Eritrean Culture
Eritrea in Africa has a rich and fascinating history. Its predecessor, the Kingdom of Askum was considered to be one of the four great civilisations together with Rome, Persia and China, however, the rise of Islam saw the kingdom disintegrate and fragment. It formed into an Italian colony in the nineteenth century and, today has been described as the North Korea of Africa, reflecting the paranoia and secrecy of the state. Men dominate Eritrean culture with a husband or a father (Abo) being seen as the pillar and the strength of the family. The male is seen to be the provider and educator of his children and protector of his home and family.
Whilst this is a tradition in many cultures, as elsewhere, it relegates the role of women and most families would prefer to have male children rather than girls (who are often married at 12 years old) who are afforded less opportunities in general, particularly in education (where learning focuses on the development of domestic skills) and employment. All children in Eritrea are given their father's first name as their surname.
There are a number of cultural groups within Eritrea including the Tigrinya, Saho, Kunama, Tigre and Afar, however 80% of the population is either Tigrinya or Tigre, mainly Tigrinya. In essence Eritrea is an Afro-Asian nation. The flag of Eritrea is comprised of the colours green, representing the country's agriculture, blue for the ocean and red representing the blood shed in the long struggle for independence. The yellow symbol further represents the independence of the nation.
Within the country approximately half of the population is Christian with most members of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the other half is Sunni Muslim or Sufi. A small proportion of the population practice indigenous religions.
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