Eritrea 2006
Yearbook 2006
During the year, Eritrea found itself in constant conflict with the UN, which was accused by the government of trying to see between its fingers that Ethiopia did not fulfill the terms of the peace agreement that concluded two years of war in 2000. According to CountryAAH, major public holidays in Eritrea include Independence Day (May 24) and New Year (January 1). About ten local border guards were arrested in February and five foreign UN officials were expelled in September following charges of espionage. A number of foreign aid organizations were forced to discontinue their operations in the country, despite Eritrea being plagued by severe drought and one in three residents suffering from food shortages.
In October, about 1,500 soldiers entered the border zone against Ethiopia with fourteen tanks. The UN accused Eritrea of breaking the peace treaty, but the government claimed that the soldiers’ job was to help with the harvest.
Swedish journalist Dawit Isaak was detained in prison without trial. He was arrested in 2001 along with dozens of other journalists whose newspapers published regime-critical texts.
Economy
| Inflation rate | 9.00% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) | $ 9,402,000,000 |
| GDP growth rate | 5.00% |
| GDP per capita | 1,600 USD |
| GDP by sector | |
| Agriculture | 11.70% |
| Industry | 29.60% |
| Service | 58.70% |
| State budget | |
| Revenue | 234.6 million |
| Expenditure | 424.7 million |
| Proportion of the population below the national poverty line | 50% |
| Distribution of household income | |
| Top 10% | k. A. |
| Lower 10% | k. A. |
| Industrial production growth rate | 12.20% |
| Investment volume | 10.4% of GDP |
| National debt | 131.20% of GDP |
| Foreign exchange reserves | $ 236,600,000 |
| Tourism | 2011 |
| Visitors | 107,000 |
| Revenue | $ 26,000,000 |
