Eritrea Profile

An Eritrea country profile including a social and economic profile together with details of daily life in Eritrea, news and video. Eritrea itself 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. Cont/...

Eritrea Profile

Eritrea History

Charting the history of Eritrea from ancient times through Ethiopian rule to independence in 1991.
More >

Eritrea Independence

A video documentary profile about Eritrea's struggle for independence from its neighbour Ethiopia.
More >

Children in Eritrea

About life for children in Eritrea in facts, information and video with details of support projects.
More >

Life in Eritrea

About daily life in Eritrea with details of its people, infrastructure and customs together with a video.
More >

Volunteer in Eritrea

Check out all the latest fee paying and free volunteer work placements with local projects in Eritrea.
More >

Eritrea Images

Images of Eritrea, its people, landscapes and wildlife set against Eritrean music.
More >

Eritrean Culture

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

Asmara Profile

Take a virtual reality profile tour of Asmara the capital city of Eritrea in pictures, map, and video.
More >

Asmara Airport

Make a virtual landing at Asmara International Airport in Eritrea in this video clip and profile the airport.
More >

Sponsor a Child

Details of how to sponsor children in Eritrea with child sponsor organisations, programs and projects.
More >

Eritrea Map

Use this Google Earth satellite map of Eritrea to explore and take a virtual tour of the country.
More >

Eritrean News

Read all the latest news and current events from Eritrea online at our Eritrea news page. Updated daily.
More >

<h3>Eritrea Video Profile</h3>

Auto

Today Eritrea faces significant internal and external challenges that contribute to instability. As an authoritarian state with a single political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), it severely restricts civil liberties, including freedom of speech, assembly, and the press with the Human Rights Watch reporting widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, detention without trial, torture, and harsh prison conditions. Tensions also remain high with neighbouring countries, particularly Ethiopia, where there are ongoing border disputes. The conflict in northern Ethiopia has led to increased security measures and the mobilization of Eritrean armed forces.

Despite its rich past, Eritrea is now an impoverished nation, with around 85-90% of its 3.89 million (2025) reliant upon subsistence farming. This translates to roughly 60% of the total population being directly involved in agriculture, according to a statement from the Food and Agriculture Organization, meaning a significant portion of the rural population depends on favourable weather conditions for their livelihoods, making them vulnerable to climate change impacts. Abject poverty is running at 1.36 million people (38.9% of the population), and water scarcity is classified as high, with droughts occuring on average every five years.

Yet 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 178th place out of 193 countries and territories in 2025 when ranked in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access to knowledge and the living standards of a country. Find out more about the nation of Eritrea in our profile pages above and get further insights watching the video (left.)