*Equatorial Guinea, Communications
Highways:
Rio Muni - 2,460 km; Bioko - 300 km
Ports:
Malabo, Bata
Merchant marine:
2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,413 GRT/6,699 DWT; includes 1 cargo
and 1 passenger-cargo
Airports:
total:
3
usable:
3
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
1
Telecommunications:
poor system with adequate government services; international communications
from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; 2,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth
station
*Equatorial Guinea, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guard, National Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 84,323; fit for military service 42,812 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
*Eritrea, Geography
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Djibouti and Sudan
Map references:
Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
121,320 km2
land area:
121,320 km2
comparative area:
slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Land boundaries:
total 1,630 km, Djibouti 113 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Coastline:
1,151 km (land and island coastline is 2,234 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central
highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and
lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except on coast desert
Terrain:
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands,
descending on the east to a coastal desert plan, on the northwest to hilly
terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Natural resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, probably oil, fish
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
2% (coffee)
meadows and pastures:
40%
forest and woodland:
5% other:
50%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
frequent droughts, famine; deforestation; soil eroision; overgrazing; loss
of infrastructure from civil warfare
Note:
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes and
close to Arabian oilfields, Eritrea retained the entire coastline of
Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 27
April 1993
*Eritrea, People
Population:
3,467,087 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
3.46% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population
Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate:
NA deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
NA years
male:
NA years
female:
NA years
Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman
Nationality:
noun:
Eritrean(s)
adjective:
Eritrean
Ethnic divisions:
ethnic Tigrays 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast
dwellers) 3%
Religions:
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Languages:
Tigre and Kunama, Cushitic dialects, Tigre, Nora Bana, Arabic
Literacy:
NA%
Labor force:
NA
*Eritrea, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Eritrea
local long form:
none
local short form:
none
former:
Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Digraph:
ER
Type:
transitional government
note:
on 29 May 1991 ISSAIAS Afeworke, secretary general of the Eritrean People's
Liberation Front (EPLF), announced the formation of the Provisional
Government in Eritrea (PGE), in preparation for the 23-25 April 1993
referendum on independence for the autonomous region of Eritrea; the result
was a landslide vote for independence that was announced on 27 April 1993
Capital:
Asmara (formerly Asmera)
Administrative divisions:
NA
Independence:
27 April 1993 (from Ethiopia; formerly the Eritrea Autonomous Region)
Constitution:
transitional "constitution" decreed 19 May 1993
Legal system:
NA
National holiday:
National Day (independence from Ethiopia), 24 May (1993)
Political parties and leaders:
Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) (Christian Muslim), ISSAIAS
Aferworke, PETROS Soloman; Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) (Muslim),
ABDULLAH Muhammed; Eritrean Liberation Front - United Organization (ELF-UO),
leader NA
Other political or pressure groups:
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP);
numerous small, ethnic-based groups have formed since Mengistu's
resignation, including several Islamic militant groups
Suffrage:
NA
Elections:
multinational election before 20 May 1997
Executive branch:
president, Eritrean National Council
Legislative branch:
National Assembly
Judicial branch:
Judiciary
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government:
President ISSAIAS Aferworke
Member of:
OAU, UN, UNCTAD