Er·i·tre·a [ èrri tr ə ]country on the Red Sea coast in northeastern Africa, bordered by Sudan and Ethiopia. A former Italian colony, it became part of Ethiopia in 1952 and fully independent in 1993. Languages: Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic. Currency: nakfa. Capital: Asmara. Population: 5,647,168 (2009 estimate).
Area: 121,144 sq km (46,774 sq mi) Official name State of Eritrea
