq km (46,774 sq mi). Asmara is the capital and largest city.

II

Land and Resources

Eritrea has four main physiographical regions: the Red Sea coastal plain; the south-central plateau highland, which forms the core of the country; the hills of the northern and west-central areas; and the broad western plains. The Red Sea coast stretches more than 1,000 km (600 mi), and it is from this body of water that the country derived its name (Greek, erythraea, “red”). To the west, the coastal plain rises sharply to the highland plateau, where altitudes range from 1,830 to 2,440 m (6,000 to 8,000 ft) above sea level and annual rainfall is significantly higher than at the coast. The hill country north and west of the core plateau ranges from about 760 to 1,370 m (2,500 to 4,500 ft) above sea level, and it generally receives less rainfall than the plateau. The broad plains lie to the west of the Baraka River and north of the Setit River.

A

Rivers and Lakes

A number of rivers drain the plateau and highland regions. The Gash (or Mereb), the Baraka, and the Anseba flow from the plateau west into Sudan, while the Falkat, Laba, and Alighede flow from the northern highlands to the Red Sea.

B

Climate

The narrow coastal plain receives little rainfall and is extremely hot. The Danakil depression in the south-east falls below sea level and has been the site of some of the highest temperatures recorded on Earth, often exceeding 50° C (122° F). Average annual temperatures range from 17° C (63° F) in the highlands to 30° C (86° F) in the seaport of Mitsiwa.