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Compare Eritrea (2006) - Jordan (2006)

Compare Eritrea (2006) z Jordan (2006)

 Eritrea (2006)Jordan (2006)
 EritreaJordan
Administrative divisions 6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea) 12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al 'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
Age structure 0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458/female 1,046,955)


15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153/female 1,268,189)


65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112/female 86,127) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 33.8% (male 1,018,070/female 976,442)


15-64 years: 62.4% (male 1,966,794/female 1,716,255)


65 years and over: 3.9% (male 111,636/female 117,563) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry
Airports 17 (2006) 17 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 4


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)
total: 15


over 3,047 m: 7


2,438 to 3,047 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 13


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
total: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Area total: 121,320 sq km


land: 121,320 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 92,300 sq km


land: 91,971 sq km


water: 329 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than Pennsylvania slightly smaller than Indiana
Background Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections. Following World War I and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the UK received a mandate to govern much of the Middle East. Britain separated out a semi-autonomous region of Transjordan from Palestine in the early 1920s, and the area gained its independence in 1946; it adopted the name of Jordan in 1950. The country's long-time ruler was King HUSSEIN (1953-99). A pragmatic leader, he successfully navigated competing pressures from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states, Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, despite several wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he reinstituted parliamentary elections and gradual political liberalization; in 1994 he signed a peace treaty with Israel. King ABDALLAH II, the son of King HUSSEIN, assumed the throne following his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated his power and undertaken an aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World Trade Organization in 2000, and began to participate in the European Free Trade Association in 2001. After a two-year delay, parliamentary and municipal elections took place in the summer of 2003. The prime minister appointed in November 2005 stated the government would focus on political reforms, improving conditions for the poor, and fighting corruption.
Birth rate 34.33 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 21.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $248.8 million


expenditures: $409.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $2.8 billion


expenditures: $4.688 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.092 billion (2005 est.)
Capital name: Asmara (Asmera)


geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 53 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Amman


geographic coordinates: 31 57 N, 35 56 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Thursday in March; ends last Friday in September
Climate hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Coastline 2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km) 26 km
Constitution a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented 1 January 1952; amended 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1965, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1984
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
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan


conventional short form: Jordan


local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah


local short form: Al Urdun


former: Transjordan
Death rate 9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 2.65 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $311 million (2000 est.) $8.528 billion (2005 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Scott H. DELISI


embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara


mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara


telephone: [291] (1) 120004


FAX: [291] (1) 127584
chief of mission: Ambassador David M. HALE


embassy: Abdoun, Amman


mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200


telephone: [962] (6) 590-6000


FAX: [962] (6) 592-0121
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam


chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991


FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304


consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR


chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 966-2664


FAX: [1] (202) 966-3110
Disputes - international Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despite international intervention, mutual animosities, accusations, and armed posturing have prevented demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until claimed technical errors made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications; in 2005 Eritrea began severely restricting the operations of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitoring the 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000; Sudan sustains over 110,000 Eritrean refugees and accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups 2004 Agreement settles border dispute with Syria pending demarcation
Economic aid - recipient $77 million (1999) ODA, $500 million (2004 est.)
Economy - overview Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down growth in 2002-05. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, as well as the willingness to open its economy to private enterprise so that the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth. Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH, since assuming the throne in 1999, has undertaken some broad economic reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. 'Amman in the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced careful monetary policy, and made substantial headway with privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTO (2000), a free trade accord with the US (2001), and an association agreement with the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. Jordan imported most of its oil from Iraq, but the US-led war in Iraq in 2003 made Jordan more dependent on oil from other Gulf nations, forcing the Jordanian Government to raise retail petroleum product prices and the sales tax base. Jordan's export market, which is heavily dependent on exports to Iraq, was also affected by the war but recovered quickly while contributing to the Iraq recovery effort. The main challenges facing Jordan are reducing dependence on foreign grants, reducing the budget deficit, and creating investment incentives to promote job creation.
Electricity - consumption 251.9 million kWh (2003) 7.959 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 4 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 972 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 270.9 million kWh (2003) 7.517 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m


highest point: Soira 3,018 m
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3% Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Exchange rates nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003), 13.958 (2002), 11.31 (2001) Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.709 (2005), 0.709 (2004), 0.709 (2003), 0.709 (2002), 0.709 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly


head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly


cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)


election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Prince HUSSEIN (born 1994), eldest son of King ABDALLAH, is first in line to inherit the throne


head of government: Prime Minister Marouf al-BAKHIT (since 24 November 2005); Deputy Prime Minister Ziad FARIZ (since 24 November 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the monarch


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Exports NA bbl/day 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000) clothing, phosphates, fertilizers, potash, vegetables, manufactures, pharmaceuticals
Exports - partners Italy 39.3%, US 14.9%, Belarus 7.3%, Germany 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005) US 29.4%, Iraq 15.6%, India 8.8%, Saudi Arabia 5.9% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle three equal horizontal bands of black (top), representing the Abbassid Caliphate, white, representing the Ummayyad Caliphate, and green, representing the Fatimid Caliphate; a red isosceles triangle on the hoist side, representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, and bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations; design is based on the Arab Revolt flag of World War I
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 10.2%


industry: 25.4%


services: 64.3% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 3.3%


industry: 28.7%


services: 68% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 2% (2005 est.) 5.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 15 00 N, 39 00 E 31 00 N, 36 00 E
Geography - note strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993 strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied West Bank
Heliports - 1 (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3.3%


highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)
Imports NA bbl/day 100,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000) crude oil, textile fabrics, machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods
Imports - partners Germany 22.2%, Italy 20.3%, France 15.9%, US 12.8%, Ireland 8.2% (2005) Saudi Arabia 20.9%, China 8%, Germany 7.1%, US 6.2%, South Korea 4.1% (2005)
Independence 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia) 25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British administration)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 7.5% (2005 est.)
Industries food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt, cement, commercial ship repair textiles, phosphate mining, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement, potash, inorganic chemicals, light manufacturing, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 16.76 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.04 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15% (2005 est.) 4.5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 210 sq km (2003) 750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)
Labor force NA 1.46 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20%
agriculture: 5%


industry: 12.5%


services: 82.5% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,626 km


border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
total: 1,635 km


border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km, Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Land use arable land: 4.78%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 95.19% (2005)
arable land: 3.32%


permanent crops: 1.18%


other: 95.5% (2005)
Languages Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle classes
Legal system primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)


elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (55 seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms); note - six seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special electoral panel if no women are elected


elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003 (next to be held in 2007)


election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - independents and other 89.6%, IAF 10.4%; seats by party - independents and other 92, IAF 18; note - one of the six quota seats was given to a female IAF candidate


note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties were not legalized until 1992; King ABDALLAH delayed the 2001 elections until 2003
Life expectancy at birth total population: 59.03 years


male: 57.44 years


female: 60.66 years (2006 est.)
total population: 78.4 years


male: 75.9 years


female: 81.05 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 58.6%


male: 69.9%


female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 91.3%


male: 95.9%


female: 86.3% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
Map references Africa Middle East
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Merchant marine total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,506 GRT/23,649 DWT


by type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2006)
total: 25 ships (1000 GRT or over) 346,698 GRT/501,060 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 9, container 2, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 4


foreign-owned: 11 (UAE 11)


registered in other countries: 15 (Bahamas 2, Panama 13) (2006)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF): Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal Jordanian Navy, Royal Jordanian Air Force (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Malakiya al-Urduniya), Special Operations Command (Socom); Public Security Directorate (normally falls under Ministry of Interior, but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis situations) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $220.1 million (2005 est.) $1.4 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 17.7% (2005 est.) 11.4% (2005 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 24 May (1993) Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Nationality noun: Eritrean(s)


adjective: Eritrean
noun: Jordanian(s)


adjective: Jordanian
Natural hazards frequent droughts; locust swarms droughts; periodic earthquakes
Natural resources gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish phosphates, potash, shale oil
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 6.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines - gas 426 km; oil 49 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it al-Ahd Party; Arab Islamic Democratic Movement [Yusuf ABU BAKR, president]; Arab Land Party [Dr. Ayishah Salih HIJAZAYN, secretary general]; Arab Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysir al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Ba'th Arab Progressive Party [Fu'ad DABBUR, secretary general]; Freedom Party; Future Party; Islamic Action Front or IAF [Zaki Sa'ed BANI IRSHEID, secretary general]; Islamic Center Party [Marwan al-FAURI, secretary general]; Jordanian Arab Ansar Party; Jordanian Arab New Dawn Party; Jordanian Arab Party; Jordanian Citizens' Rights Movement; Jordanian Communist Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Jordanian Communist Workers Party; Jordanian Democratic Left Party [Musa MA'AYTEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular Unity Party [Sa'id Dhiyab Ali MUSTAFA, secretary general]; Jordanian Generations Party [Muhammad KHALAYLEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Green Party [Muhammad BATAYNEH, secretary general]; Jordanian Labor Party [Dr. Mazin Sulayman Jiryis HANNA, secretary general]; Jordanian Peace Party; Jordanian People's Committees Movement; Jordanian People's Democratic Party (Hashd) [Ahmad YUSUF, secretary general]; Jordanian Rafah Party; Jordanian Renaissance Party; Mission Party; Nation Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; National Action Party (Haqq) [Tariq al-KAYYALI, secretary general]; National Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; National Popular Democratic Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]; Progressive Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]
Political pressure groups and leaders Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement)); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob] Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice chairman]; Jordan Bar Association [Hussein Mujalli, chairman]; Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim Brotherhood [Salem AL-FALAHAT, secretary general]
Population 4,786,994 (July 2006 est.) 5,906,760 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 50% (2004 est.) 30% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 2.47% (2006 est.) 2.49% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000) AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999)
Railways total: 306 km


narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2005)
total: 505 km


narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2005)
Religions Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: inadequate


domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)


international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
general assessment: service has improved recently with increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access to pay telephones is needed by the urban public


domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available


international: country code - 962; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and 29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria; connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links total about 4,000
Telephones - main lines in use 37,700 (2005) 617,300 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular 40,400 (2005) 1,594,500 (2004)
Television broadcast stations 1 (2000) 20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Total fertility rate 5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.) 2.63 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 12.5% official rate; unofficial rate is approximately 30% (2004 est.)
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