Eritrea is a country in eastern Africa located between Sudan and Ethiopia. Its capital city is Asmara. Located near the Red Sea, Eritrea has both hot desserts on the coastline and cool highlands in the central areas. After Egyptian rule, Eritrea was first colonized by Italy and was later controlled by British forces. After declaring independence from Britain, Eritrea was announced an autonomous country within Ethiopia.
When Ethiopia declared its power over Eritrea in the 1950s, the event provoked a war between the two powers. Eritrea's struggle for independence finally ended in 1991 and the citizens overwhelmingly voted for a referendum in 1993. After that, Eritrea was an independent nation. Since 2001, Isaias Afwerki has been President of Eritrea representing the one political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice. His mandatory military conscription and highly militarized society creates a strain within Eritrea, along with the continuous tensions with Ethiopia. |