Eritrea is a country in Africa, in East Africa, with about 3.61 million people (2025) and an area of 121,766 square kilometres. Its capital is Asmara, and it shares land borders with 3 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of EritreaEritrea in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Eritrea's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
Three zones along the Red Sea
Eritrea runs more than 1,000 kilometers along the Red Sea, from the Sudanese border in the northwest to the Djiboutian border in the southeast. It divides into three zones: a cool, fertile highland plateau centered on Asmara at 2,325 meters; a western lowland descending toward Sudan; and the eastern Danakil Desert, among the hottest and lowest places on Earth. Offshore, the Dahlak Archipelago scatters more than 200 islands and islets over coral reefs largely untouched by mass tourism.
More on Dahlak Archipelago
A chain of islands in the Red Sea off Eritrea's coast, once used as a penal colony by both Ottoman and Ethiopian rulers. Its waters host manta rays, whale sharks, and some of the Red Sea's least disturbed reef ecosystems.
4 more lenses on Eritrea in the app
STORY What shaped Eritrea's national character?
NOW Why does Eritrea remain so isolated?
THREAD How do Eritrea's relationships define the Horn?
PLACE What lies beneath Eritrea's eastern desert?
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Eritrea?
The capital of Eritrea is Asmara. Asmara lies at about 15.3 degrees north and 38.9 degrees east. Eritrea is in Africa, in the region often called East Africa. It is home to about 3.61 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Eritrea?
About 3.61 million people live in Eritrea, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 130th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 121,766 square kilometres, that is about 30 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Eritrea?
Eritrea shares land borders with 3 countries: Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan. The map on this page outlines each of them around Eritrea. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Eritrea?
Eritrea covers 121,766 square kilometres, or about 47,014 square miles. That makes it the 98th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 3.61 million gives a density of 30 people per square kilometre.
Eritrea is a country in Africa, in East Africa, with about 3.61 million people (2025) and an area of 121,766 square kilometres. Its capital is Asmara, and it shares land borders with 3 countries.
Capital
Asmara
Continent
Africa
Region
East Africa
Population
3,607,003 2025, World Bank. 130th of 195.
Area
121,766 km² (47,014 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 98th largest of 195.
Population density
30 people per km²
Land neighbours
3: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan
Official name
State of Eritrea
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
Three zones along the Red Sea
Eritrea runs more than 1,000 kilometers along the Red Sea, from the Sudanese border in the northwest to the Djiboutian border in the southeast. It divides into three zones: a cool, fertile highland plateau centered on Asmara at 2,325 meters; a western lowland descending toward Sudan; and the eastern Danakil Desert, among the hottest and lowest places on Earth. Offshore, the Dahlak Archipelago scatters more than 200 islands and islets over coral reefs largely untouched by mass tourism.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/eritrea/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Eritrea
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/eritrea/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
