African News: Libya and Eritrea

Libyathe world. More than 50% of the population lives in
The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya isurban areas of Tripoli and Benghazi, while 90% of the
situated in North Africa, bordering the Mediterraneanentire population lives only in 10% of the land. The
Sea, Egypt, Sudan, Niger, Chad, Tunisia and Algeria.vast majority of people in Libya subscribe to Sunni
The country has over 700 thousand square miles ofIslam, and the country considers itself to be highly
land in which the majority is made up of deserts. Thisconnected to the Arab community.
is Africa's fourth largest area and is the globes'Eritrea
seventeenth largest region.Eritrea, located in East Africa, borders Sudan, Ethiopia,
Berbers gave Libya its name. At one time NeolithicDjibouti, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and the Red Sea.
inhabits resided in Libya. The skillful domesticationIncluded in Eritrea are some of the Hanish Islands and
natives grew crops and raised cattle in the lands.Dahlak Archipelago.
Later, descendents of Greece, Byzantines, Vandals,Originally an Italian colony, then governed as a British
Romans, Carthaginians, and Phoenicians moved to theprotectorate, Eritrea gained its ultimate independence
area and began their rule.from Ethiopia in 1991. Since its independence, the
In 1947, Libya gained its independence from Italy,Eritrean government, which is an unicameral
and it officially gained total independence from Franceparliament republic-democracy, has enacted various
and the United Kingdom under the UN Trusteeship ineconomic policies to stimulate the country, but it has
1951. Currently, the government is Jamahiriya with itsbeen difficult because of the continuous conflicts
capital in Tripoli.surrounding the region.
The majority of Libya's economy is derived from theEconomically, Eritrea is mostly based upon the
production of oil, which account for the vast majorityagricultural industries, with 80% of the population
of export income and 25% of GDP. In fact, Libya hasinvolved in agriculture. With a population of over four
the highest per person GDP values in all of Africa,million, the country is very ethnically heterogeneous,
and thus, Libya has a relatively low level of poverty.with many different minorities and languages. The
There are over six million people who inhabit thetwo more predominant religions in Eritrea is
country, and it is one of the least dense countries inChristianity and Sunni Islam.