 Situated
on the Red Sea on the coast of Northeast Africa, Eritrea
borders with Djibouti, Sudan and Ethiopia. The country
stretches for nearly 1,000 km along the Red Sea, while
in the interior, mountainous landscapes prevail. The
capital Asmara boasts several mosques and churches,
notably the Al Khulafa Al Rashiundin Mosque. The
languages spoken are Tigre, Tigrinya, Arabic and
English.
Throughout the country there are many examples of the
Turkish and Egyptian colonial periods offering several
interesting architectural sites. The Italians also left
their trace by greatly influencing country’s cuisine.
Eritrea has numerous natural attractions with its
magnificent wide beaches in the Province of Denkali and
underwater world beauty, notably the Dahlak Archipelago
that is now a national park, boasting more than 200
islands with flat reef gardens and a diversity of
fishes, with excellent scuba diving and snorkeling
conditions. The land wildlife is also plentiful and one
may spot lions, baboons, gazelles, elephants, ostriches
and turtles on the beaches.
The mausoleums of Muhammad Ibn Ali and Sheikh el Amin
are well-known pilgrimage sites, which are worth a
visit, as well as the Tomb of Said Abu Bakr el Mirgani
and the Mariam de Arit. Debre Sina, near Elabered on the
Asmara–Keren road, also a noteworthy monastery.
The summer months between April and August can be
extremely hot with temperatures reaching 40°C while the
winters are mild along the coast. The temperature can
drop below zero in the central and western plateua
regions during December to February. The rainy season
goes from March to April and June to September.
The people from Eritrea are called Eritrean.
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