2021-05-24 Mon

Eritrea is one of the youngest independent nations is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year. Eritrea celebrates its independence from Ethiopia on May 24. Eritrea was an Italian colony. The first Italian to arrive in the area was a young missionary named Giuseppe Sapeto. Following the political unification of Italy in the 1860s, he convinced the Italian king and minister for foreign affairs that establishing a port in the Red Sea would be a good idea. The first Italian settlements in the area were established in 1882. Eight years later, Eritrea was formally incorporated as an Italian colony. During World War II, Eritrea was occupied by the British army, and after the war, its territory was claimed by the Ethiopian Empire. On this day in 1991, the forces of the European People’s Liberation Front triumphantly entered the country’s capital of Asmara. Though Eritrea gained independence in 1991, it took almost 6 year for the country to issue its own banknotes. The first series of banknotes were issued with the denominations ranging from 1 Nafka to 100 Nafka. The above banknote is the highest denominated banknote of 100 nakfa. The banknote depicts three females along with a camel on the front whereas the back depicts farmers plowing with oxen. Image Courtesy: colnect.com