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Where we do it > Eritrea - Ten quick facts
1. The oldest written reference to the area now known as Eritrea was recorded by the Ancient Egyptians in the twenty-fifth century BC.
2. The link between ancient and modern elephants was discovered in Eritrea through the unearthing of the fossils of a pig-sized creature, dating back 27 million years.
3. Eritrea was an Italian colony from the 1890s until 1941, and you can still see Italian cultural and culinary influences today - cappuccinos and pasta dominate in the capital's cafes.
4. The modern name for Eritrea was coined by the Italians in the 19th century. It’s the Italian form of the Greek name for the 'Red Sea'.
5. The country is almost exactly sliced in two by one of the world's longest mountain ranges, The Great Rift Valley, giving lush, fertile land to the west and arid desert to the east.
6. The most popular sport in Eritrea is the 'Tour of Eritrea', a bicycle race begins on the scorching desert beaches of Massawa, courses through and crossing mountainous highways, swings down to the plains of the Gash-Barka and ends up in the capital, Asmara.
7. Eritrea’s coffee ceremonies are infamous - it's roasted and ground right in front of you, and you can drink one cup or three but never two. The whole process can take up to 3 hours and ceremonies happen daily!
8. On visiting an Eritrean household, it is polite to decline at least three times if asked to dine. Usually the host will then say "bezay kelalem", after which the guest may agree to dine. This process ensures that one does not seem too eager to eat at another's household.
9. The traditional greeting between men is a set of shoulder-bumps, so just saying hello can be a very long process.
10. In 2006, Eritrea announced it would become the first country in the world to transform its entire coastline into an environmentally protected zone.
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