Regions of Eritrea

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Updates: 

"Ershiyi (21) Shiji Shijie Diming Lu", a three-volume world gazetteer, gives the areas of the ten provinces as of 1994. I have added the data to the table below, under Change history.

FIPS Publication Change Notice No. 10, affecting FIPS PUB 10-4, was issued on 2006-03-23. It assigns FIPS codes to the six new regions.

Note: The CIA World Factbook gives the name Anelba in place of Anseba for one of the regions of Eritrea. When I do a Google search, the only apposite matches I find seem to be copies of the CIA World Factbook (there are thousands of copies on the Web). If Anelba were really the name of an Eritrean region, I would expect to find many more independent references to it. It seems clear that this is an error on the CIA's part that has been propagated.

Update I-1 to ISO 3166-2 was published on 2000-06-21. It shows the six new regions.

Country overview: 

In 1889, Italy consolidated its possessions on the Red Sea coast, and declared Eritrea to be a colony on 1890-01-01. In 1936 it became a province of Italian East Africa (Africa Orientale Italiana), along with Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. The British expelled the Italians in 1941. Eritrea remained a British protectorate until 1952-09-15. The United Nations voted to create a federation of Eritrea and Ethiopia, which lasted uneasily until 1962-11-14, when Ethiopia took full control. Eritrea regained its independence by force of arms. The separation was ratified by a referendum, and independence became official on 1993-05-27. The boundaries of Eritrea have changed somewhat during the 20th century.

Other names of country: 

1. Arabic: Dewlet Eritrea (formal)
2. Danish: Eritrea
3. Dutch: Eritrea
4. English: State of Eritrea (formal)
5. Finnish: Eritrea
6. French: Érythrée f
7. German: Eritrea n
8. Icelandic: Erítrea
9. Italian: Eritrea f
10. Norwegian: Eritrea, Staten Eritrea (formal)
11. Portuguese: Eritreia, Eritréia f (Brazil), Estado m da Eritreia f (formal)
12. Spanish: Eritrea, Estado m de Eritrea f (formal)
13. Swedish: Eritrea
14. Tigrinya: Hagare Eretra (formal)
15. Turkish: Eritre

Origin of name: 

From Italian mare Eritreo, a name for the Red Sea

Primary subdivisions: 

Eritrea is divided into six zoba (regions)

Further subdivisions:

See the Subregions of Eritrea page.

Territorial extent: 

Eritrea includes Red Sea islands near its coast. The main group is the Dahlak Archipelago, whose largest island is Dehalak Deset, offshore from Massawa. There are a number of smaller islands near Assab, the largest of which is Halba Deset. The Hanish Islands are disputed between Eritrea and Yemen; the International Court of Justice is arbitrating. These include Jazirat Jabal Zuqar (Mount Zuqar Island), also spelled Zugur or Zugura; Jazirat al Hanish al Kabir (Great Hanish Island); Jazirat al Hanish al Sqier, and a number of smaller islands.

The Dahlak Archipelago is part of Semenawi Keyih Bahri region; previously it was in Semhar province.

Origins of names: 

Asmara: Tigrinya: arbate asmara = "they (feminine) united the four" (four clans or villages made a truce at the women's urging)

Change history: 

1. 1936: As part of Italian East Africa, Eritrea was subdivided into five commisariats (Bassopiano Occidentale, Bassopiano Orientale e Dancalia, Cheren, Confine Meridionale, Hamasien) and one autonomous residence (Dancalia Meridionale).
2. 1993-05-27: At independence, Eritrea was divided into ten awraja (provinces), as listed below. No FIPS codes were assigned to the provinces. The FIPS code ER represents the whole country.

1. 1996-04-15: New constitution took effect. Eritrea reorganized into six regions, as shown above.
2. ~1999: Capital of Gash Barka region moved from Agordat to Barentu.

Other names of subdivisions: 

Regions:

1. Anseba: Ansaba, A'Nseba (variant)
2. Debub: al-Janubiyah (Arabic); Southern (English)
3. Debubawi Keyih Bahri: Debubawi Keyh Bahri, Debub-Keih-Bahri (variant); al-Bahru al-Ahmaru al-Janubi (Arabic); Southern Red Sea (English)
4. Gash Barka: al-Qash wa-Barka (Arabic); Debubawi Gash Barka (variant)
5. Maekel: al-Markaziyah (Arabic); Central (English); Maakel, Maekelay, Ma'käl, Makelay (variant)
6. Semenawi Keyih Bahri: al-Bahru al-Ahmaru ash-Shimali (Arabic); Northern Red Sea (English); Semenawi Keyh Bahri, Semien-Keih-Bahri (variant)

Provinces:

1. Akele Guzai: Akale Guzay, Akole Guzay (variant)
2. Barka: Ak'ordat, Baraka (variant)
3. Denkalia: Aseb, Asseb, Denakil (variant); Dancalia (Italian)
4. Gash-Setit: Gash and Setit (English); Gashe na Setit (variant)
5. Hamasien: Hamasen, Hamassien (variant)
6. Sahel: Sahil (variant)
7. Semhar: Key Bahir, Mits'iwa, Samhar (variant)
8. Senhit: Keren (variant)