Eritrea Province facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Province of Eritrea |
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| Province of the Ethiopian Empire, Derg regime, People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and Transitional Government of Ethiopia | |||||||||
| 1962–1993 | |||||||||
.svg) Location of Eritrea within the Ethiopian Empire |
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| Capital | Asmara | ||||||||
| Government | |||||||||
| • Type | Provincial government | ||||||||
| Governor-General | |||||||||
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• 1962–1964
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Abiye Abebe | ||||||||
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• 1989–1991
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Tesfaye Gebre Kidan | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
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• Autonomy withdrawn
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14 November 1962 | ||||||||
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• De facto Independence
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29 May 1991 | ||||||||
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• De jure Independence
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24 May 1993 | ||||||||
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The Province of Eritrea (Tigrinya: ኣውራጃ ኤርትራ, Arabic: مقاطعة إريتريا) was a special area, like a state or region, in the northern part of Ethiopia. Its main city and capital was Asmara. This province existed until 1993, when Eritrea became its own independent country after a long fight for freedom.
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History of Eritrea
The land that became Eritrea has a very old history. It was once known as Medri Bahri, which means "Land of the Sea."
Becoming an Italian Colony
In 1890, the name changed to Eritrea. This happened after Italy took control of the area. Italy had been expanding its presence there since 1882. The borders between this new Italian colony and the Ethiopian Empire were officially set in 1889 by a special agreement called the Treaty of Wuchale.
World War II and Beyond
Later, in 1936, Italy also conquered Ethiopia. Eritrea then became part of a larger Italian colony called Italian East Africa. However, during World War II, British forces took control of Eritrea. After the war, in 1951, the United Nations helped supervise the area.
Joining Ethiopia
On September 15, 1952, Eritrea became the Eritrean Autonomous State. This meant it had some power to govern itself, but it was still connected to the Ethiopian Empire. It was like a partnership, with the Emperor of Ethiopia as the main ruler.
The Fight for Independence
This partnership didn't last forever. On November 14, 1962, Eritrea's self-rule was taken away. This event led to the start of the Eritrean War of Independence in 1961, a long and difficult fight for freedom.
After a big change in Ethiopia's government in 1974 (known as the Ethiopian Civil War), Eritrea was ruled by new governments, first the Derg and then the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Finally, in 1991, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front helped Eritrea gain its independence. Ethiopia officially recognized Eritrea as a separate country in 1993. This made the Province of Eritrea no longer exist, and it became the independent nation of Eritrea we know today.
