History8th century1 / 8
Dahlak and Red Sea trade
The Dahlak archipelago and port of Massawa become key Red Sea trading and pearl-diving centres linked to Arabia and India.
Countries / Eritrea
Eritrea
Asmara
Red Sea nation with Italian modernist Asmara and nine ethnic groups.
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Eritrea — Country Profile
History · Geography · Politics · Economy · Allies · Future
- Area
- 117,600 km²
- Population
- ~3.7 million (UN 2024 est.)
- Languages
- Tigrinya, Arabic, English (working); nine national languages
- Currency
- Eritrean nakfa (ERN)
- Government
- One-party presidential republic (PFDJ)
- Capital
- Asmara
Eritrea was carved out as an Italian colony in 1890, then administered by Britain after 1941, and federated with Ethiopia in 1952. Emperor Haile Selassie's 1962 annexation triggered a 30-year armed struggle led first by the ELF and then the EPLF. Independence came in 1993 after a UN-supervised referendum showed 99.8% in favour. A devastating 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia and the 2018 Abiy-Isaias peace deal have defined recent decades.
Eritrea — Interactive Timeline
8 history & development milestones — tap a marker to read
Eritrea — Last 24 Hours
Live headlines aggregated from international sources
7 clips
News & Diplomacy
2 clips
Asmara briefing
State press updates.
Red Sea security
Regional maritime.
Ports & Mining
2 clips
Massawa port
Ancient Red Sea harbour.
Bisha mine
Copper and zinc extraction.
Culture & Cities
3 clips
Asmara architecture
UNESCO modernist city.
Tigrinya music
Krar and wata sound.
Coffee ceremony
Traditional coffee.
