Political Overview
Eritrea is governed under a highly centralized authoritarian system led by President Isaias Afwerki, who has remained in power since the country’s de facto independence from Ethiopia in 1991 and de jure independence in 1993. The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) is the sole legal political party, and although a constitution was ratified in 1997, no national elections have been held; local polls last took place in 2003–2004. Mandatory national service, instituted in 1995, requires conscripts to serve beyond the official 18-month period often indefinitely fueling widespread reports of desertion, UNHCR refugee flows, and systemic labor exploitation. International organizations, including Freedom House and human rights investigators, have documented arbitrary arrests, secret detention centers featuring torture and inhumane conditions, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and religion.
Cultural Heritage and Identity
Eritrea’s identity is forged from nine ethnolinguistic groups Tigrinya, Tigre, Saho, Bilen, Afar, Beja, Kunama, Nara, and Rashaida each contributing its own language, attire, crafts, and oral traditions to the national tapestry. Christianity (predominantly Eritrean Orthodox) and Islam coexist alongside indigenous belief systems, underpinning a calendar rich with religious festivals, liturgical music, and communal dances such as the skilled ‘eskista’ shoulder dance. In Asmara, the capital’s extraordinary collection of Italian modernist architecture from rationalist villas to art-deco cinemas earmarked it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017, symbolizing both colonial legacies and contemporary resilience.
Geographical Landscape and Climate
Eritrea’s terrain is defined by a high central plateau (1,800–3,018 m), arid coastal plains on the Red Sea (including over 350 islands of the Dahlak Archipelago), western lowlands, and the Danakil Depression the planet’s lowest and one of its hottest regions. Climatic conditions vary sharply with elevation: coastal cities like Massawa endure year-round highs near 30 °C, while Asmara’s altitude yields average temperatures around 17 °C, providing a temperate environment. Rainfall is highly seasonal and altitudinally dependent, with the highlands receiving short rains in March–April and main rains from June to September, whereas lowland zones remain arid to semi-arid, making much of the country susceptible to drought and land degradation.
