Population: 5.65 million (2009 estimate)

Languages: Afar, Arabic, Tigrinya, Tigre, Kunama, other Cushitic languages

Religions: Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant

Ethnic groups: Tigrinya, Tigre and Kunama, Afar, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) , other

Capital: Asmara

Date of Independence: May 24, 1993 from Ethiopia

Government: One party dictatorship

Last Elections: Has not held national elections

Suffrage: Universal at 18

GDP: $3.945 billion (2008, CIA estimate)

GDP Per Capita: $700 (2008, CIA estimate)

External Debt: $523.97 million (2007, World Bank)

Unemployment: N/A

Poverty Rate: 50% (2004, CIA est.)

Ratio of Richest 10% to Poorest 10%: N/A

Gini Index: N/A

Literacy: male 76.2%, female 53% (2007, UNDP)

Human Development Index: 0.472 (2007, UNDP)

Major Exports: livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures

Major Industries and Natural Resources: food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement; gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

HIV/AIDS Prevalence in Adults: 1.3% (2007, UNAIDS)

Infant Mortality Rates (per 1000 live births): 48 (2006, WHO)

Maternal Mortality Adjusted Ratio (per 100,000 live births): 450 (2005, WHO)

Free Trade Agreements: N/A

Tourism: $66 million in receipts, 83, 000 visitors (2005)

Arms Imports/Exports: Major conventional weapons imported from Italy, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Bulgaria, UK, Belarus, Ethiopia, Finland, Israel.

Small arms imported from Germany.

Military Expenditures: 20.9% of GDP (2003, SIPRI)

Miscellaneous: A constitution was ratified in 1997, but has not yet been implemented.

US Military Personnel: N/A

US Military Bases: N/A

US Aid:

* FY2009 estimates listed here are based on the amounts requested in FY2008.

- Foreign operations appropriation bills were not enacted for FY2007, and Congress instead passed a series of continuing resolution, funding agencies at or near FY2006 levels

IMET: International Military Education and Training

CSH: Child Survival and Health Programs Fund

DA: Development Assistance

NAD/NADR: Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs

NADR-HD: Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining, and Related Programs - Humanitarian Demining Program

P.L. 480: Public Law 480 (food aid, not included in total)

--
All figures in US dollars.

Sources: Unless stated otherwise, data are current CIA estimates from the World Factbook.

Ethnic Groups -- US Department of State

External Debt -- World Bank

Unemployment (age 15+) -- International Labor Organization

Poverty Rate (below $2 a day, unless otherwise stated) -- UNDP Human Development Report 2009

Ratio of Richest 10% to Poorest 10% (ratio of income or expenditure share) -- UNDP Human Development Report 2009

Gini Index (a scale of 0-100 where 0 equals perfect equality) -- UNDP Human Development Report 2009

Literacy (adult) -- UNDP Human Development Report 2009

Human Development Index (measurement based on life expectancy, education, and GDP index in 2007) -- UNDP Human Development Report 2009

HIV/AIDS Prevalence in Adults -- “Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic,” UNAIDS 2008

Infant Mortality Rates – World Health Organization

Maternal Mortality Rates – World Health Organization

Free Trade Agreements -- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, European Commission

Tourism -- World Tourism Organization

Military Expenditures -- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Arms Imports/Exports (1995 to present): Major conventional arms -- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute; Small arms -- The Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers

US Military Personnel -- Defense Manpower Data Centre (DoD), Statistical Information Analysis Section (2009)

US Military Bases -- Global Security

US Aid -- US Department of State Bureau of Resource Management