Eritrea Profile

Eritrea in Africa has a rich and fascinating history. Its predecessor, the Kingdom of Askum, was considered to be one of the four great civilisations together with Rome, Persia and China, however the rise of Islam saw the kingdom disintegrate and fragment. It became an Italian colony in the nineteenth century and, as an Italian province, was on the wrong side of the allies in World War II. The British defeated the Italian Army there in 1941 and placed the territory under British military control. Eritrea was eventually given to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of the settlement following the war, despite its plea to be granted self-determination and independence although some degree of autonomy was guaranteed.

However, following the establishment and the crushing of Eritrea liberation movements, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia unilaterally dissolved the Eritrea parliament and annexed the country in 1962. That action triggered the beginning of a thirty year struggle for independence and, following the defeat of Ethiopian troops in 1991 by Eritrea 'rebels', the long awaited opportunity for independence was confirmed following a 1993 referendum, marking the first successful case of territorial separatism in post-colonial Africa. However war between Eritrea and Ethiopia erupted once more in 1998 over disputed borders. The matter was settled in principle on 12th December 2000 when the governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea concluded the Algiers Agreement which terminated military hostilities. However conflict flared again over the area of Badme when was resolved in 2018 when Ethiopia ceded the territory to Eritrea following a summit that led to the resumption of diplomatic relations.

Today Eritrea, despite its rich past, is an impoverished nation, with around 80% of its 6.081 million population (2020) reliant upon subsistence farming. Natural events have also played their role in preventing the country from development, with poor rainfalls affecting harvests to the point where the country is unable to grow enough foods to meet its populations needs. Abject poverty, drought, famine and instability are the conditions into which children in Eritrea are born. Despite this there has been some progress in Eritrea. Some 40,000 orphans have been placed back within their extended families from institutionalised orphanages. Eight thousand disabled children have left institutions to be cared for at home whilst a further 3,500 children have been integrated into mainstream schools. Over 16,000 street children have been brought within the educational framework and the deaths rates of children from malnutrition have halved in recent years. However Eritrea remains one of the world's least developed countries and is in 180th place out of 189 countries and territories in 2019 when ranked in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards of a country.

Eritrea Profile: Volunteer in Eritrea

Check out all the latest fee paying and free African volunteer work placements and charity work job opportunities abroad with local projects and volunteering organisations in Eritrea.

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Eritrea Profile: Eritrea History

Charting the history of Eritrea from ancient times through Ethiopian rule to independence in 1991 together with an Eritrea history video documentary.

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Eritrea Profile: Eritrea Independence

Charting the struggle for the independence of Eritrea following its annexation by Ethiopia in 1962 together with an Eritrea independence video documentary.

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Eritrea Profile: Life in Eritrea

Check out our daily life in Eritrea profile page with details of its people, infrastructure and customs together with a video guide to life in Eritrea today.

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Eritrea Profile: Children in Eritrea

Info, facts, video and figures about children in Eritrea and the challenges they face.

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Eritrea Profile: Eritrea Images

Images of Eritrea, its people, landscapes and wildlife including images of Red Sea children together with an images and music of Eritrea video.

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Eritrea Profile: Eritrean Culture

Eritrean culture together with a brief history of the country and its cultural landscape together with an Eritrean culture video documentary.

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Eritrea Profile: Asmara Profile

After you've made a virtual landing at Asmara Airport take a virtual reality profile tour of Asmara the capital city of Eritrea in pictures and video.

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Eritrea Profile: Asmara Airport

Make a virtual landing at Asmara International Airport in Eritrea in this video clip where you will be landing in the unlikely event you undertake volunteer work in the country!

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