Editing Regions of Eritrea

{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{distinguish|Zobah}}
{{Politics of Eritrea}}
The '''regions of Eritrea''' are the primary geographical divisions through which [[Eritrea]] is administered. Six in total, they include the [[Maekel Region|Central]], [[Anseba Region|Anseba]], [[Gash-Barka Region|Gash-Barka]], [[Debub Region|Southern]], [[Northern Red Sea Region|Northern Red Sea]] and [[Southern Red Sea Region|Southern Red Sea]] regions.

At the time of independence in 1993 [[Eritrea]] was arranged into ten [[Provinces of Eritrea|provinces]]. These provinces were similar to the nine provinces operating during the colonial period. In 1996, these were consolidated into six regions (''zobas''). [[Gash-Barka Region]] is the largest and sparsely populated region and is called the "bread-basket".

The [[People's Front for Democracy and Justice]] or PFDJ (originally [[Eritrean People's Liberation Front]]) rules the country and its regions as a [[Single-party state|single-party]] [[totalitarian government]]. The [[Elections in Eritrea|regional and local elections]] are conducted on a periodic basis on a restricted framework. All men and women of any ethnic or religious background are eligible to vote. No parties or groups other than PFDJ are allowed to contest and the elections are presided by representatives from PFDJ.

==History==
At the time of independence in 1993 [[Eritrea]] was arranged into ten [[Provinces of Eritrea|provinces]] and they were [[Asmara]] (the capital of Eritrea), [[Akele Guzay]], [[Barka (Eritrea)|Barka]], [[Denkalia]], [[Gash-Setit]], [[Hamasien]], [[Sahel (Eritrea)|Sahel]], [[Semhar]], [[Senhit]] and [[Seraye]]. These provinces were similar to the nine provinces operating during the colonial period. In 1996, these were consolidated into six regions (''zobas''). The boundaries of these new regions are based on catchment basins. Critics of this policy contend that the Government of Eritrea was erasing the historical fabric of Eritrea while proponents believe that these new Regional boundaries would ease historical land disputes. Furthermore proponents of this policy argue that basing boundaries on an important natural resource would ease the planning of its use.<ref>{{cite news   | title = Eritrea to have 6 administrative regions | publisher = Eritrea Profile | date = 20 May 1995}}</ref>

==Administration==
<Imagemap> 
File:Regions of Eritrea.svg|right|thumb|Regions of Eritrea
poly 167 182  163 205  179 211  184 203  176 179 [[Maekel Region]]
poly 167 182  176 179  118 108  118  50   59  85   53 133 [[Anseba Region]]
poly 163 205  167 182   53 133   19 258   91 276  135 239  147 206 [[Gash-Barka Region]]
poly 184 203  179 211  147 206  135 239  153 254  221 248  225 226  189 200 [[Debub Region]]
poly 176 179  184 203  189 200  225 226  221 248  271 259  279 220  200 159  155  21  118  50  118 108 [[Northern Red Sea Region]]
poly 279 220  271 259  419 388  442 361  319 241 [[Southern Red Sea Region]]
</imagemap>

Each region has a locally elected regional assembly while the local administrator is appointed by the [[President of Eritrea]]. During [[Cabinet of Ministers of Eritrea|Cabinet]] meetings the President also meets with the Regional Administrators who report on the activities of their regions. The Regional Assemblies are charged with developing a budget for local programs and hearing the concerns of the local populations. Local programs included cultural events, infrastructure such as feeder roads, and to promote afforestation. Eritrea has a single-party [[National Assembly of Eritrea|National Assembly]] governed by the [[People's Front for Democracy and Justice]] or PFDJ (originally [[Eritrean Liberation Front]]), a totalitarian government. From the time of independence since 30 May 1991, the country has been continuing with a transitional government elected during the elections in April 1993. The scheduled elections in 2001 has been postponed indefinitely.<ref>{{cite web|title=Elections in Eritrea|url=http://africanelections.tripod.com/er.html|publisher=African Elections|access-date=12 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221021524/http://africanelections.tripod.com/er.html|archive-date=21 December 2016}}</ref> The regional and local elections are conducted on a periodic basis on a restricted framework. All men and women of any ethnic or religious background are eligible to vote. No parties or groups other than PFDJ are allowed to contest and the elections are presided by representatives from PFDJ. Policy decisions should be centered around the party mandate and opposition and dissenters have been imprisoned.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eritrea|url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/countries-crossroads/2007/eritrea|publisher=Freedom House|access-date=12 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112143830/https://freedomhouse.org/report/countries-crossroads/2007/eritrea|archive-date=12 November 2016}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Assab volcanic field.jpg |225px|thumb|A volcanic field|left]]
The topography of the regions on the Western side, namely, Anseba, Central and  has highland plateau, which are cooler than the regions around the coastal plains. There are two rainy seasons, the heavier one during summer and the lighter one during spring. The climate and geography of the region along with other regions of Eritrea is similar to the one of [[Ethiopia]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of World Geography, Volume 1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DJgnebGbAB8C&q=eritrea+geography&pg=PA300|page=300|publisher=Infobase Publishing|year=2014|isbn=9780816072293|first=R. W. |last=McColl}}</ref> The average elevation in the region is around {{convert|1800|m|ft|abbr=on}} to {{convert|2100|m|ft|abbr=on}}. The hottest month is May recording temperatures up to {{convert|30|°C| °F|abbr=on}}, while the coldest month is December to February when it reaches freezing temperature. The region received around {{convert|508|mm|in|abbr=on}} of rainfall and the soil is conducive for agriculture.<ref name=geo>{{cite web|title=Climate of Eritrea|url=http://www.eritrea.be/old/eritrea-climate.htm|publisher=Hans van der Splinter & Mebrat Tzehaie|access-date=12 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026140231/http://www.eritrea.be/old/eritrea-climate.htm|archive-date=26 October 2016}}</ref>

There are a number of flora and fauna species in the high plateau regions in the West. Notably this was historic habitat for the endangered [[painted hunting dog]] (''Lycaon pictus''), a canid which is now thought to be [[Local extinction|extirpated]] from the region.<ref>{{cite web|first=C. Michael|last=Hogan|year=2009|url=http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993|title=Painted Hunting Dog: Lycaon pictus|publisher=GlobalTwitcher.com|editor1-first=N.|editor1-last=Stromberg|access-date=12 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209234758/http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=35993|archive-date=9 December 2010}}</ref> Eritrea as a whole was extensively forested as recently as 1900. However, at present the total forest cover of Eritrea is less than one percent.<ref>{{cite book|first=Edward|last= Denison and Edward Paice|year= 2007|title=Eritrea|edition=fourth|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides |page=224 |isbn= 978-1-84162-171-5}}</ref> Wildlife such as [[hamadryas baboon]]s, [[Soemmerring's gazelle]], [[dorcas gazelle]], [[warthog]], [[black-backed jackal]], [[Ruppell's fox|Ruppells sandfox]], [[dikdik]], [[African golden wolf]], [[hyena]], [[Abyssinian hare]], [[African wild ass|wild ass]] and [[ostrich]]es are found in this region. [[African wild dog]] was also found in the coastal region, but their present condition is unknown. There have been reports of [[cheetah]] occurring in this region, but there has been no evidence of their presence. It is extremely likely that both cheetah and wild dog are extinct in Eritrea.<ref>{{cite book|title=Ethiopia & Eritrea|first1=Jean-Bernard |last1=Carillet| first2=Stuart |last2=Butler|first3= Dean|last3=Stanes|page=315|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bWMlKz_Zq-IC&q=south+eritrea+animals|publisher=Lonely Planet|year=2009|isbn=9781741048148}}</ref>

==Regions==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Regions<ref>{{cite web|title=Population of Eritrea|url=http://eritrea.opendataforafrica.org/indbym/population-statistics-of-eritrea-2005|publisher=National Statistics and Evaluation Office, Eritrea|access-date=11 November 2016|year=2005|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112015213/http://eritrea.opendataforafrica.org/indbym/population-statistics-of-eritrea-2005|archive-date=12 November 2016}}</ref>
|-
! Region
! Map number
! Population
!Area
(km²)
! Capital
! Governor
! [[ISO 3166-2:ER|ISO code]]
! Former province
|-
| [[Maekel Region]], <br /> ''Central'' <br />
''ዞባ ማእከል''<br>إقليم المركزية
| 1
| 1,053,254
|1,300
| [[Asmara]]
| Ramadan Osman Awliyai
| ER-MA
| [[Hamasien]]
|-
| [[Anseba Region]], <br /> ''Anseba'' <br />
''ዞባ ዓንሰባ''<br>إقليم عنسبا
| 2
| 893,587
|23,200
| [[Keren, Eritrea|Keren]]
|Ali Mahmoud
| ER-AN
| [[Senhit]], [[Hamasien]]
|-
| [[Gash-Barka Region]], <br /> ''Gash-Barka'' <br />
''ዞባ ጋሽ ባርካ''<br>منطقة القاش وبركا
| 3
| 1,103,742
|33,200
| [[Barentu, Eritrea|Barentu]]
|Musa Raba
| ER-GB
| [[Barka (Eritrea)|Barka]], [[Gash-Setit]], [[Seraye]], [[Hamasien]]
|-
| [[Debub Region]],<br /> ''Southern'' <br />
''ዞባ ደቡብ''<br>المنطقة الجنوبية
| 4
| 1,476,765
|8,000
| [[Mendefera]]
| Efrem Gebrekristos
| ER-DU
| [[Seraye]], [[Akele Guzay]], [[Hamasien]]
|-
| [[Northern Red Sea Region]], <br> ''Semienawi Keyih Bahri <br />ዞባ ሰሜናዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ''<br>منطقة البحر الأحمر الشمال
| 5
| 897,454
|27,800
| [[Massawa]]
| Osman Omar Mohammed
| ER-SK
| [[Semhar]], [[Sahel]], [[Akele Guzay]], [[Hamasien]]
|-
| [[Southern Red Sea Region]], <br> ''Debubawi Keyih Bahri'' <br />
''ዞባ ደቡባዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ''<br>منطقة البحر الأحمر الجنوب
| 6
| 398,073
|27,600
| [[Asseb]]
| Tsegereda Woldegergish
| ER-DK
| [[Denkalia]]
|-
|}

==Subregions==
The regions, with their subregions:<ref name=geo/>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No.
!style="width:10em;"| Region <span style="font-weight:normal;">(ዞባ, إقليم)</span>
! Sub-region <span style="font-weight:normal;">(ንኡስ ዞባ, دون الإقليمية)</span>{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}
|-
! 1
! [[Maekel Region|Maekel]]<br/><span style="font-weight:normal;">(ዞባ ማእከል, إقليم المركزية)</span>
| [[Asmara]], Berikh, Ghala-Nefhi, Semienawi Mibraq, Serejaka, Debubawi Mibraq, Semienawi Mi'erab, Debubawi Mi'erab
|-
! 2
! [[Anseba Region, Eritrea|Anseba]]<br/><span style="font-weight:normal;">(ዞባ ዓንሰባ, إقليم عنسبا)</span>
| [[Adi Tekelezan]], Asmat, Elabered, Geleb, Hagaz, Halhal, Habero, [[Keren, Eritrea|Keren]], Kerkebet, Sel'a
|-
! 3
! [[Gash-Barka Region, Eritrea|Gash-Barka]]<br/><span style="font-weight:normal;">(ዞባ ጋሽ ባርካ, منطقة القاش وبركا)</span>
| [[Agordat]], [[Barentu, Eritrea|Barentu]], Dghe, Forto, Gogne, Haykota, Logo-Anseba, Mensura, Mogolo, Molki, Guluj, Shambuko, Tesseney, La'elay Gash
|-
! 4
! [[Debub Region|Debub]]<br/><span style="font-weight:normal;">(ዞባ ደቡብ, المنطقة الجنوبية)</span>
| [[Adi Keyh]], [[Adi Quala]], Areza, [[Debarwa]], [[Dekemhare]], Mai Ayni, Mai Mne, [[Mendefera]], [[Segheneyti]], [[Senafe]], Tserona, Emni Haili
|-
! 5
! [[Northern Red Sea Region, Eritrea|Northern Red Sea]]<br/><span style="font-weight:normal;">(ዞባ ሰሜናዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ, منطقة البحر الأحمر الشمال)</span>
| [[Afabet]], [[Dahlak Archipelago|Dahlak]], Ghel'alo, Foro, [[Ghinda]], Karura, [[Massawa]], [[Nakfa, Eritrea|Nakfa]], [[She'eb]]
|-
! 6
! [[Southern Red Sea Region, Eritrea|Southern Red Sea]]<br/><span style="font-weight:normal;">(ዞባ ደቡባዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ, منطقة البحر الأحمر الجنوب)</span>
| Are'eta, Central Dankalia, Tio, Aytos, Saroyta, Eddi, Baylul Southern Dankalia, [[Assab]]
|}

== See also ==
*[[List of Eritrean regions by Human Development Index]]
*[[ISO 3166-2:ER]]

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

==External links==
{{ER Regions}}
{{Articles on first-level administrative divisions of African countries}}

[[Category:Regions of Eritrea| ]]
[[Category:Subdivisions of Eritrea]]
[[Category:Lists of administrative divisions|Eritrea, Regions]]
[[Category:Administrative divisions in Africa|Eritrea 1]]
[[Category:First-level administrative divisions by country|Regions, Eritrea]]
[[Category:Eritrea geography-related lists|Regions]]