Eritrea: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About Eritrea

Eritrea is in the Horn of Africa, along the Red Sea coast. Cool highlands in the centre drop down to hot desert plains by the sea, and it also has many islands offshore. It is known for its modernist capital and its coral reefs.

About Asmara

Asmara sits on a highland plateau more than 2,000 metres above sea level. It is famous for its 1930s modernist buildings, which made the city a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.

Fun facts about Eritrea

1. Asmara's Fiat Tagliero building, a 1930s service station, is shaped like an airplane.
2. Asmara has one of the most complete collections of modernist buildings in the world.
3. Eritrea's flag shows a gold olive branch inside an olive wreath on a large red triangle.
4. The camel is Eritrea's national symbol and appears on its coat of arms.
5. The Dahlak Archipelago in the Red Sea is made up of more than 100 islands.
6. Eritrea's lowest point, near Kulul in the Danakil Depression, is 75 metres below sea level.