ERITREAN GENERAL INFORMATION

Currency

Currency at present: the Nakfa is used as the national currency. See Bank of Eritrea

Religions

Eritreans are equally divided between Christians and Moslems with some animists.

Peoples and Languages

• Afar - Afar
  
• Hadareb - To Bedawi
• Kunama - Kunama
  
• Nara - Nara
  
• Rashaida - Arabic
• Saho - Saho
• Tigre - Tigre
• Tigrinya - Tigrinya
  There is no national official language. The working languages are Arabic and Tigrinya.
  

Time

Time in Eritrea is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Business Hours

Business hours in Asmara are from 8:00 am to noon and from 2:00 to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and from 8:00 am to noon on Saturday. Shops are often open a few hours later in the evening and on Saturday afternoon. In other towns hours may vary.

Major Holidays

National:
New Year - January 1
Independence Day - May 24
Martyrs Day - June 20
Start of the Armed Struggle - Septmber 1


Religious:

Timket - variable January
Eid el-Fitr - variable (spring)
Fasika (Easter) - variable (spring)
Eid el-Adha - variable (summer)
Eid Milad el-Nabi - variable (fall)
Meskel - variable (September)

Resources

Eritrea has many resources. The climate is diverse and a variety of crops can be grown. Agricultural products include millet, sorghum, teff, wheat, barley, flax. cotton, coffee, papaya, citrus fruits, banana, mangoes, beans and lentils, potatoes, various vegetables, and fish and dairy products. Livestock includes sheep. goats, cattle and camels. Potentially profitable deposits of gold, copper, potash, iron ore and other minerals also exist. Manufactured products include processed food, dairy, and alcoholic products, leather goods, chemicals, cement and other construction materials, salt, paper, and matches.

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