The State of Eritrea is a country in North east Africa, bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast. The east and northeast of the country have an extensive coastline with the Red Sea. Having achieved independence on May 24, 1993 from Ethiopia after a long rebellion, it is one of the youngest independent states.

Many languages are spoken in Eritrea today. The two language families that most of the languages stem from are the Cushitic and Semitic families. The semitic languages in Eritrea are Arabic, Tigrinya, Tigre, and the newly recognized Dahlik. The Cushitic languages in Eritrea are just as numerous: Afar, Blin, Kunama, Nara, and Saho. The dominant religions are Christianity and Sunni Islam, each group representing roughly 50% of the population.

Since independence from Ethiopia, Eritrea has faced economic problems characteristic of a small, poor country. Like the economies of many other African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding.