Area comparison map:

slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries:
total: 1,840 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (3): Djibouti 125 km, Ethiopia 1033 km, Sudan 682 km

Coastline:
2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]

Climate:
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
More Climate Details

Terrain:
dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains

Elevation:
mean elevation: 853 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
lowest point: near Kulul within the Danakil Depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Natural resources:
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

Land use:
agricultural land: 75.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 6.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 68.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 15.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 9.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
210 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
density is highest in the center of the country in and around the cities of Asmara (capital) and Keren; smaller settlements exist in the north and south

Natural hazards:
frequent droughts, rare earthquakes and volcanoes; locust swarms

volcanism: Dubbi (1,625 m), which last erupted in 1861, was the country's only historically active volcano until Nabro (2,218 m) came to life on 12 June 2011

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993