1. Eritrea means Red and it got its name from the Red Sea

Eritrea was called Mdree-Bahree which means ‘land of the sea’ by the locals. The word ‘Eritrea’ is derived from the Greek ‘Sinus Erythraeus’ which means Red Sea.

2. Eritrea has the second highest archeological historical discoveries in Africa after Egypt

Eritrea is an ancient civilization dating back thousands of years ago. It is a land that had been inhabited by early humans since long. There are over 80.000 archeological sites throughout the whole country and is considered the world’s archeological Eden.

3. Eritrea has known only one president since its independence in 1991

Eritrea became independent from Ethiopia in 1991 and has since then been ruled by president Isaias Afwerki.

4. Coffee culture is huge in Eritrea

Just like Ethiopia, Eritrea has a big coffee culture. Coffee ceremonies play an important role in society as it brings people together. It is offered to visitors, friends, family and neighbours. Sometimes on special occasions while others practise it on a daily basis. The coffee is served in three rounds: the first 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”).

5.  The national food of Eritrea is injera

Injera looks like a huge pancake and is made of teff, a small grain which is found in the highlands of Eritrea and Ethiopia. Injera is mostly accompanied by a spicy stew, which frequently includes beef, chicken, lamb or fish or vegan sides. Because of it’s long coast, Eritrean cuisine is more focused on seafood than Ethiopian cuisine.

6. The Nakfa is the 10th strongest currency in Africa

One USD is around 15 Nafka, which is relatively strong when you compare it to most African currencies and it has been pretty stable since it’s introduction in 1997.

7. Eritrea doesn’t have an official language

There is equality of all Eritrean languages, protected by the constitution. The biggest language is Tigrinya with over 2.5 million speakers, which is almost 50 pct of the population. Other big languages are Afar, Arabic, Beja, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, Saho and Tigre. Did you know that many older Eritreans speak Italian? And in the cities we can also find a lot of people who speak English.

8. Cycling is huge in Eritrea

Cycling in Eritrea grew under colonial Italy and is seen as a part of their modern culture. Eritrean cyclists are the best in Africa and several Eritreans have joined famous international teams.

9. Eritrean women joined the army to fight against Ethiopia

Women represented 30 percent of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front during the 30-year war for independence against Ethiopia.

10. Asmara is called Africa’s little Rome

The capital has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2017 because of the many colonial buildings and city planning which are still in excellent condition. The city has many remarkable buildings built by the Italians who wanted to create a ‘Little Rome’ in Africa. Have a macchiato in the stylish old Italian cinema or a gelato in one of the many perfectly preserved Italian shops.