Eritrea
Eritrea is a country in the Horn of Africa on the Red Sea, bordering Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Its capital is Asmara.
Italian Eritrea: The Italian colony established in the territory of present-day Eritrea from 1890 until 1941. Italian colonial rule created many of Eritrea’s modern administrative boundaries and shaped Asmara’s built environment.
Government of Eritrea: The national institutions through which Eritrea is governed, dominated in practice by the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice. The government has not held national elections since independence and concentrates authority in the ruling party.
Languages of Eritrea: The languages spoken in Eritrea, including Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic, Afar, Saho, Bilen, Beja, Kunama, and Nara. Eritrea’s multilingual population spans several language communities without a single official language.
Asmara: The capital and largest city of Eritrea, located in the country’s central highlands. Asmara is the political center and a prominent example of Eritrea’s Italian-era architecture.
Ethiopia: A landlocked country in the Horn of Africa that borders Eritrea to the south. Eritrea’s history and security have been closely linked to its former governing power and largest neighbor.
Eritrean War of Independence: The 1961–1991 armed struggle that ended Ethiopian rule and led to Eritrean independence. This conflict was the central path from Ethiopian control to Eritrea’s independent statehood.
People’s Front for Democracy and Justice: Eritrea’s sole legal political party, formed from the independence movement and led by Isaias Afwerki. The party is the country’s only permitted political party and controls the state.
Tigrinya people: An ethnic group native chiefly to the Eritrean and Ethiopian highlands, with Tigrinya as its principal language. Tigrinya speakers form a major community in Eritrea and share cultural ties across the border.
Massawa: A Red Sea port city in Eritrea, situated on the coast and nearby islands. Massawa is Eritrea’s principal historic seaport and gateway to maritime trade.
Djibouti: A small country in the Horn of Africa on the Gulf of Aden, bordering Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. A border dispute and armed clashes have strained relations between the neighboring states.