Eritrea is located in North East Africa (between 12° and 18° north, and 36° and 44° east) and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and other islands along the Red Sea coast. It is bordered by Sudan to the north and west, Ethiopia to the south, Djibouti to the south-east and the Red Sea to the north and north-east.

With a land area of about 125.000 km2, Eritrea is about the size of England , or the state of Pennsylvania in the USA . The coastline measures around 1.200 km and off it there are over 350 islands, of which 210 comprise the area of the Dahlak Archipelago .

Eritrea is located at the highest landmass of the African continent. As a result the highlands of Eritrea have ameliorating climate conditions. Resulting from these climatic conditions at higher altitudes we find vegetative cover and fertile soils which are suitable for agricultural purposes.

The population of Eritrea is equally divided between Christian (Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic and Lutheran protestants) and Muslim religions. The population of the high plateau ( Asmara ) is predominantly Christian, whereas that of the lowlands and the coast are predominantly Muslim. Despite contrasts between the Muslim and Christian religions and the potential for conflict, both religious groups have managed to live together in harmony and in peace.

There is also a small community of Kunamas (Gash-Setit), who practice their own traditional religion, centered around worship of Anna, the creator, and veneration of ancestral heroes. Official languages are Tigrinya and Arabic. English is used in business and education. Other languages include Afar, Tigre and Kunama.

Half of the Eritrean people are Muslim (Sunni) and half are Christians (mostly Coptic Orthodox, with some Roman Catholics and Protestants). Some people have animist beliefs.