Eritrea stretches along the Red Sea and is a low-lying coastal area with a mountainous interior. The Turkish and Egyptian colonial periods left their legacy in the form of numerous interesting buildings and sites, and the cuisine reflects the period of Italian rule.

The Italians were expelled by the British in 1941. After the departure of the British, Eritrea was merged into Ethiopia in a federal arrangement brokered by the UN in 1952 and incorporated fully into Ethiopia 10 years later.

After a decade of changing fortunes for both the Eritrean government and the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF), fighting against the Communist government within Ethiopia, the guerrillas finally expelled government forces from Eritrea in early 1991. In 1992, the EPLF-controlled Provisional Government of Eritrea announced a referendum over the future status of the area. With 99.8% support registered in favour of independence at an UN-supervised referendum in April 1993, full nationhood was declared the following month.

Despite its many vicissitudes, Eritrea boasts an abundance of natural attractions, including a vast array of wildlife. Native to the country are elephants, lions, baboons, gazelles, leopards, ostriches and turtles. Off any of Eritrea’s stunning beaches, it is not uncommon to see angelfish, barracudas, butterfly fish and several varieties of crabs, sea cucumbers and jellyfish beneath the azure ocean waters.

121,144 sq km (46,774 sq miles).

4.4 million (UN estimate 2005).

36.3 per sq km.

Asmara. Population: 435,000 (2005).

Independent state since 1993.

Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic and English are spoken. English is rapidly becoming the language of business and education.

Roughly half Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and half Muslim, but some have traditional beliefs.

GMT + 3.

Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Casual tourist wear is suitable for most places, but visitors should dress modestly. For business, a suit is most appropriate. Coffee is a delicacy in Eritrea and to be asked to take coffee is a symbol of hospitality and the way that Eritreans honour their guests. It takes up to an hour for the coffee to be prepared in a coffee ceremony and it is standard practice that you must have three cups and compliment the taste before leaving. Smoking is not popular with traditional or elderly Eritreans. Shoes should be taken off in churches and, particularly, in mosques. Homosexual behaviour is illegal.

Photography: It is not permitted to photograph government or military buildings.

110/220 volts AC; there are occasional power surges.

President Isaias Afewerki since 1993.