Map of Eritrea
Eritrea is a country in Africa with its capital at Asmara, home to about 3.61 million people across 117,600 km². The interactive map below plots 7 cities and towns, 1 rivers, 3 mountain summits and 2 ports recorded for Eritrea in YearMaps.
- Population
- 3.61 million
- Area
- 117,600 km²
- Capital
- Asmara
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Eritrea
Centred on Asmara at 15.3333° N, 38.9333° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Eritrea
Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. Its capital and largest city is Asmara. The country is bordered by Ethiopia to the south, Sudan to the west, and Djibouti to the southeast. The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea. The country has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi), and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands.
Hominid remains found in Eritrea have been dated to 1 million years old and anthropological research indicates that the area may contain significant records related to human evolution. The Kingdom of Aksum, centred in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia, was established during the first or second century AD and was considered one of the four great powers of the world by the Persian prophet Mani, the founder of Manichaeism. It adopted Christianity around the middle of the fourth century. Beginning in the 12th century, the Zagwe and Solomonid dynasties held fluctuating control over the entire plateau and the Red Sea coast. Eritrea's central highlands, known as Mereb Melash ("Beyond the Mereb"), were the northern frontier region of the Ethiopian kingdoms and were ruled by a governor titled the Bahr Negus ("King of the Sea").
In the 16th century, the decades-long attempt to conquer the Ethiopian Highlands by the Ottomans would result in failure, forcing them to offer a peace treaty where they were limited to the Eritrean coastline. In May 1865, much of the coastal lowlands came under the rule of the Khedivate of Egypt, until it was transferred to Italy in February 1885. Beginning in 1885–1890, Italian troops systematically spread out from Massawa toward the highlands, eventually resulting in the formation of the colony of Italian Eritrea in 1889, establishing the present-day boundaries of the country. Italian rule continued until 1942, when Eritrea was placed under British Military Administration during World War II; following a UN General Assembly decision in 1952, Eritrea would govern itself with a local Eritrean parliament, but for foreign affairs and defense, it would enter into federal status with Ethiopia for ten years. However, in 1962, the government of Ethiopia annulled the Eritrean parliament and formally annexed Eritrea. The Eritrean secessionist movement organized the Eritrean Liberation Front in 1961 and fought the Eritrean War of Independence until Eritrea gained de facto independence in 1991. Eritrea gained de jure independence in 1993 after an independence referendum.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Eritrea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Eritrea
Eritrea won independence from Italian colonial control in 1941, but the UN only established it as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952, after a decade of British administrative control. Ethiopia's full annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a violent 30-year conflict for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean fighters defeating government forces. Eritreans overwhelmingly approved independence in a 1993 referendum. ISAIAS Afwerki has been Eritrea's only president since independence; his rule, particularly since 2001, has been characterized by highly autocratic and repressive actions. His government has created a highly militarized society by instituting an unpopular program of mandatory conscription into national service -- divided between military and civilian service -- of indefinite length. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in 2000. Ethiopia rejected a subsequent 2007 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC) demarcation. More than a decade of a tense “no peace, no war” stalemate ended in 2018 when the newly elected Ethiopian prime minister accepted the EEBC’s 2007 ruling, and the two countries signed declarations of peace and friendship. Eritrean leaders then engaged in intensive diplomacy around the Horn of Africa, bolstering regional peace, security, and cooperation, as well as brokering rapprochements between governments and opposition groups. In 2018, the UN Security Council lifted an arms embargo that had been imposed on Eritrea since 2009, after the UN Somalia-Eritrea Monitoring Group reported they had not found evidence of Eritrean support in recent years for al-Shabaab. The country’s rapprochement with Ethiopia led to a resumption of economic ties, but the level of air transport, trade, and tourism have remained roughly the same since late 2020. The Eritrean economy remains agriculture-dependent, and the country is still one of Africa’s poorest nations. Eritrea faced new international condemnation and US sanctions in mid-2021 for its participation in the war in Ethiopia’s Tigray Regional State, where Eritrean forces were found to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. As most Eritrean troops were departing northern Ethiopia in January 2023, ISAIAS began a series of diplomatic engagements aimed at bolstering Eritrea’s foreign partnerships and regional influence. Despite the country's improved relations with its neighbors, ISAIAS has not let up on repression, and conscription and militarization continue.
- Location
- Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan.
- 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.
- 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.
- Highest point
- Soira 3,018 m.
- Lowest point
- Near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m.
- Coastline
- 2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km; islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)
- Land borders
- Total: 1,840 km; border countries: Djibouti 125 km; Ethiopia 1,033 km; Sudan 682 km.
- Natural resources
- Gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 62.7% (2023 est.); arable land: 5.7% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 56.9% (2023 est.); forest: 12% (2023 est.); other: 25.3% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms volcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life in 2011.
- Geographic note
- Strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes.
- Languages
- Tigrinya (official), Arabic (official), English (official), Tigre, Kunama, Afar, other Cushitic languages.
- Religions
- Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, Sunni Muslim.
- Ethnic groups
- Tigrinya 50%, Tigre 30%, Saho 4%, Afar 4%, Kunama 4%, Bilen 3%, Hedareb/Beja 2%, Nara 2%, Rashaida 1% (2021 est.)
- Economy
- Largely agrarian economy with a significant mining sector; substantial fiscal surplus due to tight controls; high and vulnerable debts; increased Ethiopian trade and shared port usage decreasing prices; financial and economic data integrity challenges.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Eritrea in Numbers
- Population
- 3.61 million
- GDP
- US$2.1 billion
- GDP per person
- US$689
- Life expectancy
- 68.9 years
- Population growth
- 2.00% a year
- Population density
- 29 per km²
- Urban population
- 34.5%
- Surface area
- 121,630 km²
- Forest cover
- 12.0%
- Arable land
- 5.7%
- Access to electricity
- 55.3%
- Internet users
- 14.3%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Eritrea in Depth
History
Madam Buya, a fossil found at an Eritrean archaeological site by Italian anthropologists, has been identified as among the oldest hominid fossils found to date. This fossil has been said to reveal significant stages in human evolution and to represent a possible link between the earlier Homo erectus and an archaic Homo sapiens. Her remains have been dated to 1 million years old, making her the oldest skeletal find of her kind. It is believed that the Danakil Depression in Eritrea was a major site of human evolution and may contain other archaeological links between Homo erectus hominids and anatomically modern humans.
During the last interglacial period (roughly 130,000 to 115,000 years ago), the Red Sea coast of Eritrea was occupied by early anatomically modern humans.
Geography
Eritrea is located in East Africa. It is bordered to the northeast and east by the Red Sea, Sudan to the west, Ethiopia to the south, and Djibouti to the southeast. Eritrea lies between latitudes 12° and 18°N, and longitudes 36° and 44°E.
The country is virtually bisected by a branch of the East African Rift. Eritrea, at the southern end of the Red Sea, holds the fork in the rift. The Dahlak Archipelago and its fishing grounds are situated off the sandy, arid coastline.
Eritrea is split into three ecoregions. Extending along the coast, a hot, arid plain is narrow in the west and widens towards the east. These coastal lowlands are part of the Djibouti xeric shrublands ecoregion.
Economy
In 2020, the IMF estimated Eritrea's GDP at $2.1 billion, or $6.4 billion on a PPP basis.
Between 2016 and 2019, Eritrea had a GDP growth between 7.6% and 10.2%, down from the peak at 30.9% in 2014. In 2023, the GDP growth is expected to be 2.8%, a decrease due to factors such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the effects of COVID-19 on value chains. However, the country's economy is expecting a steady growth in coming years.
In 2021, mining and agriculture each accounted for 20% of the GDP. As of 2020, remittances from abroad were estimated to account for 12% of GDP.
In 2021, mining accounted for about 20% of GDP.
Demographics
Sources disagree as to the current population of Eritrea, with some proposing numbers as low as 3.5 million and others as high as 6.4 million. Eritrea has never conducted an official government census, and the 1984 Ethiopian census, the last census conducted in Ethiopia before Eritrea's independence in 1993, recorded a population of 2,621,566. In 2020, the proportion of children below the age of 15 was 41.1%, 54.3% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 4.5% were 65 or older.
In 2015, there was a major outflow of emigrants from Eritrea.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Eritrea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Eritrea: Key Facts
| Currency | nakfa |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Tigrinya, Arabic, English |
| Head of state | Isaias Afwerki |
| Head of government | Isaias Afwerki |
| Calling code | +291 |
| Internet domain | .er |
| Highest point | Emba Soira |
| Lowest point | Lake Kulul |
| Established | 24 May 1993 |
Facts from Wikidata Q986 (CC0).
History of Eritrea: Empires and States
The atlas records 8 polities whose mapped territory included part of Eritrea, from Kingdom of Axum in 50 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom of Axum | 50 BCE – 946 CE | A large part |
| The Kingdom of Aksum | 100–940 CE | A large part |
| Ethiopian Empire | 1272–1889 CE | Most |
| Italian Africa | 1890–1940 CE | Nearly all |
| British Africa | 1941–1952 CE | Nearly all |
| The British Empire | 1941–1952 CE | Nearly all |
| Ethiopia | 1953–1991 CE | Nearly all |
| State of Eritrea | 1992–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Eritrea
Eritrea on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Eritrea
Eritrea is a country in East Africa. Formerly an Italian colony, the country shares a common language and culture with its large neighbour, Ethiopia, which it was once a part of until Eritrea gained its independence in 1993. It used to be Africa's youngest country until 2011, which was when South Sudan gained its independence.
Travel to Eritrea provides one the opportunity to see and learn more about one of the most isolated countries on the planet, governed by one of the world's most repressive dictatorships. Not that many people are brave enough to explore this mysterious nation, but if you do intend to visit, know that you are in for a real, authentic African experience; the country's charms lie in its natural attractions, wonderful architecture, dramatic scenery, and highly friendly and hospitable people.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Eritrea (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Eritrea
7 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asmara | 620,802 | Anseba | National capital |
| 2 | Mendefera | 257,390 | Maekel | Admin-1 capital |
| 3 | Keren | 150,000 | Semenawi Keyih Bahri | Populated place |
| 4 | Massawa | 142,564 | Debub | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Assab | 105,496 | Debubawi Keyih Bahri | Populated place |
| 6 | Agordat | 28,600 | Gash Barka | Populated place |
| 7 | Tessenei | 15,255 | Gash Barka | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Eritrea
3 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soira | 3,018 m | 9,902 ft | Africa |
| 2 | Mount Ramlo | 2,248 m | 7,375 ft | Africa |
| 3 | Moussa Ali | 2,021 m | 6,631 ft | Africa |
Moussa Ali
Mountain · 2,021 m
Moussa Ali is a mountain rising to 2,021 metres (6,631 ft) in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Eritrea, in the Africa region. The summit stands on the borders between them. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Mousa Ali (Arabic: موسى علي, French: Mousa Alli, Italian: Moussa Ali) is a 2,021 metres (6,631 ft) stratovolcano located on the tri-point of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. The volcano is the highest point in Djibouti. The volcano's summit is truncated by a caldera, which contains rhyolitic lava domes and lava flows. The last known eruption occurred before the Holocene epoch.
Mousa Ali is situated at the tri-point of the Tadjourah Region of Djibouti, the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea, and the Afar Region of Ethiopia.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Mousa Ali (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 2,021 m (6,631 ft)
- Global rank
- #415 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Africa (#63)
- Countries
- Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea
- Coordinates
- 12.4501°, 42.4100°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Moussa Ali ranks #415 by elevation, below Mont Bagzane (2,022 m) and above Pummel Pk (2,018 m).
- Ranges:
- Ahmar Mountains (Africa), Ogo Mountains (Africa)
More about Moussa Ali
Geography
The mountain has two distinct summits, the higher being the south one with an elevation of 2,021 metres. The north summit in Ethiopia has an elevation of 1,871 metres. Both summits are separated by a large caldera, about 1 km (0.71 mi) wide and 1514 metres deep. Mousa Ali, in the northern part of the Great Rift Valley region, has Eritrea on its northern flank, Ethiopia on the west, and Djibouti the east and south. The Djiboutian town of Dorra is 36 km to the south-southeast, the Ethiopian volcano Manda-Inakir is 22 km to the southwest, and the road from the Ethiopian town of Manda to the Eritrean port of Assab is 19 km to the northwest.
History
Two sects of Afar live in the area. They are collectively known as Adrúmmi, from 'Adó rum li or "white as Byzantines."
The position of Ali Mousa as the tripoint between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti is not the result of an agreement between the three countries. In December 1948 the British administering Eritrea refused to attend a meeting with the other two parties to determine the exact location of their tripoint, set in a 1908 treaty as 60 km inland from the Red Sea. British administration of Eritrea ended in 1952, and with increasing Ethiopian administration over the ensuing decade, and incorporation into Ethiopia from 1962 to 1993, the boundary was internal, not international.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Mousa Ali (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Moussa Ali: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 1,607 m |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q1951029 (CC0).
Rivers in Eritrea
1 river recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
| Name | Type | Also Flows Through |
|---|---|---|
| Setit | River | Sudan, Ethiopia |
Ports in Eritrea
2 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitsiwa Harbor | 38.4 m | Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | large vessels |
| 2 | Assab | 34.7 m | Small | Red Sea & Gulf of Aden | medium vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Eritrea
1 World Heritage Site recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asmara: A Modernist African City | 2017 | Cultural | (ii) (iv) |
Largest Islands of Eritrea
1 island recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.
| # | Name | Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dahlak Arch | 11,590 km² | Island group |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Eritrea
5 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Sahel | 1.02M km² | Plain | Africa |
| 3 | Ethiopian Highlands | 638,304 km² | Range/mtn | Africa |
| 4 | Danakil | 3,542 km² | Desert | Africa |
| 5 | Eastern Desert | 835 km² | Desert | Africa |
Countries Bordering Eritrea
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Eritrea: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Eritrea?
- The capital of Eritrea is Asmara.
- What is the population of Eritrea?
- Eritrea has a population of about 3.61 million, the #132 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Eritrea?
- Eritrea covers 117,600 km², ranking #102 by area, with about 31 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Eritrea in?
- Eritrea is in Africa.
- Which countries border Eritrea?
- Eritrea shares a land or maritime border with Ethiopia, Djibouti, Sudan.
- What is the largest city in Eritrea?
- Asmara is the largest city in Eritrea, with a metropolitan population of about 620,802.
- What is the highest mountain in Eritrea?
- The highest summit recorded for Eritrea in YearMaps is Soira at 3,018 m (9,902 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.