Largest Cities in Eritrea
Facts about Eritrea
Official languages: Afar, Arabic, Tigrinya
Capital: Asmara
Area: 121,320 km²
Population: 5.8 million residents
Population density: 47.75 residents per km²
Currency: ERN
Internet TLD: .er
ISO codes: ER, ERI , 232
The prefix for Eritrea is +291
The former Italian colony was annexed by Ethiopia in 1962 and only gained independence in 1993 after a long struggle. The battle with Ethiopia over border disputes from 1998 to 2000 brought heavy losses on both sides. The struggle was ended by a ceasefire agreement. Since then, UN observers have been dispatched to the border region to mark the legitimate course of the border.
Around 75% of the working population are employed in agriculture. Even so, food has to be imported, as around 50% of the working population has been drafted into the military. Eritrea has mineral resources such as gold, silver, copper, sulfur, nickel, potash, marble, zinc and iron. In addition, oil and gas reserves are currently being developed.
Biggest Cities of Eritrea by Population
| # | City | Population | Latitude | Longitude |
| 1 | Asmara, Eritrea | 564,041 | 15.338 | 38.9318 |
| 2 | Keren, Eritrea | 74,911 | 15.7779 | 38.4511 |
| 3 | Massawa, Eritrea | 23,211 | 15.6081 | 39.4745 |
| 4 | Assab, Eritrea | 21,411 | 13.0092 | 42.7394 |
| 5 | Mendefera, Eritrea | 17,892 | 14.8872 | 38.8153 |
| 6 | Barentu, Eritrea | 16,002 | 15.1058 | 37.5907 |
| 7 | Adi Keyh, Eritrea | 13,172 | 14.8444 | 39.3772 |
| 8 | Edd, Eritrea | 11,370 | 13.9309 | 41.6938 |
| 9 | Dek’emhare, Eritrea | 11,070 | 15.07 | 39.0475 |
| 10 | Ak’ordat, Eritrea | 8,968 | 15.548 | 37.8829 |
Eritrea: Asmara
The capital of Eritrea is called Asmara. It is located in the highlands at an altitude of 2,350 meters. About 650,000 people live here. In the capital you can still find beautiful buildings, some of which date from the Italian colonial era. There are cinemas and mosques, Catholic churches and churches of the Eritrean Orthodox Church.
Asmara is very different from other major African cities. The city is clean, there is little air pollution and traffic is orderly. But at the same time there is very great poverty in the city, no matter how beautiful the outer facade looks.