Introduction

On the horn of Africa lies one of the most historically significant countries of the old world. Once a territory of the former great Kingdom of Aksum and, even after, a vital center for trade, the country of Eritrea’s rich history lives on in the lands that continue to bear its name. Getting its name from the Italianized Latin term for “Red Sea”, that being Mare Erythraeum, the country’s modern state is also a curiosity to gawk at (Markakis). Though it may not be one of the most significant countries in today’s cultural and political landscape, it is in the local and lesser known parts of the country where some of the most interesting geographical phenomena in Africa can be located. 

The Democracy That Could

After thirty years of brutal civil war and thousands dead, Eritrea finally gained its independence from neighboring Ethiopia in 1993 (Markakis). Since then it has adopted a democratic system of government in which it is expected that leaders are elected through free and fair elections. Unfortunately, this had not been the case at all. No, there isn’t some dictatorship at hand or shadow government dealings going on, but rather, they just haven’t gotten around to it. Since its independence in 1993, Eritrea has had only one presidential election. Even more so, since 2004, they have not held any regional or local elections either (Migiro). This was mostly in part due to delays in carrying out the electoral process or certain situations occurring in which democracy must be suspended for the good of the country. Since the country’s founding, one man, Isaias Afwerki, has held the presidential office (Adekanye). 

A Blend of Cultures

It’s no coincidence that Eritrea’s name just so happens to derive from Latin. Before its independence, it was settled as an Italian colony during the colonial period. With its colonization, a huge influx of Italian colonists introduced their culture to the horn of Africa, influencing much of the cultural landscape of the region. The largest impact of Italian colonization on the region, other than the country’s own name, is its architecture. Asmara, the country’s capital, is oftentimes referred to as New Rome (Migiro). It is said that Asmara has that distinct Mediterranean touch which can typically be found nowhere else other than in cities bordering the Mediterranean Sea (Markakis). One such prominent example of Italian influence is the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Asmara. This Italian Romanesque style cathedral serves as a hallmark of the Italian history of the country (Adekanye). The region has also been subject to lots of Christian and Islamic influence as well, as its position on the Red Sea made it an important trading hub between the countries of Turkey, Egypt, and Italy (Markakis).

We Can Do It!

Unfortunately, Africa remains as one of the few remaining places on this Earth where gender equality remains as a neglected social issue. However, in Eritrea, As far back as 1810, women have been fighting alongside men against the country’s oppressors (Adekanye). In fact, during their war for independence from Ethiopia in 1998, nearly 30% of the freedom fighters were women. This is the highest percentage of involved women in an independence movement to ever occur in human history (Migiro). Apparently, this is mostly in part due to a low population of males who were eligible and willing to fight for independence as Eritrea had been involved in many brutal conflicts throughout its history (Adekanye). 

Works Cited

Adekanye, Modupeoluwa. “6 Fun Facts About Eritrea.” The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News, The Guardian, 10 Aug. 2019, guardian.ng/life/some- interesting-facts-about-eritrea-you-might-not-know. Accessed 14 May 2021.

Markakis, John and Last, Geoffrey Charles. “Eritrea”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Mar. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/place/Eritrea. Accessed 13 May 2021.

Migiro, Geoffrey. “Top 10 Interesting Facts About Eritrea.” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 2 Oct. 2019, www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-interesting-facts-about- eritrea.html. Accessed 14 May 2021.