19 December 2012 Last updated at 06:29 ET

Eritrea profile

Eritrean girl with donkey Eritrea's geography includes mountains such as these outside the capital Asmara
  • Full name: The State of Eritrea
  • Population: 5.6 million (UN, 2012)
  • Capital: Asmara
  • Area: 117,400 sq km (45,300 sq miles)
  • Major languages: Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic, English
  • Major religions: Islam, Christianity
  • Life expectancy: 60 years (men), 64 years (women) (UN)
  • Monetary unit: 1 Nakfa = 100 cents
  • Main exports: Livestock, hides, sorghum, textiles, salt, light manufactures
  • GNI per capita: US $430 (World Bank, 2011)
  • Internet domain: .er
  • International dialling code: +291

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