Yearbook 2002

Eritrea. The National Assembly decided in January at one of its rare meetings not to allow any opposition parties. According to Countryaah website, national day of Eritrea is every May 24. A committee was set up to review the future of the press. In 2001, all free press was closed and ten journalists were arrested for regime-critical articles. Among those detained were a Swede.

Shortly before the parliamentary session, a new opposition party had announced its existence via the Internet. The party had been formed abroad and it was not known who was behind it.

In October, the UN warned of a severe supply crisis in Eritrea in 2003 due to too little rain. Every third Eritrean is expected to need food assistance.

Eritrea Country Overview

Visas
Finnish citizens need a visa to Eritrea. For Finns, the closest embassy in Eritrea is in Sweden. NOTE. The passport must be valid for 6 months from arrival in the country. Visa policies and rates are subject to change without notice depending on local authorities.

• According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, ERI stands for Eritrea.

Insurance
Every person participating in the trip must have a valid travel insurance that covers medical expenses in the event of illness or other similar need. Please check the validity of your own insurance and the terms and conditions of the insurance cancellation cover.

Please pay attention to the special nature of your trip and check the coverage of the insurance in that respect as well. In many locations, the insurance must also be valid when moving at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, in which case it also covers mountain sickness.

Many hiking or diving trips require more extensive insurance, which covers, for example, diving or moving on a glacier. Please check the contents of your insurance with your insurance company.

Vaccinations
Check that your basic vaccinations are valid (tetanus, polio and diphtheria). Hepatitis A and B vaccinations are recommended for the trip. There is a yellow fever in the country and there is a risk of malaria in the country. Always check the vaccination requirements at the health center or the Vaccination Advice of the Tourist Clinic

Currency
The Eritrean currency is the Eritrean nnakfa (ERN). Most debit cards do not work in the country, so please take the amount of money you need in cash dollars.

Time zone
In summer the same time as in Finland, in winter the difference is +1 hour.

Electric current
Eritrea’s electric current is 230 V / 50 Hz. You need an adapter for Finnish devices.

Mobile phones
Check with your operator for the coverage of your mobile phone. The area code for Eritrea is +291.

Climate In
Eritrea, the climate is hot in the lowlands but temperate in the highlands. There are two rainy seasons a year, shorter from February to April and longer from June to September. The coastal desert has the hottest average minimum temperature in Africa at 27 degrees.

Religion
There are about 50% Christians, 48% Muslims and 2% practitioners of tribal religions.