Ancient ruins, a tank graveyard and one of the oldest human skeletons, these are the most interesting facts about Eritrea.
Fast facts
Official name: State of Eritrea
Population: 6,343,956
Area: 117,600 sq km
Capital city: Asmara
Major languages: Tigrinya, Arabic, English, Tigre, Kunama, Afar
Major religions: Sunni Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Time zone: UTC+3 (East Africa Time)
Interesting facts about Eritrea
1. Eritrea is located in East Africa on the Red Sea, bordering Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
2. The name Eritrea originates from the ancient Greek term “Erythra Thalassa,” which translates to the Red Sea, the body of water adjacent to the country.
3. One of the oldest human skeletons of its kind was discovered in Eritrea. In 1998, a one-million-year-old hominid skull was found near the village of Buia in Eritrea, near the Red Sea coast.
4. One of Eritrea’s most famous Aksumite ruins is the city of Qohaito. The site features the four columns of the Temple of Mariam Wakiro which are believed to have been a pre-Christian church. It is surrounded by the remains of six other temples and several rock art sites, including the cave of Adi Alauti and another shelter with over 100 painted figures.
5. Eritrea was colonized by Italy in 1890 until Britain took over in 1941 during the Second World War. Britain then administered Eritrea as a United Nations trust territory until 1952.
6. Eritrea was initially established as an autonomous region within the Ethiopian federation in 1952. However, in 1962 Ethiopia annexed Eritrea which sparked a 30-year guerrilla war for independence.
7. The port city of Massawa (main image) was once known as the “Pearl of the Red Sea” thanks to its picturesque waterside location and range of Ottoman, Egyptian and Italian-era architecture. However, the city was badly damaged during the War of Independence.
8. The Eritrean flag features triangles of green, red, and blue and a yellow emblem. The yellow wreath is sometimes said to symbolize the United Nations and is generally interpreted as a symbol of peace.
See how Eritrea’s flag compares to other African flags.
9. The UNESCO-listed capital city Asmara is considered a “Modernist African City”. Developed from the 1890s onwards as a military outpost for Italian colonialists, Asmara is recognised as an “exceptionally well-preserved example of a colonial planned city”.
10. Asmara means “they [women] made them unite,” which, according to oral tradition, refers to the women of the four clans in the Asmara region who persuaded their menfolk to unite and defeat their common enemy.
11. The city is home to one of the world’s finest collections of Art Deco architecture. A range of Rationalist, Futurist, Art Deco, and other modernist architecture styles were leftover from the Italian colonial period.
12. Tens of thousands of Eritrean women fought alongside men during the war for independence. It is believed women made up over a quarter (25%) of the army’s fighting force by the end of the conflict. Children born to female soldiers were known as “Red Flowers”.
13. Eritrea is one of the world’s least developed countries. In the 2025 Human Development Index (HDI) it was positioned 178th out of 193 countries and territories.
14. Eritrea is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, according to the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), ranking alongside Yemen, Libya and Equatorial Guinea.
15. There is a tank graveyard in Eritrea where the ruins of military vehicles from around the country have been dragged to an open field. Local families have made their homes in shipping containers in the center of the area.
16. Eritrea is a one-party state and does not hold elections. It has been described as “one of Africa’s most secretive totalitarian states”.
17. Eritrea has the lowest level of press freedom in the world for the second year running and is ranked last among the 180 countries assessed in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
18. Eritrea has only ever had one president. President Isaias Afwerki came to power in 1993 following independence and remains the only president the country has known.
19. Eritrea is one of the hottest places on Earth when measured by the average year-round temperature.
20. Eritrea (along with Ethiopia and Djibouti) is located on the East African Rift Valley which includes part of the Danakil Depression – a geological depression known as the Afar Triple Junction. The Danakil Depression lies at the convergence of three tectonic plates that are slowly being pulled apart. As the earth separates and thins, the land sinks.
21. Asmara is home to the Fiat Tagliero service station. Completed in 1938, the striking futurist building was designed to look like an airplane.
22. At the monastery of Debre Bizen, which was founded over 650 years ago during the 1350s, a community of monks continues to live a life of austerity.
23. Eritrea is located in a region of East Africa known as the Horn of Africa. The region includes the countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, whose cultures have been connected throughout their history.
24. Eritrea is the one of the world’s least obese nations. The World Obesity Index shows that Eritrea has an obesity rate of 0.8%.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.