Provinces of Eritrea

The Provinces of Eritrea existed between Eritrea's incorporation as a Colony of Italy until the conversion of the provinces into administrative regions.

When ruled as the Colony of Eritrea, the Italian Colonial Administration had divided the colony into eight provinces (administrative regions). These administrative regions relied heavily upon the historical political boundaries in the region, including, but not exclusively, that of local nobility. These Provinces of Eritrea were also used by the Federated Eritrean Government from 1952-1962 and as districts in Eritrea when it was annexed by Ethiopia from 1962-1991. These eight provinces are enumerated below:

• Akele Guzay
• Barka
• Denkalia
• Hamasien
• Sahel
• Semhar
• Senhit
• Seraye

After Independence, the Provisional Government of Eritrea converted the original eight Provinces of Eritrea (from the Italian Colonial period) to ten provinces by splitting the Barka province in two, the north known as Barka Province and the south as Gash-Setit Province, while at the same time separating Asmara from the rest of Hamasien. On 1996-04-15, the Government of Eritrea converted the then ten Provinces of Eritrea into six administrative regions.