Our journey brings us to Eritrea, a resilient country located along the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa. There are around 4 million people living here, and the capital is Asmara, a city so beautiful and well-preserved that it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Eritrea is also known as the “Italy of Africa”. The country has no official language, but Tigrinya, Arabic, and English are the most commonly used.
Eritrea covers about 117,600 square kilometers (45,405 square miles). To imagine its size, the country is roughly the same size as the state of Pennsylvania in the U.S., or approximately the same size as Greece. It features a massive coastline and over 350 islands in the Dahlak Archipelago.
The most popular sports are Cycling and Football. Eritrea is the cycling capital of Africa; the sport was introduced during colonial times, and today, the streets are often filled with racers. Their national animal is the Arabian Camel (Dromedary), which played a crucial role in the country’s history as a pack animal during the struggle for independence.
The flag features a large red triangle with a golden olive branch wreath, flanked by a green triangle on top and a blue one on the bottom, where the green represents the fertility of the land, the blue symbolizes the sea, and the red stands for the blood shed in the fight for freedom.
The food is flavorful and social. You must try Zigni, a spicy beef stew seasoned with berbere (a complex spice blend), served on top of Injera, a sour, spongy flatbread used as both a plate and a spoon. Because of its history, you will also find some of the best Espresso and Gelato outside of Italy in the cafes of the capital!
Eritrea is home to Asmara, often called “Piccola Roma” (Little Rome) because it is filled with stunning Art Deco architecture from the 1930s, including a famous gas station built to look like a soaring airplane! The country also boasts the Eritrean Railway, a marvel of engineering that climbs from the sea level port of Massawa up into the clouds of the highlands. For nature lovers, the Dahlak Archipelago offers some of the most pristine and untouched coral reefs in the world, teeming with dolphins and dugongs. Eritrea is also one of the few places on Earth where you can see wild African asses, one of the rarest animals in existence.
From the steam-engine trains to the sun-bleached ports of the Red Sea, Eritrea is a land of architectural beauty and enduring spirit. Yohanna! That means “Congratulations/Success!”