Eritrea Geography
What is the terrain and geography like in Eritrea?
Overview
Eritrea is a country of stark and dramatic landscapes from its 630-mile Red Sea coastline to its high craggy mountains to the desolate Danakil Depression. The capital of Asmara, at 7,600 feet above sea level, is located on a high plateau in the center of the country. The descent from Asmara to the port of Massawa is one of the most spectacular drives in the world, taking nearly three hours over hairpin curves to cover the 65 miles to the coast. Off the coast are some 350 islands, most of them uninhabited and little explored. The coral reefs which surround many of the islands were left undisturbed by tourism and over-fishing during the long war, and are among the healthiest in the world. The country’s lowest point is minus 75 meters, near Dalul in the Danakil Depression; its highest is Mount Soira at 3,018 meters. Only about 12% of the land is arable.
Geography - note
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
Climate
The climate in the central highlands, including Asmara, is near perfection, usually in the 70’s or 80’s during the day, cooling off to the 50’s at night. There is little humidity and it seldom rains except during the July/August rainy season when daily afternoon showers are the norm. Asmara receives about 21 inches of rain each year. April, May and June are the warmest months on the plateau, with the cooler season stretching from November to March.
Temperatures in the lowlands can be scorchingly hot, typically ranging from 105°F to 120°F, sometimes more, in August. Along the coast, including in the port cities of Massawa and Assab, high humidity often accompanies the heat. Winter highs here are around 90, with evening temperatures in the 70s.
Eritrea Use of Natural Resources
Eritrea Environment
Climate:
The climate in the central highlands, including Asmara, is near perfection, usually in the 70’s or 80’s during the day, cooling off to the 50’s at night. There is little humidity and it seldom rains except during the July/August rainy season when daily afternoon showers are the norm. Asmara receives about 21 inches of rain each year. April, May and June are the warmest months on the plateau, with the cooler season stretching from November to March.
Temperatures in the lowlands can be scorchingly hot, typically ranging from 105°F to 120°F, sometimes more, in August. Along the coast, including in the port cities of Massawa and Assab, high humidity often accompanies the heat. Winter highs here are around 90, with evening temperatures in the 70s.
Terrain:
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Natural Resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
Natural Hazards:
frequent droughts; locust swarms
Irrigated Land:
83 Square Miles216 Square Kilometers
Environmental Issues:
deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
Environment - International Agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protectionsigned, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Eritrea Geography
| Geographic Location | Africa |
| Total Area |
45,405 Square Miles 117,600 Square Kilometers |
| Land Area |
38,996 Square Miles 101,000 Square Kilometers |
| Water Area |
6,409 Square Miles 16,600 Square Kilometers |
| Land Boundaries |
1,010 Miles 1,626 Kilometers |
| Irrigated Land |
83 Square Miles 216 Square Kilometers |
| Border Countries | Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km |
| Coastline |
1,388 Miles 2,234 Kilometers |
| Geographic Coordinates | 15 00 N, 39 00 E |
| Terrain | dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains |
| Highest Point | 3,018 Meters |
| Highest Point Location | Soira 3,018 m |
| Lowest Point | -75 Meters |
| Lowest Point Location | near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m |
| Natural Resources | gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish |
| Time Zone | UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |