24th May: Eritrea

The State of Eritrea formed on this date in 1991. Here are 10 things you may not know about Eritrea:

1. The name Eritrea derives from the Greek name for the Red Sea.
2. The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi), about half the size of the UK, and includes some islands - the Dahlak Archipelago, which has been known for its Pearl fishing since Roman times, and several of the Hanish Islands, most of which belong to Yemen.
3. Eritrea has no official language. This is because the Constitution states all languages should be equal. The most widely spoken language is Tigrinya.
4. The capital and largest city is Asmara, known locally as Asmera (meaning "The four made them unite" in Tigrinya. It has been nicknamed the "Italy's African City" or "New Rome". Eritrea was once an Italian colony and there are still Italian influences in the city, not least the cuisine, which makes more use of pasta than most African countries.
5. There is only one political party - the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice. Since the state was established in 1991 there have been no elections. Several have been scheduled, but all of them were cancelled.
6. In 2006, Eritrea announced that it would become the first country in the world to turn its entire coast into an environmentally protected zone.
7. The highest point is Soira at 3,018m and the lowest is the Denakil Depression, also thought to be one of the hottest places on Earth.
8. In terms of religion, the population is virtually evenly split between Christianity and Islam, with about 2% following other religions. In 2006, there was just one Jewish person in Erirtea, Sami Cohen. The government has banned radical or reformed versions of its two main religions, so Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses cannot worship freely here, and some have even been sent to prison for their faith.
9. As China has Tea ceremonies, Eritrea has a Coffee ceremony. The coffee is traditionally served in three rounds: the first brew or 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".
10. Humans have lived here for a very long time. Some experts believe the first humans ever lived here. The port city of Adulis is one of Africa’s most ancient cities, founded by the Greeks in 600, while it is believed that the Kingdom of Axum (Aksum), in southern Eritrea was founded by King Solomon’s son and the Queen of Sheba.