May 24: Independence Day in Eritrea
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Eritrea.
History Note
The modern country of Eritrea was part of the ancient kingdom of Aksum on the Red Sea coast of Africa.
In the late 19th century, Italy tried to establish colonies in East Africa. They conquered an area that became known as Italian Eritrea but failed to conquer neighboring Ethiopia at that time. Later, in the 1930s, Italy invaded Ethiopia and briefly controlled it. However, Italy lost all of its African colonies during World War II.
The United Nations made Eritrea part of a federation with Ethiopia in 1952. Ethiopia then attempted to bring Eritrea fully under its control in 1962. This led to a brutal 30-year war as Eritreans sought complete independence.
On May 24, 1991, Eritrean forces recaptured their capital of Asmara. Eritreans officially voted for independence from Ethiopia in 1993.
Eritrea has a population of over 6 million. About half are members of the Tingrinya ethnic group. Tingrinya, Arabic, and English are the official languages. About half of the people belong to the Eritrean Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, or another Christian denomination. About half are Muslim.
Today Eritreans celebrate their independence in the week leading up to May 24 with carnivals, sporting events, concerts, and parades.
Women celebrate Independence Day in Asmara, Eritrea, in 2016. Photo by Clay Gilliland / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0.
Learn More
This video shows artist Tedros Mengstu performing a song with dancers at the 2022 celebration of Eritrea's Independence Day.
Find other resources at Homeschool History.
