Minuri/sinhala-corpus-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
එරිත්‍රියාවේ සංචාරයක් ලේඛනගත කළ පළමු බටහිර ජාතිකයා වූයේ 1520 දී පෘතුගීසි ගවේෂක ෆ්‍රැන්සිස්කෝ අල්වාරෙස් ය
ඔහුගේ පොත්වල ටයිග්රේ, ඇක්සම් රාජධානිය සහ බර්නාගයිස් (මුහුද අද්දර පිහිටි ඉඩම්වල අධිපතියා) ප්‍රාදේශීය බලවතුන් පිළිබඳ පළමු විස්තරය ඇත
එරිත්‍රියාවේ සමකාලීන වෙරළ තීරය පෘතුගීසීන්ට කුඩා යටත් විජිතයක් තිබූ ටයිග්‍රේ ප්‍රදේශයට සම්බන්ධය සහතික කළ අතර එම නිසා පෘතුගීසීන්ගේ මිත්‍ර රටවල් වන ඉතියෝපියානු අභ්‍යන්තරයට සම්බන්ධ විය
1543 දී වේනා දාගා හි අවසන් සටනේදී ආඩාල් සුල්තාන් පරාජය කරන ලද හමුදා මෙහෙයුමේදී ක්‍රිස්ටෝවෝ ද ගාමා විසින් 1541 භට පිරිස් ගොඩබෑමේ වේදිකාවද මස්සාවා විය
තුර්කි ජාතිකයන් 1559 දී මෙද්‍රි බහ්රි හි උස්බිම් ප්‍රදේශ අත්පත් කර ගැනීමට උත්සාහ කළ අතර ප්‍රතිරෝධය හමුවේ ඔවුන් ඉවත් විය
බහරි නෙගාෂ් සහ උස්බිම් හමුදා විසින් ඔවුන් පසුපසට තල්ලු කරන ලදී
1578 දී ඔවුන් බල අරගලයක් හේතුවෙන් සන්ධාන මාරු කළ බහ්රි නෙගාෂ් යිසෙහාක්ගේ සහාය ඇතිව උස්බිම් දක්වා ව්‍යාප්ත කිරීමට උත්සාහ කළහ
ඉතියෝපියානු අධිරාජ්‍යයා වූ සර්සා ඩෙන්ගල් 1588 දී තුර්කි ජාතිකයින් උතුරු පළාත්වල කළ වැටලීම්වලට ප්‍රතිචාර වශයෙන් ඔවුන්ට එරෙහිව දඬුවම් කිරීමේ ගවේෂණයක් කළ අතර, පෙනෙන විදිහට 1589 වන විට ඔවුන්ට නැවත වරක් වෙරළට සිය හමුදා ඉවත් කර ගැනීමට බල කෙරුනි
දහසයවන සියවසේ අවසාන කාර්තුවේදී ඔටෝමන්වරු අවසානයේ පලවා හරින ලදී
කෙසේ වෙතත්, 1800 ගණන්වල අගභාගයේදී ඉතාලි එරිත්‍රියාව පිහිටුවන තෙක් මුහුදු තීරයේ පාලනය ඔවුන් සතු විය
Jonathan Miran Red Sea Citizens
Cosmopolitan Society and Cultural Change in Massawa
Indiana University Press, 2009, pp
38–39 & 91 Google Books

1734 දී, ඇෆාර් නායක කෙඩාෆු, ඉතියෝපියාවේ මුඩයිටෝ රාජවංශය පිහිටුවන ලද අතර, පසුව එය එරිත්‍රියාවේ දකුණු ඩෙන්කල් පහත්බිම් ද ඇතුළත් කිරීමට පැමිණියේය, එමඟින් දකුණු ඩෙන්කල් පහත් බිම් අවුස්සා සුල්තාන් රාජ්‍යයට ඇතුළත් කළේය
දහසයවන සියවස රතු මුහුදේ ප්‍රදේශයට ඇතුළු වීමට පටන් ගත් ඔටෝමන්වරුන්ගේ පැමිණීම ද සනිටුහන් කළේය
Abir, Mordechai (1968) The era of the princes
the challenge of Islam and the re-unification of the Christian empire, 1769–1855. London
Longmans
23–26.

 නූතන ඉතිහාසය 

 ඉතාලි එරිත්‍රියාව 
වර්තමාන එරිත්‍රියා ජාතික රාජ්‍යයේ මායිම් අප්‍රිකාව සඳහා වූ පොරබැදීමේදී පිහිටුවන ලදී
1869 හෝ 1870 දී, පාලක ප්‍රාදේශීය ප්‍රධානියා අසාබ් බොක්ක අවට ඉඩම් රුබටිනෝ නැව් සමාගමට විකුණා ඇත
මෙම ප්‍රදේශය මෑතකදී නිම කරන ලද සූවස් ඇළ මගින් හඳුන්වා දුන් නැව් මාර්ග ඔස්සේ ගල් අඟුරු මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් ලෙස සේවය කළේය
4වන යොහානස් අධිරාජ්‍යයාගේ 1889 මරණයෙන් පසුව ඇති වූ රික්තය තුළ, ජෙනරාල් ඔරෙස්ටේ බරටේරි එරිත්‍රියානු වෙරළ තීරයේ උස්බිම් අත්පත් කර ගත් අතර ඉතාලිය ඉතාලි රාජධානියේ යටත් විජිතයක් වූ ඉතාලි එරිත්‍රියාවේ නව ජනපදයක් පිහිටුවීම ප්‍රකාශ කළේය
එම වසරේම අත්සන් කරන ලද වුචලේ ගිවිසුමේ දකුණු ඉතියෝපියානු රාජධානියක් වන ෂෙවා හි මෙනෙලික් රජු, මූල්‍ය ඇපකර සඳහා හිලව්වක් වශයෙන් ඔහුගේ ප්‍රතිවාදීන්ගේ ඉඩම් වන බෝගෝස්, හමාසියන්, අක්කෙලේ ගුසායි සහ සේරා හි ඉතාලි වාඩිලෑම පිළිගත්තේය
යුරෝපීය ආයුධ සහ පතොරම් සඳහා සහාය සහ අඛණ්ඩ ප්‍රවේශය ලැබීය
ඔහුගේ ප්‍රතිවාදී රජුන්ට එරෙහිව ඔහු පසුකාලීන ජයග්‍රහණය සහ මෙනෙලෙක් II අධිරාජ්‍යයා ලෙස සිංහාසනාරූඪ වීම (1889-1913) සම්මුතිය විධිමත් ලෙස මුළු භූමි ප්‍රදේශයටම බැඳීමක් බවට පත් කළේය
1888 දී ඉතාලි පරිපාලනය නව ජනපදයේ සිය පළමු සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘති දියත් කළේය
එරිත්‍රියානු දුම්රිය මාර්ගය 1888 දී සාති දක්වා නිම කරන ලද අතර 1911 දී කඳුකරයේ අස්මාරා වෙත ළඟා විය
අස්මරා-මසාවා කේබල් මාර්ගය එහි කාලය තුළ ලෝකයේ දිගම මාර්ගය වූ නමුත් පසුව දෙවන ලෝක යුද්ධයේදී බ්‍රිතාන්‍යයන් විසින් එය විසුරුවා හරින ලදී
ප්‍රධාන යටිතල පහසුකම් ව්‍යාපෘතිවලට අමතරව, යටත් විජිත බලධාරීන් කෘෂිකාර්මික අංශයේ සැලකිය යුතු ලෙස ආයෝජනය කළහ
එය අස්මරා සහ මසාවා හි නාගරික පහසුකම් සැපයීම ද අධීක්ෂණය කළ අතර, බොහෝ එරිත්‍රියානුවන් රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ, විශේෂයෙන් පොලිස් සහ පොදු වැඩ දෙපාර්තමේන්තු වල සේවයේ යොදවා ඇත
ලිබියාවේ ඉතාලි-තුර්කි යුද්ධයේදී මෙන්ම පළමු සහ දෙවන ඉතාලි-අබිසීනියානු යුද්ධවලදීද සේවය කළ එරිත්‍රියානුවන් දහස් ගණනක් එකවර හමුදාවට බඳවා ගන්නා ලදී
මීට අමතරව, ඉතාලි එරිත්‍රියා පරිපාලනය බොත්තම්, ඉවුම් පිහුම් තෙල්, පැස්ටා, ඉදිකිරීම් ද්‍රව්‍ය, ඇසුරුම් මස්, දුම්කොළ, සැඟවීම සහ අනෙකුත් ගෘහ භාණ්ඩ නිෂ්පාදනය කරන නව කර්මාන්තශාලා ගණනාවක් විවෘත කරන ලදී
1939 දී, ආසන්න වශයෙන් කම්හල් 2,198 ක් තිබූ අතර බොහෝ සේවකයින් එරිත්‍රියානු පුරවැසියන් විය
කර්මාන්ත පිහිටුවීම ද නගරවල පදිංචි ඉතාලි ජාතිකයින් සහ එරිත්‍රියානුවන් සංඛ්‍යාවේ වැඩි වීමක් ඇති කළේය
භූමියේ පදිංචිව සිටින ඉතාලියානුවන් සංඛ්‍යාව වසර පහක් තුළ 4,600 සිට 75,000 දක්වා වැඩි විය
සහ කර්මාන්තවල එරිත්‍රියානුවන් සම්බන්ධ වීමත් සමඟ වෙළඳාම සහ පලතුරු වගාව ජාතිය පුරා ව්‍යාප්ත වූ අතර සමහර වතු එරිත්‍රියානුවන් සතු විය
1922 දී බෙනිටෝ මුසෝලිනි ඉතාලියේ බලයට පත්වීමත් සමඟ ඉතාලි එරිත්‍රියාවේ යටත් විජිත ආන්ඩුවේ වෙනස්කම් ඇති විය
1936 මැයි මාසයේදී ඉල් ඩූස් විසින් ඉතාලි අධිරාජ්‍යයේ උපත ප්‍රකාශ කිරීමෙන් පසුව, ඉතාලි එරිත්‍රියාව (උතුරු ඉතියෝපියාවේ ප්‍රදේශ සමඟ විශාල කර ඇත) සහ ඉතාලි සෝමාලිලන්තය නව ඉතාලි නැගෙනහිර අප්‍රිකාවේ (අප්‍රිකාව ඔරියන්ටේල් ඉතාලියානා) පරිපාලන භූමියේ දැන් යටත් කරගත් ඉතියෝපියාව සමඟ ඒකාබද්ධ කරන ලදී
මෙම ෆැසිස්ට් යුගය "නව රෝම අධිරාජ්‍යයක" නාමයෙන් අධිරාජ්‍ය ව්‍යාප්තිය මගින් සංලක්ෂිත විය
ඉතාලි රජය විසින් එරිත්‍රියාව ඉතාලි නැගෙනහිර අප්‍රිකාවේ කාර්මික මධ්‍යස්ථානය ලෙස තෝරා ගන්නා ලදී
අස්මරාගේ ගෘහනිර්මාණ ශිල්පය 1935 න් පසු "නූතනවාදී ආර්ට් ඩෙකෝ නගරයක්" බවට පත් විය (2017 දී "යුනෙස්කෝ ලෝක නගර උරුමයක්" ලෙස ප්‍රකාශයට පත් කර ඇත) විද්‍යුත් හා තාර්කික ගොඩනඟන ලද ආකෘති, හොඳින් අර්ථ දක්වා ඇති විවෘත අවකාශයන් සහ පොදු සහ සිනමා ශාලා, සාප්පු, බැංකු, ආගමික ව්‍යුහයන්, රාජ්‍ය සහ පෞද්ගලික කාර්යාල, කාර්මික පහසුකම් සහ වාසස්ථාන ඇතුළු පෞද්ගලික ගොඩනැගිලි (යුනෙස්කෝ ප්‍රකාශනවලට අනුව)
ඉතාලියානුවන් විසින් ඉදිකිරීම් උත්පාතයක් තුළ ගොඩනැගිලි 400 කට වඩා වැඩි ප්‍රමාණයක් නිර්මාණය කරන ලද අතර එය දෙවන ලෝක යුද්ධයට ඉතාලිය සම්බන්ධ වීමෙන් පමණක් නතර විය
මේවාට ලොව පුරා ප්‍රසිද්ධ ෆියට් ටැග්ලිරෝ ගොඩනැගිල්ල සහ සිනමා ඉම්පෙරෝ වැනි ආර්ට් ඩෙකෝ විශිෂ්ට කෘති ඇතුළත් විය
බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය පරිපාලනය 

1941 කෙරෙන් සටන හරහා බ්‍රිතාන්‍යයන් ඉතාලියානුවන් පලවා හැර රටේ පරිපාලනය අත්පත් කර ගත්හ
මිත්‍ර හමුදාවන්ට එහි ඉරණම තීරණය කිරීමට හැකි වන තෙක් බ්‍රිතාන්‍යයන් එරිත්‍රියාව බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය හමුදා පරිපාලනය යටතට පත් කළේය
එරිත්‍රියාවේ තත්ත්වය සම්බන්ධයෙන් මිත්‍ර පාක්ෂිකයින් අතර එකඟතාවයක් නොමැති වූ විට, දෙවන ලෝක යුද්ධයේ ඉතිරි කාලය සහ 1950 දක්වා බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය පරිපාලනය දිගටම පැවතුනි
ආසන්නතම පශ්චාත් යුධ සමයේදී, බ්‍රිතාන්‍යයන් විසින් එරිත්‍රියාව ආගමික ප්‍රජා රේඛා ඔස්සේ බෙදී අර්ධ වශයෙන් බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය යටත් විජිත සුඩානයට සහ අර්ධ වශයෙන් ඉතියෝපියාවට ඈඳා ගැනීමට යෝජනා කළේය
සෝවියට් සංගමය, ඉතාලි ඡන්ද විමසීමේදී කොමියුනිස්ට් ජයග්‍රහණයක් අපේක්ෂාවෙන්, භාරකාරත්වය යටතේ හෝ යටත් විජිතයක් ලෙස එරිත්‍රියාව නැවත ඉතාලියට පැමිණීමට මුලදී සහාය දැක්වීය
ඉතියෝපියාව විසින් ඈඳා ගැනීම 

1950 ගණන් වලදී, හයිල් සෙලාසි අධිරාජ්‍යයා යටතේ වූ ඉතියෝපියානු වැඩවසම් පරිපාලනය එරිත්‍රියාව සහ ඉතාලි සෝමාලිලන්තය ඈඳා ගැනීමට උත්සාහ කළේය
පැරිස් සාම සමුළුවේදී සහ එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ පළමු සැසියේදී ෆ්‍රෑන්ක්ලින් ඩී. රූස්වෙල්ට් වෙත ලිපියක් මගින් ඔහු ප්‍රදේශ දෙකටම හිමිකම් කීවේය
එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ සංවිධානයේදී, පැරණි ඉතාලි යටත් විජිතවල ඉරණම පිළිබඳ විවාදය දිගටම පැවතුනි
බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය සහ ඇමරිකානුවන් බටහිර පලාත හැර අනෙකුත් සියලුම එරිත්‍රියාව ඉතියෝපියානුවන්ට පවරා දීමට කැමැත්තක් දැක්වූයේ දෙවන ලෝක සංග්‍රාමයේදී ඔවුන් දැක්වූ සහයෝගයට ත්‍යාගයක් වශයෙනි
එරිත්‍රියානු පක්ෂවල ස්වාධීන කණ්ඩායම එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ මහා මණ්ඩලයෙන් නිරන්තරයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේ එරිත්‍රියානු ස්වෛරීභාවය පිළිබඳ ප්‍රශ්නය විසඳීම සඳහා ජනමත විචාරණයක් වහාම පැවැත්විය යුතු බවයි.

1950 දෙසැම්බරයේදී එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ 390A(V) යෝජනාව සම්මත කිරීමෙන් පසුව, එක්සත් ජනපදයේ පෙළඹවීම යටතේ එරිත්‍රියාව ඉතියෝපියාව සමඟ ඒකාබද්ද කරන ලදී
එරිත්‍රියාව සහ ඉතියෝපියාව අධිරාජ්‍යයාගේ ස්වෛරීභාවය යටතේ ලිහිල් ෆෙඩරල් ව්‍යුහයක් හරහා සම්බන්ධ කළ යුතු බවට යෝජනාවෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේය
එරිත්‍රියාවට තමන්ගේම පරිපාලන සහ අධිකරණ ව්‍යුහයක්, තමන්ගේම ධජයක් සහ පොලිසිය, ප්‍රාදේශීය පරිපාලනය සහ බදු අය කිරීම ඇතුළුව එහි දේශීය කටයුතු පාලනය කිරීම අවශ්‍ය විය
සියලුම ප්‍රායෝගික අරමුණු සඳහා පවතින අධිරාජ්‍ය රජය වූ ෆෙඩරල් රජය විදේශ කටයුතු (වාණිජ්‍යය ඇතුළුව), ආරක්ෂක, මූල්‍ය සහ ප්‍රවාහනය පාලනය කිරීම විය
යෝජනාව එරිත්‍රියානුවන්ගේ නිදහස සඳහා වූ අභිලාෂයන් නොසලකා හරින ලද නමුත් ජනගහන ප්‍රජාතන්ත්‍රවාදී අයිතීන් සහ ස්වයං පාලනයක් සහතික කළේය
නිදහස 

1958 දී එරිත්‍රියානු ජාතිකයින් පිරිසක් එරිත්‍රියානු විමුක්ති ව්‍යාපාරය (ELM) ආරම්භ කළහ
සංවිධානය ප්‍රධාන වශයෙන් එරිත්‍රියානු සිසුන්, වෘත්තිකයන් සහ බුද්ධිමතුන්ගෙන් සමන්විත විය
එය අධිරාජ්‍ය ඉතියෝපියානු රාජ්‍යයේ මධ්‍යගත ප්‍රතිපත්තිවලට ප්‍රතිරෝධය වර්ධනය කිරීමේ අරමුණින් රහසිගත දේශපාලන ක්‍රියාකාරකම්වල නිරත විය
1961 සැප්තැම්බර් 1 වන දින, හමීඩ් ඉඩ්‍රිස් අවතේගේ නායකත්වය යටතේ එරිත්‍රියානු විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ (ELF) නිදහස සඳහා සන්නද්ධ අරගලයක් දියත් කළේය
1962 දී, හේයිල් සෙලාසි අධිරාජ්‍යයා ඒකපාර්ශ්විකව එරිත්‍රියානු පාර්ලිමේන්තුව විසුරුවා හැර එම ප්‍රදේශය ඈඳා ගත්තේය
ඉනික්බිති එරිත්‍රියානු නිදහස් යුද්ධය 1991 දක්වා ELF හි අනුප්‍රාප්තිකයෙකු වන එරිත්‍රියානු මහජන විමුක්ති පෙරමුණ (EPLF) වන තෙක් අනුප්‍රාප්තික ඉතියෝපියානු රජයන්ට එරෙහිව වසර 30ක් පැවතුනි
එරිත්‍රියාවේදී ඉතියෝපියානු හමුදා පරාජය කළ අතර ඉතියෝපියානු කැරලිකාර හමුදාවන්ගේ සන්ධානයකට ඉතියෝපියාවේ අගනුවර වන අඩිස් අබාබා පාලනය කිරීමට උදව් විය
1980 ගණන්වලදී එරිත්‍රියා අන්තර් නියෝජිතායතන සම්මේලනය හෝ (EIAC) නම් රාජ්‍ය නොවන සංවිධානයක් එරිත්‍රියානු විමුක්ති ව්‍යාපාරයේ සංවර්ධන ව්‍යාපෘති සඳහා ආධාර කළේය
එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ (UNOVER ලෙස නම් කර ඇත) විසින් අධීක්ෂණය කරන ලද එරිත්‍රියාවේ ජනමත විචාරණයකින් පසුව එරිත්‍රියානු ජනතාව නිදහස සඳහා අතිමහත් ලෙස ඡන්දය ප්‍රකාශ කළ අතර, එරිත්‍රියාව සිය ස්වාධීනත්වය ප්‍රකාශ කර 1993 දී ජාත්‍යන්තර පිළිගැනීමක් ලබා ගත්තේය
ඊපීඑල්එෆ් බලය අල්ලාගෙන, ජාතිකවාදී රේඛා ඔස්සේ ඒකපාක්ෂික රාජ්‍යයක් ස්ථාපිත කර ඉදිරි දේශපාලන ක්‍රියාකාරකම් තහනම් කළේය
2020 වන විටත් මැතිවරණ නොමැත
1993 මැයි 28 වන දින එරිත්‍රියාව එක්සත් ජාතීන්ගේ 182 වැනි සාමාජික රාජ්‍යය ලෙස ඇතුළත් විය
භූගෝලය 

එරිත්‍රියාව නැගෙනහිර අප්‍රිකාවේ පිහිටා ඇත
එය ඊසාන දෙසින් සහ නැගෙනහිරින් රතු මුහුද, බටහිරින් සුඩානය, දකුණින් ඉතියෝපියාව සහ ගිනිකොන දෙසින් ජිබුටි මායිම් වේ
එරිත්‍රියාව පිහිටා ඇත්තේ අක්ෂාංශ 12 සහ 18N අතර දේශාංශ 36 සහ 44E අතර ය
The country is virtually bisected by a branch of the East African Rift
Eritrea, at the southern end of the Red Sea, is the home of the fork in the rift
The Dahlak Archipelago and its fishing grounds are situated off the sandy and arid coastline
Eritrea may be split into three ecoregions
To the east of the highlands are the hot, arid, coastal plains stretching down to the southeast of the country
The cooler, more fertile highlands, reaching up to , have a different habitat
The highest point of the country, Emba Soira, is located in the center of Eritrea, at  above sea level
Eritrea have volcanic activity in south-eastern parts of the country
In 2011 Nabro Volcano had an eruption
The main cities of the country are the capital city of Asmara and the port town of Asseb in the southeast, as well as the towns of Massawa to the east, the northern town of Keren, and the central town Mendefera
Local variability in rainfall patterns and reduced precipitation are known to occur, which may precipitate soil erosion, floods, droughts, land degradation, and desertification
Eritrea is part of a 14-nation constituency within the Global Environment Facility, which partners with international institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives
In 2006, Eritrea announced that it would become the first country in the world to turn its entire coast into an environmentally protected zone
The  coastline, along with another  of coast around its more than 350 islands, will come under governmental protection
Wildlife and habitat 

Eritrea has several species of mammals and a rich avifauna of 560 species of birds
Eritrea is home to large number of mammals
126 species of mammals, 90 species of reptiles, 19 species amphibians have been recorded
Enforced regulations have helped in steadily increasing their numbers throughout Eritrea
Mammals commonly seen today include the Abyssinian hare, African wild cat, Black-backed jackal, African golden wolf, Genet, Ground squirrel, pale fox, Soemmerring's gazelle, and warthog
Dorcas gazelle are common on the coastal plains and in Gash-Barka
Lions are said to inhabit the mountains of the Gash-Barka Region
Dik-diks may be found in many areas
The endangered African wild ass may be seen in Denakalia Region
Other local wildlife include bushbuck, duikers, greater kudu, Klipspringer, African leopards, oryx, and crocodiles
The spotted hyena is widespread and fairly common
Historically, a small population of African bush elephants were known to roam in some parts of the country
Between 1955 and 2001 there were no reported sightings of elephant herds, however, and they were thought to have fallen victim to the war of independence
In December 2001, a herd of approximately 30, including 10 juveniles, was observed in the vicinity of the Gash River
The elephants seemed to have formed a symbiotic relationship with olive baboons
The baboons use the water holes dug by the elephants and the elephants seem to be taking advantage of vocalizations made by baboons from the tree-tops as an early warning system
It is estimated that there are approximately 100 African bush elephant left in Eritrea, the most northerly of the East African elephants
The endangered African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) was previously found in Eritrea, but is now deemed extirpated from the entire country
In Gash-Barka, snakes such as saw-scaled viper are common
Puff adder and red spitting cobra are widespread and may be found even in the highlands
In the coastal areas, marine species that are common include dolphin, dugong, whale shark, turtles, marlin, swordfish, and manta ray
500 fish species, 5 marine turtles, 8 or more cetaceans and the dugong have been recorded in the country
Eritrea also harbours a lot of species that can only be found in Eritea, these include various bugs, frogs, mammals, snakes and plants
Over 700 plants have been recorded in Eritrea, including marine plants and seagrass
Eritrea have 26% of arable land
Eritrea have diverse habitats, including Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, Shrublands, Deserts, Xeric Shrublands, Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests and Mangroove forests
All of Eritrea's national parks are protected, which include Dahlak Marine National Park
Nakfa Wildlife Reserve
Gash-Setit Wildlife Refuge
Semenawi Bahri National Park and Yob Wildlife Reserve
Climate 
Based on variations in temperature, Eritrea can be broadly divided into three major climate zones
the temperate zone, subtropical climate zone, and tropical climate zone
The climate of Eritrea is shaped by its diverse topographical features and its location within the tropics
The diversity in landscape and topography in the highlands and lowlands of Eritrea result in the diversity of climate across the country
The highlands have temperate climate throughout the year
The climate of most lowland zones is arid and semiarid
The distribution of rainfall and vegetation types varies markedly throughout the country
Eritrean climate varies on the basis of seasonal and altitudinal differences
Due to its physical diversity, Eritrea is one of the few countries where one can can experience "four seasons in a day"
In the highlands (Up to 3000m above sealevel) the hottest months are usually the month of May with temperatures reaching 30 C, whereas winter occurs during December to February when temperatures can be as low as 10 C during nights
Capital Asmara has pleasant temperature all year around
In the lowlands and in the coastal areas summer occurs between June to September when temperatures can reach 40 C, winter time in the lowlands occurs February to April when temperatures are between 21-35 C
A 2022 analysis found that the expected costs for Eritrea to adapt to and avert the environmental consequences of climate change are going to be high
Government and politics 

The People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) is the only legal party in Eritrea
Other political groups are not allowed to organize, although the unimplemented Constitution of 1997 provides for the existence of multi-party politics
The National Assembly has 150 seats
National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled
as of 2022, none have ever been held in the country
President Isaias Afwerki has been in office since independence in 1993.

In 1993, 75 representatives were elected to the National Assembly
the rest are appointed
As the report by the United Nations Human Rights Council explained
"No national elections have taken place since that time, and no presidential elections have ever taken place
Local or regional elections have not been held since 2003–2004. The National Assembly elected independent Eritrea's first president, Isaias Afwerki, in 1993. Following his election, Afwerki consolidated his control of the Eritrean government
" President Isaias Afwerki has regularly expressed his disdain for what he refers to as "western-style" democracy
In a 2008 interview with Al Jazeera, for example, the president stated that "Eritrea will wait three or four decades, maybe more, before it holds elections
"

 National, regional, and local elections 
Given that the full implementation of the Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship between Eritrea and Ethiopia is still incomplete, the Eritrean authorities still do not consider that the peace agreement is formally implemented
However, local elections were held for a time in Eritrea
The most recent round of local government elections were in 2010 and 2011.

 Military 

The Eritrean Defence Forces are the official armed forces of the State of Eritrea
Eritrea's military is one of the largest in Africa
Compulsory military service was instituted in 1995. Officially, conscripts, male and female, must serve for 18 months minimum, which includes six months of military training and 12 months during the regular school year to complete their last year of high school
Thus around 5% of Eritreans do military service at Sawa facilities, but also by doing projects such as road building as part of their service
The National Service Proclamation of 1995 does not recognize the right to conscientious objection to military service
According to the 1957 Ethiopian penal code adopted by Eritrea during independence, failure to enlist in the military or refusal to perform military service are punishable with imprisonment terms of six months to five years and up to ten years, respectively
National service enlistment times may be extended during times of "national crisis"
since 1998, everyone under the age of 50 is enlisted in national service for an indefinite period until released, which may depend on the arbitrary decision of a commander
In a study of 200 escaped conscripts, the average service was 6.5 years, and some had served more than 12 years
Foreign relations 

Eritrea is a member of the United Nations and the African Union
It is an observing member of the Arab League, alongside Brazil and Venezuela
The nation holds a seat on the United Nations Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ)
Eritrea also holds memberships in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Finance Corporation, International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Permanent Court of Arbitration, Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa, and the World Customs Organization
The Eritrean government previously withdrew its representative to the African Union to protest the AU's alleged lack of leadership in facilitating the implementation of a binding border decision demarcating the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia
Since January 2011, the Eritrean government has appointed an envoy, Tesfa-Alem Tekle, to the AU
Its relations with Djibouti and Yemen are tense due to territorial disputes over the Doumeira Islands and Hanish Islands, respectively
On 28 May 2019, the United States removed Eritrea from the "Counterterror Non-Cooperation List" which also includes Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela
Moreover, Eritrea was visited two months earlier by a U
congressional delegation for the first time in 14 years
Along with Belarus, Syria, and North Korea, Eritrea was one of only four countries not including Russia to vote against a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine
Relations with Ethiopia 

The undemarcated border with Ethiopia is the primary external issue currently facing Eritrea
Eritrea's relations with Ethiopia turned from that of cautious mutual tolerance, following the 30-year war for Eritrean independence, to a deadly rivalry that led to the outbreak of hostilities from May 1998 to June 2000 that claimed approximately 70,000 lives from both sides
The border conflict cost hundreds of millions of dollars
The Eritrean–Ethiopian War from 1998 to 2000 involved a major border conflict, notably around Badme and Zalambessa, eventually resolved in 2018.

Disagreements following the war have resulted in stalemate punctuated by periods of elevated tension and renewed threats of war
The stalemate led the president of Eritrea to urge the UN to take action on Ethiopia with the Eleven Letters penned by the president to the United Nations Security Council
In 2011, Ethiopia accused Eritrea of planting bombs at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, which was later supported by a UN report
Eritrea denied the claims
A peace treaty between both nations was signed on 8 July 2018. The next day, they signed a joint declaration that formally ended the Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict
In 2020, Eritrean troops intervened in Tigray War on the side of Ethiopian government
In April 2021, Eritrea confirmed its troops were fighting in Ethiopia
Legal profession 
According to the NYU School of Law, the Legal Committee of the Ministry of Justice oversees the admission and requirements to practice law in Eritrea
Although the establishment of an independent bar association is not proscribed under Proclamation 88/96, among other domestic laws, there is no bar association
The community electorate in the local jurisdiction of the Community Court chooses the court judges
The Community Court's standing on women in the legal profession is unclear, but elected women judges have reserved seat
Human rights 

Eritrea is a one-party state in which national legislative elections have been repeatedly postponed
According to Human Rights Watch, the government's human rights record is considered among the worst in the world
Most countries have accused the Eritrean authorities of arbitrary arrest and detentions, and of detaining an unknown number of people without charge for their political activism
Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are illegal in Eritrea
A prominent group of fifteen Eritreans, called the G-15, including three cabinet members, were arrested in September 2001 after publishing an open letter to the government and President Isaias Afewerki calling for democratic dialogue
This group and thousands of others who were alleged to be affiliated with them are imprisoned without legal charges, hearing, trial, or judgment
Since Eritrea's conflict with Ethiopia in 1998–2001, the nation's human rights record has been criticized at the United Nations
Human rights violations are allegedly often committed by the government or on behalf of the government
Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association are limited
Those who practice "unregistered" religions, try to flee the nation, or escape military duty are arrested and put into prison
By 2009, the number of political prisoners was in the range of 10,000–30,000, there was widespread and systematic torture and extrajudicial killings, with "anyone" for "any or no reason", including children eight years old, people more than 80 years old, and ill people, being liable to be arrested, and Eritrea was "one of the world's most totalitarian and human rights-abusing regimes"
During the Eritrean independence struggle and 1998 Eritrean-Ethiopian War, many atrocities were committed by the Ethiopian authorities against unarmed Eritrean civilians
In June 2016, a 500-page United Nations Human Rights Council report accused the Eritrean government of extrajudicial executions, torture, indefinitely prolonged national service (6.5 years on average), and forced labour, and it indicated that among state officials, sexual harassment, rape, and sexual servitude practices are widespread
Barbara Lochbihler of the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights said the report detailed 'very serious human rights violations', and asserted that EU funding for development would not continue as at present without change in Eritrea
The Eritrean Foreign Ministry responded by describing the commission's report as being "wild allegations" that were "totally unfounded and devoid of all merit"
Representatives of the United States and China disputed the report's language and accuracy
All Eritreans aged between 18 and 40 years must complete a mandatory national service, which includes military service
This requirement was implemented after Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia, as a means to protect Eritrea's sovereignty, to instill national pride, and to create a disciplined populace
Eritrea's national service requires long, indefinite conscription (6.5 years on average), which some Eritreans leave the country in order to avoid
In an attempt at reform, Eritrean government officials and NGO representatives in 2006 participated in many public meetings and dialogues
In these sessions they answered questions as fundamental as, "What are human rights
", "Who determines what are human rights
", and "What should take precedence, human or communal rights
In 2007, the Eritrean government banned female genital mutilation
In Regional Assemblies and religious circles, Eritreans themselves speak out continuously against the use of female circumcision
Furthermore, they implore rural peoples to cast away this ancient cultural practice
In 2009, a movement called Citizens for Democratic Rights in Eritrea formed to create dialogue between the government and political opposition
Since the movement's creation, no significant effort has been made by the Eritrean government to improve its record on human rights
In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including Eritrea, signed a joint letter to the UNHRC defending China's treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang region
Eritrea continued this support in 2020.

Eritrea claims Western media stories of the country are decontextualized, sometimes fabricated, and almost always deployed to build a regime change narrative
It claims it's being targeted for not conforming to the west's agenda towards African countries, for instance by refusing to accept humanitarian foreign aid
Eritrea aspires to be self-reliant and has since 2005 rejected foreign aid, because it sees aid as a hindrance to true economic development
In 2006 alone, Eritrea walked away from 200 million USD in foreign aid
The same year it also refused a 100 million USD loan from the World Bank
Besides accusing the west of deliberate demonization through smear-campaigns, it also sees itself targeted by sanctions and western supported war against Eritrea through the Ethiopian group TPLF
It also accuses the west of luring Eritreans abroad by purposely granting many Eritreans political asylum
Media freedom 
In its 2023 Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked the media environment in Eritrea at 174. According to the BBC, "Eritrea is the only African country to have no privately owned news media", and Reporters Without Borders said of the public media, "[They] do nothing but relay the regime's belligerent and ultra-nationalist discourse
Not a single [foreign correspondent] now lives in Asmara
" The state-owned news agency censors news about external events
Independent media have been banned since 2001. The Eritrean authorities had reportedly imprisoned the fourth highest number of journalists after Turkey, China, and Egypt
Administrative divisions 
Eritrea is divided into six administrative regions
These areas are further divided into 58 districts
The regions of Eritrea are the primary geographical divisions through which the country is administered
Six in total, they include the Maekel/Central, Anseba, Gash-Barka, Debub/Southern, Northern Red Sea and Southern Red Sea regions
At the time of independence in 1993, Eritrea was arranged into ten provinces
These provinces were similar to the nine provinces operating during the colonial period
In 1996, these were consolidated into six regions (zobas)
The boundaries of these new regions are based on water catchment basins
Transportation 

Transport in Eritrea includes highways, airports, railway, and seaports, in addition to various forms of public and private vehicular, maritime, and aerial transportation
The three levels of classification are
primary (P), secondary (S), and tertiary (T)
Typically the tertiary ones are improved earth roads that occasionally are paved
The next higher level road is a secondary road and typically is a single-layered asphalt road that connects district capitals together and those to the regional capitals
Roads that are considered primary roads are those that are fully constructed of asphalt (throughout their entire length) and in general they carry traffic between all the major cities and towns in Eritrea
As of 1999, there is a total of 317 kilometres of  (narrow gauge) rail line in Eritrea
The Eritrean Railway was built between 1887 and 1932. Badly damaged during WWII and in later fighting, it was closed section by section, with the final closure coming in 1978. After independence, a rebuilding effort commenced, and the first rebuilt section was reopened in 2003. As of 2009, the section from Massawa to Asmara was fully rebuilt and available for service
Rehabilitation of the remainder and of the rolling stock has occurred in recent years
Current service is very limited due to the extreme age of most of the railway equipment and its limited availability
Further rebuilding is planned
The railway linking Agordat and Asmara with the port of Massawa had been inoperative since 1978 except for an approximately 5 kilometre stretch that was reopened in Massawa in 1994. A railway formerly ran from Massawa to Bishia via Asmara, and is under re-construction
Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure by asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges as a part of the Wefri Warsay Yika'alo program
The most significant of these projects was the construction of a coastal highway of more than 500 km connecting Massawa with Asseb, as well as the rehabilitation of the Eritrean Railway
The rail line has been restored between the port of Massawa and the capital Asmara, although services are sporadic
Steam locomotives are sometimes used for groups of enthusiasts
Economy 

In 2020, the IMF estimated Eritrea's GDP at $2.1 billion, or $6.4 billion on a PPP basis
Between 2016-2019 Eritrea had an GDP growth between 7,6 %-10,2 %, down from the peak at 30,9% in 2014. In 2023 the GDP growth is expected to be 2,8%, a decrease due to factors such as Ukraine and Russia war impacting the global economy and the effects of COVID-19 on value chains
However, the country's economy is expecting a steady growth in coming years
Mining and agrictulture in 2021 accounts for 20% each of GDP
As of 2020, remittances from abroad were estimated to account for 12% of gross domestic product
Mining 

Mining accounts for about 20% of GDP in 2021. In 2013, the pickup in growth had been attributed to the commencement of full operations in the gold and silver Bisha Mine by Canadian Nevsun Resources, the production of cement from the cement factory in Massawa, and investment in Eritrea's copper, zinc, and Colluli potash mining operations by Australian and Chinese mining companies
Agriculture 
Since independence Eritrea has constructed 187 dams, each with capacity over 50,000 m3 and with the biggest ones with capacity of 350 million m3 in size
These have been built to combat drought, for agriculture, fishing and energy purposes
In addition 600 micro-dams have been built
Energy 
Annual consumption of petroleum in 2001 was estimated at 370,000 tons
Eritrea has no domestic petroleum production
the Eritrean Petroleum Corporation conducts purchases through international competitive tender
Department of Commerce, opportunities exist for both on- and offshore oil and natural gas exploration
however, these prospects have yet to come to fruition
The use of Wind energy, solar power, hydropower have slightly increased, due to the growth of solar power manufacturing companies in the country
The Eritrean government has expressed interest in developing alternative energy sources, including geothermal, solar, and wind power
Tourism 

Tourism made up 2% of Eritrea's economy up to 1997. After 1998, revenue from the industry fell to one quarter of 1997 levels
In 2006, it made up less than 1% of the country's GDP
Eritrean is a member of World Tourism Organization which calculated that the country's international tourism receipts in 2002 were US$73 million
Sources from 2015 state that most tourists are members of the Eritrean diaspora
Overall visitors have steadily increased in recent years and annual visitors was 142.000 as of 2016.

Tourism of Eritrea has seen increased attention in later years
For instance, in 2019, the country was added to National Geographics Cool List
Highlited areas included the capital, Asmara, known for its art deco architecture
the Dahlak Islands
and the country's wilderness areas
Lonely Planet also lists the capital Asmara, the Dahlak Islands, the city of Massawa and archeological sites as top attractions
The nation's flag carrier, Eritrean Airlines, has as currently no scheduled service as of July 2023. International visitors rely on alternatives such as Ethiopian Airlines and Turkish Airlines, to get to the country
The government has started a twenty-year tourism development plan entitled "the 2020 Eritrea Tourism Development Plan" with the aim to develop the country's tourist industry, aiming to enhance the rich cultural and natural resources of the country
The country is participant in many tourism traid fairs to promote the toursim of the country
Demographics 

Sources disagree as to the current population of Eritrea, with some proposing numbers as low as 3.6 million and others as high as 6.7 million
However most sources puts the population in the higher population bracket
Eritrea has never conducted an official government census
The proportion of children below the age of 15 in 2020 was 41.1%, 54.3% were between 15 and 65 years of age, while 4.5% were 65 or older
In 2015, there was a major outflow of emigrants from Eritrea
The Guardian attributed the emigration to Eritrea being "a totalitarian state where most citizens fear arrest at any moment and dare not speak to their neighbours, gather in groups or linger long outside their homes", with a major factor being the conditions and long durations of conscription in the Eritrean Army At the end of 2018, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that about 507,300 Eritreans were refugees who had fled Eritrea
Ethnic composition 

There are nine recognized ethnic groups according to the government of Eritrea
An independent census has yet to be conducted, but the Tigrinya people make up approximately 55% and Tigre people make up approximately 30% of the population
A majority of the remaining ethnic groups belong to Afroasiatic-speaking communities of the Cushitic branch, such as the Saho, Hedareb, Afar, and Bilen
There are also a number of Nilotic ethnic groups, who are represented in Eritrea by the Kunama and Nara
Each ethnicity speaks a different native tongue but, typically, many of the minorities speak more than one language
The Arabic Rashaida people represent approximately 2% of Eritrea's population
They reside in the northern coastal lowlands of Eritrea as well as the eastern coasts of Sudan
The Rashaida first came to Eritrea in the nineteenth century from the Hejaz region
In addition, there exist Italian Eritrean (concentrated in Asmara) and Ethiopian Tigrayan communities
Neither is generally given citizenship unless through marriage or, more rarely, by having it conferred upon them by the state
In 1941, Eritrea had approximately 760,000 inhabitants, including 70,000 Italians
Most Italians left after Eritrea became independent from Italy
It is estimated that as many as 100,000 Eritreans are of Italian descent
Languages 
Eritrea is a multilingual country
The nation has no official language, as the Constitution establishes the "equality of all Eritrean languages"
Eritrea has nine national languages which are Tigrinya, Tigre, Afar, Beja, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, and Saho
Tigrinya, Arabic, and English serve as de facto working languages, with English used in university education and many technical fields
While Italian, the former colonial language, holds no government recognized status in Eritrea, it is spoken by a few monolinguals and Asmara had the Scuola Italiana di Asmara, an Italian government-operated school that was shut down in 2020. Also, native Eritreans assimilated the language of the Italian Eritreans and spoke a version of Italian mixed with many Tigrinya words
Eritrean Italian
Most of the languages spoken in Eritrea belong to the Ethiopian Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic family
Other Afroasiatic languages belonging to the Cushitic branch are also widely spoken in the country
The latter include Afar, Beja, Blin, and Saho
In addition, Nilo-Saharan languages (Kunama and Nara) are spoken as a native language by the Nilotic Kunama and Nara ethnic groups that live in the western and northwestern part of the country
Smaller groups speak other Afroasiatic languages, such as the newly recognized Dahlik and Arabic (the Hejazi and Hadhrami dialects spoken by the Rashaida and Hadhrami, respectively)
Religion 

The two main religion followed in Eritrea are Christianity and Islam
However, the number of adherents of each faith is subject to debate
According to the Pew Research Center, , 62.9% of the population of Eritrea adhered to Christianity, 36.6% followed Islam, and 0.4% practiced traditional African religions
The remainder observed Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, other faiths (<0.1% each), or were religiously unaffiliated (0.1%)
Department of State estimated that, , 50% of the population of Eritrea adhered to Christianity, 48% followed Islam, and 2% observed other religions, including traditional faiths and animism
Christianity is the oldest world religion practiced in the country, and the first Christian monastery Debre Sina (monastery) was built during the fourth century
Since May 2002, the government of Eritrea has officially recognized the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Oriental Orthodox), Sunni Islam, the Eritrean Catholic Church (a Metropolitanate sui juris), and the Evangelical Lutheran church
All other faiths and denominations are required to undergo a registration process
Among other things, the government registration system requires religious groups to submit personal information on their membership to be allowed to worship
The Eritrean government is against what it deems as "reformed" or "radical" versions of its established religions
Therefore, alleged radical forms of Islam and Christianity, Jehovah's Witnesses, and numerous other non-Protestant Evangelical denominations are not registered and cannot worship freely
Three named Jehovah's Witnesses are known to have been imprisoned since 1994 along with 51 others
The government treats Jehovah's Witnesses especially harshly, denying them ration cards and work permits
Jehovah's Witnesses were stripped of their citizenship and basic civil rights by presidential decree in October 1994.

In its 2017 religious freedom report, the U
State Department named Eritrea a Country of Particular Concern (CPC)
Health care 
Eritrea has achieved significant improvements in health care and is one of the few countries to be on target to meet its Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for health, in particular child health
Life expectancy at birth increased from 39.1 years in 1960 to 66.44 years in 2020
maternal and child mortality rates dropped dramatically and the health infrastructure expanded
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2008 found average life expectancy to be slightly less than 63 years, a number that has increased to 66.44 in 2020. Immunisation and child nutrition have been tackled by working closely with schools in a multi-sectoral approach
the number of children vaccinated against measles almost doubled in seven years, from 40.7% to 78.5% and the prevalence of underweight children decreased by 12% from 1995 to 2002 (severe underweight prevalence by 28%)
The National Malaria Protection Unit of the Ministry of Health registered reductions in malarial mortality by as much as 85% and in the number of cases by 92% between 1998 and 2006. The Eritrean government has banned female genital mutilation (FGM), saying the practice was painful and put women at risk of life-threatening health problems
Although the number of physicians increased from only 0.2 in 1993 to 0.5 in 2004 per 1000 people, this is still very low
Malaria and tuberculosis are common
HIV prevalence for ages 15 to 49 years exceeds 2%
The fertility rate is about 4.1 births per woman
Maternal mortality dropped by more than half from 1995 to 2002, but is still high
Similarly, the number of births attended by skilled health personnel doubled from 1995 to 2002, but still is only 28.3%
A major cause of death in newborns is severe infection
Per-capita expenditure on health is low
Education 

There are five levels of education in Eritrea
pre-primary, primary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary
There are nearly 1,270,000 students in the primary, middle, and secondary levels of education
There are approximately 824 schools, two universities, (the University of Asmara and the Eritrea Institute of Technology), and several smaller colleges and technical schools
The Eritrea Institute of Technology "EIT" is a technological institute located near the town Himbrti, Mai Nefhi outside Asmara
The institute has three colleges
Science, Engineering and Technology, and Education
The institute began with approximately 5,500 students during the 2003–2004 academic year
The EIT was opened after the University of Asmara was reorganized
According to the Ministry of Education, the institution was established, as one of many efforts to achieve equal distribution of higher learning in areas outside the capital city, Asmara
Accordingly, several similar colleges are also established in different other parts of the country
The Eritrea Institute of Technology is the main local institute of higher studies in science, engineering, and education
The University of Asmara is the oldest university in the country and was opened in 1958. It is currently not in operation
As 2018 the overall adult literacy rate in Eritrea is 76.6% (84.4% for men and 68.9% for women)
For youth 15–24, the overall literacy rate is 93.3% (93.8% for men and 92.7% for women)
Education system 
Education in Eritrea is officially compulsory for children aged 6 to 13 years
Statistics vary at the elementary level, suggesting that 70% to 90% of school-aged children attend primary school
Approximately 61% attend secondary school
Student-teacher ratios are high
1 at the elementary level and 54
1 at the secondary level
Class sizes average 63 and 97 students per classroom at the elementary and secondary school levels, respectively
Learning hours at school are often fewer than six hours per day
Barriers to education in Eritrea include traditional taboos, school fees (for registration and materials), and the opportunity costs of low-income households
Culture 
The culture of Eritrea is the collective cultural heritage of the various populations native to Eritrea and its rich cultural heritage inherited through its long history
Modern-day Eritrea is also defined by the struggle for independence
//us
embassyeritrea
org/our-history/&psig=AOvVaw2kKUK2Pzk5SoduqNYzddQn&ust=1694355539134622&opi=89978449 The nation as has a rich oral and literary tradition which ranges across all nine ethnic groups, it includes a wealth of poetry and proverbs, songs and chants, folk tales, histories and legends
It also has a rich history in theatre and paiting, often colourful and depicting a reflection of the Eritrean people's history
One of the most recognizable parts of Eritrean culture is the coffee ceremony
Coffee (Ge'ez ቡን būn) is offered when visiting friends, during festivities, or as a daily staple of life
The coffee is served in three rounds
the first brew or round is called awel in Tigrinya (meaning "first"), the second round is called kalaay (meaning "second"), and the third round is called bereka (meaning "to be blessed")
In offices, both men and women often dress in suits
A common traditional clothing for Christian Tigrinya highlanders consists of bright white gowns called zurias for the women, and a white shirt accompanied by white pants for the men
Besides convergent culinary tastes, Eritreans share an appreciation for similar music and lyrics, jewelry and fragrances, and tapestry and fabrics, as many other populations in the region
Cuisine 

A typical traditional Eritrean dish consists of injera accompanied by a spicy stew, which frequently includes beef, chicken, lamb, or fish
Overall, Eritrean cuisine strongly resembles that of neighboring Ethiopia, though Eritrean cooking tends to feature more seafood than Ethiopian cuisine on account of their coastal location
Additionally, owing to its colonial history, cuisine in Eritrea features more Italian influences than are present in Ethiopian cooking, including more pasta and greater use of curry powders and cumin
The Italian Eritrean cuisine started to be practiced during the colonial times of the Kingdom of Italy, when a large number of Italians moved to Eritrea
They brought the use of pasta to Italian Eritrea, and it is one of the main foods eaten in present-day Asmara
An Italian Eritrean cuisine emerged, and common dishes are "pasta al sugo e berbere" (pasta with tomato sauce and berbere spice), lasagna, and "cotoletta alla Milanese" (veal Milanese)
In addition to coffee, local alcoholic beverages are enjoyed
These include sowa, a bitter drink made from fermented barley, and mies'', a fermented honey wine
UNESCO World Heritage Site 
On 8 July 2017, the entire capital city of Asmara was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the inscription taking place during the 41st World Heritage Committee Session
The city has thousands of Art Deco, futurist, modernist, and rationalist buildings, constructed during the period of Italian Eritrea
Asmara, a small town in the nineteenth century, started to grow quickly during 1889. The city also became a place "to experiment with radical new designs", mainly futuristic and art deco inspired
Even though city planners, architects, and engineers were largely European, members of the indigenous population were largely used as construction workers, Asmarinos still identify with their city's legacy
The city shows off most early twentieth-century architectural styles
Some buildings are neo-Romanesque, such as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary
Art Deco influences are found throughout the city
Essences of Cubism may be found on the Africa Pension Building and on a small collection of buildings
The Fiat Tagliero Building shows almost the height of futurism, just as it was becoming fashionable in Italy
In recent times, some buildings have been functionally built, which sometimes can spoil the atmosphere of some cities, but they fit into Asmara as it is such a modern city
Many buildings such as opera houses, hotels and cinemas were built during this period
Some notable buildings include the Art Deco Cinema Impero (opened in 1937 and considered by the experts one of the world's finest examples of Art Dco style building), Cubist Africa Pension, eclectic Eritrean Orthodox Enda Mariam Cathedral and Asmara Opera, the futurist Fiat Tagliero Building, the neoclassical Asmara city hall
A statement from UNESCO read
Music 

Eritrea's ethnic groups each have their own styles of music and accompanying dances
Traditional instruments of Eritrean folk music include the stringed krar, kebero, begena, masenqo and the wata (a distant/rudimentary cousin of the violin)
A popular Eritrean artist is the Tigrinya singer Helen Meles, who is noted for her powerful voice and wide singing range
Other prominent local musicians include the Kunama singer Dehab Faytinga, Ruth Abraha, Bereket Mengisteab, the late Yemane Ghebremichael and the late Abraham Afewerki
Dancing plays an important role in Eritrean society
The nine ethnic groups, have many dances that are exuberant
The dancing styles differ amongst the ethnic groups
for instance the Bilen and Tigre ethnicities shake their shoulders, while standing rotating in a circle towards the end of the dance, which differs from the Tigrinya who first dance rotating anti-clockwise but later change it to fast-paced dancing and at the same breaking the circular rotation
Kunama ethnic group have dance's that include rituals, these are - "tuka (rites of passage)