Eritrea

Background

Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two and a half year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices on 12 December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that will monitor the border region until an international commission determines and demarcates the boundary between the two countries.

Since independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth in 1999 fell to less than 1%, and GDP decreased by 8.2% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges. Eritrea's economic future remains mixed. The cessation of Ethiopian trade, which mainly used Eritrean ports before the war, leaves Eritrea with a large economic hole to fill. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master fundamental social problems like illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to convert the diaspora's money and expertise into economic growth.

Holidays

Phone Codes

Country Code: 291
Outgoing International Code: 00

Resources

Market Research

CIA - The World Factbook - State of Eritrea
This website indicates a wide range of detail information about Eritrea by introducing under 8 different fields as its geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military, transnational issues.

About Eritrea
There is available to find out Eritrea's general outlook on the issues of its social and business profile, passport/visa, money, accommodation, government, duty free, health and so forth.

Business Directory - Eritrea
Wow-directory creates cross-referenced categories in business opportunities for Eritrea as business to business, classifieds, cooperatives, directories, organizations & trade.

Eritrea Business
Mbendi serves as a directory providing an ultimate African Business Source for the potential investors seeking new business opportunities in Eritrea.

Business in Eritrea
This website provides an extensive information gateway for Eritrea in terms of doing business with Eritrea, legal guides to establishing business in Eritrea and so forth.

Africa Business Pages - Eritrea
It supplies a wide range of analysis & information about Eritrea's business environment by covering all business news related to Eritrea in this webpage.

Eritrea Post
It is the online news of Eritrea that supplies both national and international news primarily on the issues of politics, economy & business.

OPIC Links - Investor's Information Gateway for Eritrea
There is available country database information links which are efficient for the new investors planned to do business in Eritrea including the contact lists of the institutions, organization related to Eritrean business.

UK Trade & Investment - Eritrea
UK Trade & Investment is the Government organisation that supports both UK companies trading internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to locate in the UK.

Eritrean Business Directory
Worldinformation.com creates business directory for Eritrea via offering addresses list of the significant business institutions in relation to Eritrea.

U.S. Department of State - Bureau of Consular Affairs - For Eritrea
U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs creates a wide range of research named as Consular Information Sheet about Eritrea in terms of analyzing its social, political, cultural & economic environments.

Trade Information

Embassies of Eritrea
There is listed the embassies of the republic of the Eritrea including the embassies' contact information.