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

Eritrea Overview

The state of Eritrea, or Eritrea, is a coastal state located on the shores of the Red Sea in Northeast Africa. Eritrea is bordered by Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan. Eritrea has a long history with Ethiopia, from which the country became independent in 1993. The state capital is Asmara, inhabited by about 600,000 people. Another major city is the port city of Massawa. Eritrea’s national identity has been formed in the struggles against neighboring Ethiopia. At the time, the population was divided into highland Christians, who formed a fairly homogeneous group, and heterogeneous Muslims in the Netherlands. However, during the long War of Independence, cultural ties emerged between these groups.