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106-895: The Marya are a tribe in western Eritrea . They are mostly shepherds and farmers they inhabit the middle valley of the Anseba River in the Keren District . There split into two clans: the Marya qeyih and the marya tselam. They are related to the Mensa , Hazo and Tora peoples , and form a subgroup of the Tigre people . This Eritrea -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Eritrea Eritrea ( / ˌ ɛr ɪ ˈ t r iː ə / ERR -ih- TREE -ə or /- ˈ t r eɪ -/ -⁠ TRAY - ; , pronounced [ʔer(ɨ)trä] ), officially

212-567: A referendum in Eritrea supervised by the United Nations (dubbed UNOVER) in which the Eritrean people overwhelmingly voted for independence, Eritrea declared its independence and gained international recognition in 1993. The EPLF seized power, established a one-party state along nationalist lines and banned further political activity. As of 2020, there have been no elections. On 28 May 1993, Eritrea

318-510: A deep sense of patriotism and unity, have labored without crease to bring about this advancement. We vow before God, that, as we have repeatedly stated, we shall spare no effort to secure the happiness and advancement of our people." Israel later revealed its support of Eritrea's annexation, providing funding to train the Ethiopian police force. The ELF began to receive arms from Saudi Arabia and North Yemen in 1962. There were 250 members of

424-517: A distinct language. The most widely spoken languages are Tigrinya and Arabic . The others are Tigre , Saho , Kuinama , Nara , Afar , Beja , Bilen and English . Tigrinya , Arabic and English serve as the three working languages. Most residents speak languages from the Afroasiatic family, either of the Ethiopian Semitic languages or Cushitic branches. Among these communities,

530-839: A major police crackdown. While the ELM had played a positive role in working towards self-determination, the organization proved incapable of escalating to armed struggle against the Ethiopian Empire. After the Eritrean Liberation Movement demonstrated it wasn't ready to engage in war, a new liberation organization that could fight back against the Ethiopians was formed in order to fill the gap. In 1960, Egypt began to fund military training for Eritreans in Alexandria . Future revolutionary leaders such as Idris Muhammad Adam were trained at

636-595: A military coup known as the Derg removed Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie from power. This marked a shift in Ethiopia's Cold War alignment from the west to the east. Meanwhile, the rise of President Anwar El Sadat in Egypt converted the country to a western Cold War alignment. This shift in leadership paved the way for Ethiopia's request for Egypt to cease their support for the Eritrean independence movements. Also, by this time,

742-559: A northern extension of the Ethiopian Highlands , I home to montane grasslands and woodlands . Habitats here vary from the sub-tropical rainforest at Filfil Solomona to the precipitous cliffs and canyons of the southern highlands. Filfil receives over 1,100 mm of rainfall annually. There is a steep escarpment along the eastern side of the highlands, which is the western wall of the East African Rift. The western slope of

848-428: A referendum be held immediately to settle the Eritrean question of sovereignty. The United Nations Commission of Enquiry arrived in Eritrea in early 1950 and after about six weeks returned to New York to submit its report. Two reports were presented. The minority report presented by Pakistan and Guatemala proposed that Eritrea be independent after a period of trusteeship. The majority report compiled by Burma, Norway, and

954-461: A religious purpose in pre- Christian times. One of these granite columns, the Obelisk of Aksum , is the largest such structure in the world, standing at 90 feet (27 metres). Under Ezana ( fl. 320–360), Aksum later adopted Christianity. Christianity was the first world religion to be adopted in modern Eritrea and the oldest monastery in the country, Debre Sina , was built in the fourth century. It

1060-471: A southern Ethiopian kingdom, recognized the Italian occupation of his rivals' lands of Bogos , Hamasien , Akkele Guzay , and Serae in exchange for guarantees of financial assistance and continuing access to European arms and ammunition. His subsequent victory over rival kings and enthronement as Emperor Menelek II (r. 1889–1913) made the treaty formally binding upon the entire territory. In 1888,

1166-480: A visit to Eritrea was the Portuguese explorer Francisco Alvares in 1520. His books have the first description of the local powers of Tigray , the kingdom of Axum and Barnagais (the lord of the lands by the sea) The contemporary coast of Eritrea was the one that guaranteed the connection to the region of Tigray where the Portuguese had a small colony, and therefore the connection to the interior Ethiopian , allies of

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1272-576: A week of fighting in Asmara , leaving many dead soldiers on the streets unburied. In Massawa , the EPLF managed to hold off the Ethiopians in early 1977, despite Soviet assistance. Nonetheless, as a result of the fighting, over 90,000 Eritreans were homeless in 1977, leading the EPLF to provide medical and food assistance. The EPLF also allowed women to undergo military training in 1975. Between January 23 and 31, 1977,

1378-747: Is a member of the African Union , the United Nations , and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development , and is an observer state in the Arab League alongside Brazil and Venezuela . The name Eritrea is derived from the ancient (originally Greek) name for the Red Sea , the Erythraean Sea ( Ἐρυθρὰ Θάλασσα Erythra Thalassa , based on the adjective ἐρυθρός erythros "red"). It

1484-549: Is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as an important market place for ivory , which was exported throughout the ancient world. At the time, Aksum was ruled by Zoskales , who also governed the port of Adulis . The Aksumite rulers facilitated trade by minting their own Aksumite currency . After the decline of Aksum, the Eritrean highlands fell under the domain of the Christian Zagwe dynasty , and later, fell under

1590-578: Is one of the oldest monasteries in Africa and the world. Debre Libanos , the second oldest monastery, was said to have been founded in the late fifth or early sixth century. Originally located in the village of Ham, it was moved to an inaccessible location on the edge of a cliff below the Ham plateau. Its church contains the Golden Gospel, a metal-covered bible dating to the thirteenth century during which Debre Libanos

1696-429: Is the probable location of a triple junction where three tectonic plates are pulling away from one another. The highest point of the country, Emba Soira , is located in the center of Eritrea, at 3,018 m (9,902 ft) above sea level . Eritrea has volcanic activity in the southeastern parts of the country. In 2011 Nabro Volcano had an eruption. The main cities of the country are the capital city of Asmara and

1802-660: The Arab countries to suspend their support for the ELF in June 1967. This resulted in Wolde Kahsai 's Christian fighters betraying the ELF in the summer of 1967. Another Christian group under Haile Woldetensae's leadership was executed by ELF Muslims after they surrendered to the Ethiopian consulate . Hostility between Christians and Muslims ensured even when the Christians did not deflect to

1908-607: The Barka Valley dating from 8,000 BC appear to offer the first concrete evidence of human settlement in the area. Research also shows that many of the ethnic groups of Eritrea were the first to inhabit these areas. Excavations in and near Agordat in central Eritrea yielded the remains of an ancient pre-Aksumite civilization known as the Gash Group . Ceramics were discovered that were dated back to between 2,500 and 1,500 BC. Around 2,000 BC, parts of Eritrea were most likely part of

2014-545: The Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands . Human remains found in Eritrea have been dated to 1 million years old and anthropological research indicates that the area may contain significant records related to the evolution of humans. The Kingdom of Aksum , covering much of modern-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia , was established during the first or second century AD. It adopted Christianity around

2120-554: The EPLF had amassed the support of Eritreans living in the Christian highlands. Nonetheless, Selassie's fall from power enabled the ELF and the EPLF to put aside their differences and jointly invade Asmara in January 1975. This offensive was largely successful; it liberated 95% of Eritrea . Additionally, in May 1975, Idris Mohammed Adem was replaced by Ahmed Mohammed Nasser as the leader of

2226-581: The EPLF was formed in August 1973 from the ELF - PLF and other breakaway factions. Both men received their guerrilla warfare training in China and implemented stringent policies to quash rebellion movements. Inspired by Maoist ideology, the EPLF managed the Eritrean People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP), which was a far left-wing political movement that Nur and Afwerki established in 1971. In September 1974,

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2332-490: The Eritrean Liberation Movement (ELM) was founded. The ELM, which was composed primarily of students and laborers, focused on organizing demonstrations against Ethiopian occupation. ELM strongholds were located in the urban central highlands, where a large proportion of Christians lived. It organized Eritreans clandestinely and played a significant role in awakening nationalists sentiments in urban areas until

2438-580: The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), a successor of the ELF , defeated the Ethiopian forces in Eritrea and helped a coalition of Ethiopian rebel forces take control of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa . In the 1980s a non-government organization called the Eritrea Inter-Agency Consortium (EIAC) aided in the development projects for the Eritrean Liberation movement. Following

2544-533: The Eritrean government's human rights record is among the worst in the world. The Eritrean government has dismissed these allegations as politically motivated. Freedom of the press in Eritrea is extremely limited; the Press Freedom Index consistently ranks it as one of the least free countries. As of 2022 Reporters Without Borders considers the country to be among those with the least press freedom. Eritrea

2650-652: The Ethiopian government , thus exhibiting the greatest antagonism for Ethiopia. Also, the western lowlands were close to Sudan , the movement's safe haven. Awate's movement gained momentum when Eritrean members of the Sudan Defense Force joined his movement. By March 1962, the Ethiopian police force were no longer able to suppress Awate's movement, leading Ethiopian authorities to publicly announce that anyone supporting Awate or withholding information regarding Awate would be imprisoned. In June 1962, Awate died, which led to

2756-583: The Habesh Eyalet . Massawa served as the new province's first capital. When the city became of secondary economical importance, the administrative capital was soon moved across the Red Sea to Jeddah . The Turks tried to occupy the highland parts of Hamasien in 1559 but withdrew after they encountered fierce resistance. They were pushed back by the Bahri Negash and highland forces. In 1578 they tried to expand into

2862-468: The Land of Punt , first mentioned in the twenty-fifth century BC. It was known for producing and exporting gold , aromatic resins , blackwood , ebony , ivory , and wild animals. The region is known from ancient Egyptian records of trade expeditions to it, especially a well-documented expedition to Punt in approximately 1,469 BC during the reestablishment of disrupted trade routes by Hatshepsut shortly after

2968-698: The Scramble for Africa . On 15 November 1869, the ruling local chief sold lands surrounding the Bay of Assab to the Italian missionary Giuseppe Sapeto on behalf of the Rubattino Shipping Company . The area served as a coaling station along the shipping lanes introduced by the recently completed Suez Canal . In 1882, the Italian government formally took possession of the Assab colony from its commercial owners and expanded their control to include Massawa and most of

3074-528: The State of Eritrea , is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa , with its capital and largest city being Asmara . It is bordered by Ethiopia in the south , Sudan in the west, and Djibouti in the southeast. The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea . The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km (45,406 sq mi), and includes

3180-671: The Tigrinyas make up about 50% of the population, with the Tigre people constituting around 30% of inhabitants. In addition, there are several Nilo-Saharan -speaking Nilotic ethnic groups. Most people in the country adhere to Christianity or Islam , with a small minority adhering to traditional faiths . Eritrea is one of the least developed countries . It is a unitary one-party presidential republic in which national legislative and presidential elections have never been held. Isaias Afwerki has served as president since its official independence in 1993. According to Human Rights Watch ,

3286-578: The Tripartite Unity Forces . However, this unification did not resolve the ELF's internal division, which led to the Adobha conference between ELF leadership in August 1969. This conference abolished the Zonal Command system and instead redivided Eritrea into three regions. The ELF experienced significant military victories in the aftermath of the 1969 conference, the most prominent of those being

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3392-525: The temperate zone , subtropical climate zone , and tropical climate zone . Eritrean Liberation Front After the Ethiopian Empire violated a 1952 UN resolution that guaranteed Eritrea the right to an autonomous government, the ELF was established in 1960 in order to waged an armed struggle for independence. Under Emperor Haile Selassie , the Ethiopian government banned Eritrean political parties, free press and right to assembly . During 1961,

3498-647: The 1941 Battle of Keren , the British expelled the Italians and took over the administration of the country. Economically, the decade of British administration saw a significant restructuring of the Eritrean economy. Until 1945, the British and Americans relied on Italian equipment and skilled labor for wartime needs and to support the Allies in the Middle East. This economic boom, fueled by substantial Italian involvement, lasted until

3604-519: The Alexandria military camp. The tactics that this camp used were influenced by those of the national liberation front in Algeria . In addition to military training, Egypt also provided media resources for Eritreans to use to gain support for the independence movement. For instance, Woldeab Woldemariam used his Radio Cairo radio program to publicize anti-Ethiopian propaganda and encourage Eritreans to join

3710-493: The British colony of Sudan and partly to Ethiopia. After the peace treaty with Italy was signed in 1947, the United Nations sent a Commission of Enquiry to decide the fate of the colony. In the 1950s, the Ethiopian feudal administration under Emperor Haile Selassie sought to annex Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. He laid claim to both territories in a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Paris Peace Conference and

3816-650: The Christian Ethiopians . Additionally, Sudan and Egypt worked together in attempt to prevent Ethiopian access to the Nile River . As a consequence, Sudan allowed the ELF to use their land to ship weapons to and organize military operations. However, despite the emergence of the ELF, the United States chose to remain loyal to Ethiopia as they signed a secret pact with Ethiopia affirming their opposition to Eritrean insurgency movements. Hamid Idris Awate

3922-414: The ELF along with the failure of the ELF to ward off Ethiopia's 1967–1968 counter offensive internally fractured the ELF, causing it to split. By the mid 1970s, the ELF and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), an ideologically Maoist liberation movement, were the key liberation movements in Eritrea. The EPLF ultimately overtook the ELF as the primary Eritrean independence movement by 1977, and

4028-573: The ELF army grew to 2,000 members organized in seven platoons . This led the president of the ELF, Idris Mohamed Adem , to meet with the leaders of each platoon to restructure the ELF in May 1965. They agreed in dividing Eritrea into four Zonal Commands with the Revolutionary Command located in Kassala . Like the Egyptian-funded military training, the organization of the ELF was inspired by

4134-503: The ELF began the Eritrean War of Independence . Idris Muhammad Adam and other Eritrean intellectuals founded the ELF as a primary Pan Arab movement in Cairo , but the first act of armed resistance was led by Hamid Idris Awate . Over the course of the 1960s, the ELF was able to obtain support from Arab countries such as Egypt and Sudan . However, tensions between Muslims and Christians in

4240-449: The ELF established the Women's Union in 1967 to protest the inequalities they faced. Women were dissatisfied that they were unable to hold ranks within the ELF that were comparable to those held by men. Nonetheless, ELF leadership largely ignored these women until the 1971 first National Congress, which is when the ELF first recognized that women were vital to the operation of the ELF. By 1970,

4346-458: The ELF grew in strength, Ethiopia increased military spending by 68.2%. Also, the relationship between Ethiopia and Sudan fractured as each country supported the liberation movements in the other country. This weakened both countries militarily and politically. Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and President Nasser of Egypt also worked with the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in

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4452-600: The ELF held its first National Congress to determine the future of the movement. The ELF responded by instituting the ELF Revolutionary Council and structuring their troops into twelve battalions . The ELF also demanded that the breakaway factions rejoin the ELF. War between the ELF and the ELF - PLF was initiated in February 1972 on the directive of the ELF Revolutionary Council. Under the leadership of Osman Saleh Sabbe , Romadan Mohamed Nur , and Isaias Afwerki ,

4558-448: The ELF in 1963. That was also the year when military aid in the form of weapons from China , Iraq , and Syria intensified. The ELF then raided several Ethiopian bases and military establishments with this aid between 1961 and 1965. This era was also when women also began to play a role in the ELF: they sent messages, obtained weapons, and served as cooks and nurses to the soldiers. In 1965,

4664-439: The ELF in 1967. Also, there was the 1969 and 1970 massacre of Christian ELF soldiers and the assassination of prominent Christian ELF figures such as Wolde Ghiday and Kidae Kiflu . Therefore, in 1971, Abraham Tewoide and Isaias Afwerki founded a faction that broke away from the ELF that would eventually combine with other breakaway factions to form the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF). Additionally, women within

4770-421: The ELF of working with the Arab countries to reach a peace agreement with Ethiopia . Therefore, in 1980, hostility between the EPLF and ELF reemerged after the ELF left Sahel . The EPLF reclaimed the northern Red Sea area of Eritrea in 1980 whereas the ELF fled to Sudan in the face of battle with Ethiopia and the EPLF. In Sudan, the ELF lost their weapons and consequently, dissolved. Therefore, in 1981,

4876-571: The ELF was estimated to be 1,500 to 2,000 fighters strong. Although the Eritrean Liberation Forces - People's Liberation Forces (ELF - PLF) formally split from the ELF in 1971, the ELF was strictly divided since mid-1969. This division was a direct consequences of the defeats suffered by the ELF as a result of Ethiopia's 1967–1968 counter offensive. The PLF was frustrated that the ELF Revolutionary Command failed to maintain

4982-480: The ELF was subsequently defeated in 1981. After Italy was defeated in World War II , the fate of Ethiopia and Eritrea was left to the United Nations . A 1948 UN commission failed to agree on whether Eritrea would be independent. In 1952, Eritrea became officially part of Ethiopia under UN Resolution 390 A, which was passed on December 2, 1950. However, Eritrea would remain an autonomous government, meaning that

5088-467: The ELF. By the mid-1975, Ethiopia began to fight back against the Eritrean independence movements by using propaganda to counter the Arab countries' notion of a holy war . This crumbled Ethiopia's relationship with Egypt and Sudan . Consequently, Sudan continued to support Eritrean independence movements and amassed Egypt's as a military ally if Ethiopia were to invade Sudan . Furthermore, as Ethiopia

5194-401: The EPLF convened in Sahel for the meeting of its first congress. There, the EPLF proposed a plan for Eritrea's independent government, which included steps to resolve gender inequality. Nonetheless, Eritrea's first liberation came to a close, as Ethiopia's army grew to 40,000 troops, following the fall of the Massawa naval base in December 1977 and the fall of Barentu in April 1978. With

5300-414: The Eritrean Liberation Front. Nonetheless, in the early 1950s, this group remained relatively inactive. Discontent with the Ethiopian government ensured as Emperor Haile Selassie took actions to destabilize Eritrea's autonomous government. As Ethiopia was more authoritarian than Eritrea , Selassie felt that increased freedom in Eritrea would destabilize Ethiopia . Consequently, the same year that

5406-592: The Eritrean and Ethiopian highlands during the mid-first millennium BC. Dʿmt was a kingdom that existed from the tenth to fifth centuries BC in what is now Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. Given the presence of a massive temple complex at Yeha , this area was most likely the kingdom's capital. Qohaito , often identified as the town of Koloe in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , as well as Matara were important ancient Dʿmt kingdom cities in southern Eritrea. The realm developed irrigation schemes, used plows , grew millet , and made iron tools and weapons. After

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5512-435: The Eritrean coastal lowlands after the Egyptians withdrew from Eritrea in February 1885. In the vacuum that followed the 1889 death of Emperor Yohannes IV , Gen. Oreste Baratieri occupied the highlands along the Eritrean coast and Italy proclaimed the establishment of Italian Eritrea , a colony of the Kingdom of Italy . In the Treaty of Wuchale (It.  Uccialli ) signed the same year, Menelik OI of Shewa ,

5618-426: The Eritrean parliament and formally annexed Eritrea . The Eritrean secessionist movement organised the Eritrean Liberation Front in 1961 and fought the Eritrean War of Independence until Eritrea gained de facto independence in 1991. Eritrea gained de jure independence in 1993 after an independence referendum . Contemporary Eritrea is a multi-ethnic country with nine recognised ethnic groups, each of which has

5724-578: The Ethiopian government, which is when he used guerilla war tactics to continue the ELF's struggle. The September 26, 1961 issue of the Ethiopian newspaper Zemen reported Awate's attacks for the first time, labeling him a bandit and giving the Eritrean liberation struggle public attention. In response, Awate motivated further military action by claiming that he was fighting "for the sake of the Eritrean flag and their homeland." Further 1961 attacks took place in Eritrea's western lowlands. These rural communities were composed of Muslims who had been oppressed by

5830-412: The Ethiopian ruling class was Christian . Egypt helped organize Arab support for the ELF. The Arab League countries such as Syria , Iraq , Libya , Kuwait , and Yemen pledged their support for the ELF in April 1962. These countries saw the economic potential of Arab control of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal . They also felt compelled to help their fellow Muslims attain independence from

5936-413: The Ethiopian side of the conflict as proven by the September 1967 massacre of 50 Christians in zone four. The internal political conflicts and recent military losses experienced by the ELF in the late 1960s convinced members that the ELF had to be restructured. The resulting movement became known as the Eslah movement. The Eslah movement first merged zones three and five together in September 1968, forming

6042-401: The First Session of the United Nations. In the United Nations, the debate over the fate of the former Italian colonies continued. The British and Americans preferred to cede all of Eritrea except the Western province to the Ethiopians as a reward for their support during World War II . The Independence Bloc of Eritrean parties consistently requested from the United Nations General Assembly that

6148-417: The Italian administration launched its first development projects in the new colony. The Eritrean Railway was completed to Saati in 1888, and reached Asmara in the highlands in 1911. The Asmara–Massawa Cableway was the longest line in the world during its time but was later dismantled by the British in World War II. Besides major infrastructural projects, the colonial authorities invested significantly in

6254-436: The Middle East. The British placed Eritrea under British military administration until Allied forces could determine its fate. In the absence of agreement amongst the Allies concerning the status of Eritrea, the British administration continued for the remainder of World War II and until 1950. During the immediate postwar years, the British proposed that Eritrea be divided along religious community lines and annexed partly to

6360-434: The Portuguese. Massawa was also the stage for the 1541 landing of troops by Cristóvão da Gama in the military campaign that would eventually defeat the Adal Sultanate in the final battle of Wayna Daga in 1543. By 1557, the Ottomans had occupied all of northeastern present-day Eritrea for the next two decades, an area which stretched from Massawa to Swakin in Sudan. The territory became an Ottoman governorate, known as

6466-448: The UN resolution went into effect, Selassie disposed of Eritrea's constitution. In 1953, the Eritrean Trade Union was outlawed. By 1955, Eritrea's president was removed and a year later, the Eritrean National Assembly ceased to exist. The year 1956 also marked the year that Amharic replaced Arabic and Tigrinya as the official language of Eritrea . The coming years also saw the suppression of insurgency movements against Ethiopia ,

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6572-600: The Union of South Africa called for Eritrea to be incorporated into Ethiopia. Following the adoption of U.N. Resolution 390A(V) in December 1950, Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia under the prompting of the United States. The resolution called for Eritrea and Ethiopia to be linked through a loose federal structure under the sovereignty of the emperor. Eritrea was to have its own administrative and judicial structure, its own new flag, and control over its domestic affairs, including police, local administration, and taxation. The federal government, which for all practical purposes

6678-427: The administration of the coastal highlands into the Christian province of Midri-Bahri ("Sea land" in Tigrinya, although it included some areas such as Shire in Ethiopia on the other side of the Mereb, today in Ethiopia) ruled by a Bahri Negus (or Bahri Negash, meaning "sea king"). With its capital at Debarwa , the state's main provinces were Hamasien , Serae , and Akele Guzai . The first Westerner to document

6784-641: The agricultural sector. They also oversaw the provision of urban amenities in Asmara and Massawa, and employed many Eritreans in public service, particularly in the police and public works departments. Thousands of Eritreans were concurrently enlisted in the army, serving during the Italo-Turkish War in Libya as well as the First and Second Italo-Abyssinian Wars. Additionally, the Italian Eritrea administration opened many new factories that produced buttons, cooking oil, pasta, construction materials, packing meat, tobacco, hide, and other household commodities. In 1939, there were approximately 2,198 factories and most of

6890-421: The arrests of newspaper editors who spoke against the Ethiopian crown, the seizure of private Eritrean businesses, and the removal of the Eritrean flag. The United States remained inactive despite the UN Resolution being fragrantly violated. This was due to a 1953 agreement signed between the United States and Ethiopia, which guaranteed access to the Kagnew Radiomarina in Asmara . This Red Sea military base

6996-437: The assassination of Ethiopian General Tshomi Ergetu in late 1970. Nonetheless, Ethiopia struck back with the bombing of Keren on Christmas Eve, 1970. Hundreds of women and children died, leading French newspaperman Andre Fontaine of Le Monde to remark that the Ethiopians had successfully destabilized the Eritrean independence movement. Moreover, internal divisions ensured within the ELF during this time period regarding

7102-464: The assistance of the USSR , Ethiopia successfully took back most of Eritrea by the middle of 1978. Consequently, the EPLF withdrew to Sahel and Nakfa . There, they engaged in sporadic raids of Ethiopian strongholds. The ELF mustered support from the Arab world to attempt a counter offensive on the Ethiopian army. However, the attack failed and the ELF placed the EPLF at fault for not aiding their counter offensive. The EPLF also suspected

7208-405: The beginning of her rule as the king of ancient Egypt. Excavations at Sembel found evidence of an ancient pre- Aksumite civilization in greater Asmara. This Ona urban culture is believed to have been among the oldest pastoral and agricultural communities in East Africa . Artifacts at the site have been dated to between 800 BC and 400 BC, contemporaneous with other pre-Aksumite settlements in

7314-438: The centralizing policies of the imperial Ethiopian state. On 1 September 1961, the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), under the leadership of Hamid Idris Awate , waged an armed struggle for independence. In 1962, Emperor Haile Selassie unilaterally dissolved the Eritrean parliament and annexed the territory. The ensuing Eritrean War of Independence went on for 30 years against successive Ethiopian governments until 1991, when

7420-420: The colonial government in Italian Eritrea. After il Duce declared the birth of the Italian Empire in May 1936, Italian Eritrea (enlarged with northern Ethiopia's regions) and Italian Somaliland were merged with the just-conquered Ethiopia into the new Italian East Africa ( Africa Orientale Italiana ). This Fascist period was characterized by imperial expansion in the name of a "new Roman Empire". Eritrea

7526-417: The country could have their own government structures, flag, and official language. Ethiopia was also prohibited from forcibly intervening in Eritrea's domestic occurrences. However, some Eritreans were not satisfied with the UN's decision to place Eritrea under Ethiopian control. Early independence movements can be traced back to 1949, when some Muslims living in Eritrea formed a group that would grow into

7632-404: The early 1960s to ease hostility between the two nations. However, Egypt did not terminate its support for the ELF; they just moved their operations to Syria . In 1966, the ELF began to incorporate Christians into the movement. This resulted in an increasing amount of military confrontations in the highlands near Sudan . As a result, a fifth Zonal command that covered the Eritrean highlands

7738-532: The employees were Eritrean citizens. The establishment of industries also increased the number of Italians and Eritreans residing in the cities. The number of Italians in the territory increased from 4,600 to 75,000 in five years; and with the involvement of Eritreans in the industry, trade and fruit plantations were expanded across the nation, and some of the plantations were owned by Eritreans. In 1922, Benito Mussolini 's rise to power in Italy brought profound changes to

7844-488: The end of the war. However, shortly after the conflict concluded, the Eritrean economy faced a combination of recession and depression that severely impacted the local urban population. War factories that had employed thousands were shut down, and Italians began to be repatriated. Additionally, many small manufacturing plants established between 1936 and 1945 were forced to close due to intense competition from factories in Europe and

7950-448: The fall of Dʿmt in the fifth century BC, the plateau came to be dominated by smaller successor kingdoms. This lasted until the rise of one of these polities during the first century, the Kingdom of Aksum , which was able to reunite the area. The Kingdom of Aksum (or Axum) was a trading empire centered in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. It existed from approximately 100–940 AD, growing from

8056-747: The highlands is more gradual, descending to interior lowlands. Southwestern Eritrea is drained by the Atbara River , which flows northwestwards to join the Nile . The northwestern slope of the highlands is drained by the Barka River , which flows northwards into Sudan to empty into the Red Sea. Western Eritrea is part of the Sahelian Acacia savanna , which extends across Africa south of the Sahara from Eritrea to Senegal. The Afar Triangle or Danakil Depression of Eritrea

8162-454: The highlands with the help of Bahri Negash Yisehaq, who had switched alliances due to a power struggle. Ethiopian Emperor Sarsa Dengel made a punitive expedition against the Turks in 1588 in response to their raids in the northern provinces, and apparently by 1589, they were once again compelled to withdraw their forces to the coast. The Ottomans were eventually driven out in the last quarter of

8268-481: The merger of his group with the ELF. That, with the combination of the Ethiopian government's discovery and subsequent suppression of the ELM, led to the ELF emerging as the main independence movement in Eritrea. On November 14, 1962, Emperor Haile Selassie annexed Eritrea after the Assembly was figuratively held "at gun point" to vote for annexation. Selassie remarked that "We thank our people of Eritrea who, guided by

8374-558: The middle of the fourth century. Beginning in the 12th century, the Ethiopian Zagwe and Solomonid dynasties held sway to a fluctuating extent over the entire plateau and the Red Sea coast. Eritrea's central highlands, known as Mereb Melash (" Beyond the Mereb "), were the northern frontier region of the Ethiopian kingdoms and were ruled by a governor titled the Bahri Negasi ("lord of

8480-637: The nomadic Tigre and Beni Amer clans of the west (closely related to the Funj Kingdom in Sudan) and the Arabic Muslims of Massawa and the pastoralist Sultanate of Assua found in the two coastal regions. These fractured groups hindered the political and economic development of present-day Eritrea from the limited exchanges that hinders development and innovation, thus creating an inequality in state strength. The boundaries of present-day Eritrea were established during

8586-412: The oldest hominid fossils found to date that reveal significant stages in the evolution of humans and to represent a possible link between the earlier Homo erectus and an archaic Homo sapiens . Her remains have been dated to 1 million years old. She is the oldest skeletal find of her kind and provides a link between earlier hominids and the earliest anatomically modern humans . It is believed that

8692-521: The organization of the Algerian national liberation front . The first zone was located in western Eritrea and was populated by Muslims and Beni Amer . Their leader was Mahmoud Dinni . The second zone consisted of Eritrea's northern highlands, which was populated by Muslim nomads and led by Omer Hamed Ezaz . The third province included Eritrea's central plateau, which was populated by Tigrinya -speaking farmers and Muslim Saho pastoralists. Abdelkerim Ahmed

8798-574: 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

8904-432: The present-day boundaries of the country. Italian rule continued until 1942 when Eritrea was placed under British Military Administration during World War II; following a UN General Assembly decision in 1952, Eritrea would govern itself with a local Eritrean parliament, but for foreign affairs and defense, it would enter into a federal status with Ethiopia for ten years. However, in 1962, the government of Ethiopia annulled

9010-541: 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 1,347 km (837 mi) coastline, along with another 1,946 km (1,209 mi) of coast around its more than 350 islands, will come under governmental protection. Based on temperature variations, Eritrea can be broadly divided into three major climate zones:

9116-439: The proto-Aksumite Iron Age period around the fourth century BC to achieve prominence by the first century AD. According to the medieval Liber Axumae ( Book of Aksum ), Aksum's first capital, Mazaber, was built by Itiyopis, son of Cush. The capital was later moved to Axum in northern Ethiopia. The kingdom used the name "Ethiopia" as early as the fourth century. The Aksumites erected a number of large stelae , which served

9222-527: The sea"). In the 16th century, the Ottomans conquered the Eritrean coastline, then in May 1865 much of the coastal lowlands came under the rule of the Khedivate of Egypt , until it was transferred to Italy in February 1885. Beginning in 1885–1890, Italian troops systematically spread out from Massawa toward the highlands, eventually resulting in the formation of the colony of Italian Eritrea in 1889, establishing

9328-466: The section of the Danakil Depression in Eritrea was a major site in terms of human evolution and may contain other traces of evolution from Homo erectus hominids to anatomically modern humans. During the last interglacial period, the Red Sea coast of Eritrea was occupied by early anatomically modern humans. It is believed that the area was on the route out of Africa that some scholars suggest

9434-548: The sixteenth century. However, they retained control over the seaboard until the late 1800s. The central Eritrean highlands then became a vassal fiefdom of the lords of Tigray, who were seldom on good terms with the dominant Amhara branch of the Ethiopian family. In 1734, the Afar leader Kedafu, established the Mudaito Dynasty in Ethiopia, which later also came to include the southern Denkel lowlands of Eritrea, thus incorporating

9540-560: The southern Denkel lowlands to the Sultanate of Aussa . The sixteenth century also marked the arrival of the Ottomans, who began making inroads in the Red Sea area. Eritrea's pre-colonial period had four distinct regions that were divided by geography, thus, having limited contact with each other. The regions were ruled as follows: the Abyssians (Tigrinya-speaking Christians) in the highlands,

9646-542: 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 arid coastline. Eritrea may be split into three ecoregions . A hot arid coastal plain extends along the coast. The coastal plain is narrow in the west and widens towards the east. These coastal lowlands are part of the Djibouti xeric shrublands ecoregion. The cooler, more fertile highlands reach up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and are

9752-532: The sphere of influence of the Ethiopian Empire . The area was at first known as Ma'ikele Bahri ("between the seas/rivers", i.e. the land between the Red Sea and the Mereb river ). The entire coastal domain of Ma'ikele Bahri was under the Adal Sultanate during the reign of Sultan Badlay ibn Sa'ad ad-Din . The state was later reconquered by the Ethiopian Emperor Zara Yaqob who reorganized

9858-410: The support of many Christian fighters during Ethiopia's counter offensive . The PLF also felt that the Revolutionary Command was guilty of insubordination to ELF military leadership, leading Othman Sabbe to call for the complete removal of the Revolutionary Command. The Revolutionary command, on the other hand, felt that PLF members had violated the ranks of the ELF. After the formal split in 1971,

9964-402: The tension between Muslims and Christians and Eritrea's interactions with Arab countries . The government of the Arab countries released propaganda since 1964 that stressed the homogeneous Arab nature of Eritrea . Also, prominent Christian revolutionary leaders like Woldeab Woldemariam had uneasy relations with the Arab world . This even caused Saudi Arabia to cease its support for

10070-409: The uprising against Ethiopia . In July 1960, the ELF was openly established in Cairo by Idris Muhammad Adam and other Eritrean intellectuals and students. The founders of the ELF were primarily Muslim and the movement thus adopted Pan-Arabic beliefs. Some scholars argue that the Eritrean independence movement was religious in nature: by 1971, the majority of ELF army members were Muslim and

10176-463: Was a former soldier when the Italians controlled Eritrea and Ethiopia who had not joined the ELM or ELF. The ELF had purchased rifles that were used during the colonial era, leading them to have Awate initiate the first battle in the Eritrean independence movement. In August 1961, Awate had been hiding from Ethiopian authorities on Mount Abal. On September 1, 1961, Awate came into confrontation with

10282-517: Was admitted into the United Nations as the 182nd member state. Eritrea is located in East Africa . It is bordered to the northeast and east by the Red Sea , Sudan to the west, Ethiopia to the south, and Djibouti to the southeast. Eritrea lies between latitudes 12° and 18°N, and longitudes 36° and 44°E. The country is virtually bisected by a branch of the East African Rift . Eritrea, at

10388-557: Was allied with the Soviets , Egypt provided aid to Eritrean independence movements out of fear of the Nile River being controlled by the USSR . By 1977, the EPLF was the primary independence movement in Eritrea . The EPLF captured Keren in late 1976, establishing an efficient city administration and filling the markets with food. The liberation movements also forced an Ethiopian retreat after

10494-666: Was an important seat of religious power. In the seventh century AD, early Muslims from Mecca , at least companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , sought refuge from Qurayshi persecution by travelling to the kingdom, a journey known in Islamic history as the First Hijrah . They reportedly built the first African mosque , that is the Mosque of the Companions in Massawa. The kingdom

10600-793: Was chosen by the Italian government to be the industrial center of Italian East Africa. After 1935, art deco architecture was widely employed in Asmara. The Italians designed more than 400 buildings in a construction boom that only halted with Italy's involvement in World War II . These included the Fiat Tagliero Building and Cinema Impero . In 2017, the city was declared a World Heritage Site , described by UNESCO as featuring eclectic and rationalist built forms, well-defined open spaces, and public and private buildings, including cinemas, shops, banks, religious structures, public and private offices, industrial facilities, and residences . ) Through

10706-472: Was established by Osman Idris Galadewos . Concerned about the growing strength of the ELF, Ethiopia procured military support from Israel and the United States to launch a counter-offensive movement against the ELF. The goal of this counter offensive was to internally fracture the ELF between Christians and Muslims , which proved effective by the summer of 1967. Ethiopia first decimated hundreds of villages in Eritrea in early 1967, which caused

10812-402: Was first formally adopted in 1890, with the formation of Italian Eritrea ( Colonia Eritrea ). The name persisted throughout subsequent British and Ethiopian occupation, and was reaffirmed by the 1993 independence referendum and 1997 constitution . Madam Buya is the name of a fossil found at an archaeological site in Eritrea by Italian anthropologists. She has been identified as among

10918-521: Was the existing imperial government, was to control foreign affairs (including commerce), defense, finance, and transportation. The resolution ignored the wishes of Eritreans for independence but guaranteed the population democratic rights and a measure of autonomy. In 1958, a group of Eritreans founded the Eritrean Liberation Movement (ELM). The organization mainly consisted of Eritrean students, professionals, and intellectuals. It engaged in clandestine political activities intended to cultivate resistance to

11024-454: Was the leader of zone three. The fourth zone was the central and southern coast, consisting of Muslim nomads and led by Mohammed Ali Omero . As a consequence of this restructuring, the ELF was strong enough to prevent Ethiopia from entirely controlling Eritrea . They also maintained control through their "belief that they had the sole mandate of representing the Eritrean people." Therefore, they suppressed any other liberation movement. As

11130-669: Was used by early humans to colonize the rest of the Old World. In 1999, the Eritrean Research Project Team composed of Eritrean, Canadian, American, Dutch, and French scientists discovered a Paleolithic site with stone and obsidian tools dated to more than 125,000 years old near the Gulf of Zula south of Massawa , along the Red Sea littoral. The tools are believed to have been used by early humans to harvest marine resources such as clams and oysters. Research shows tools found in

11236-489: Was vital for the United States military since it enhanced overseas communication. Nonetheless, higher unemployment rates and taxes caused tens of thousands of Eritreans to emigrate to Saudi Arabia and Sudan . The Ethiopian army successfully suppressed protests that arose in Eritrea, including a 1958 trade union strike. The struggle for independence turned violent with this strike as many protesters were killed. In 1958,

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