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According to ethnologists, there are several ethnic groups in Eritrea. The important ethnic groups of this country are Tigre, Afar, Tigrinya, Kanuma and Saho. There are several other minor groups that exist in Eritrea. The total population of Eritrea, according to the census report of July 2007, is 4,906,585.
Among the ethnic groups in Eritrea, Kunama and Tigre consist of 40% of the total population. It consists of only 4% and Saho consists of 3% of the population of the country. Tigrinya comprises 50% of the total population of Eritrea. Tigrinya is the most prominent group among the other ethnic groups in Eritrea. Other minor ethnic groups in Eritrea comprise only a percentage of 3.
In Eritrea the population can also be classified by the language groups. They belong to the Semitic, the Cushitic and the Nilotic language groups. The language groups in Eritrea are classified according to their geographical habitats. In western Eritrea, people speak in Cushitic languages. The most commonly used language in Eritrea is the Semitic language. Nilotic language is spoken by people residing in the lowland region of Eritrea. In this country, Arabic and Tigrigna are used as working languages.
There are many religious groups in Eritrea. The people mainly follow the religion of Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism and Coptic Christianity. The ethnic groups are part of the society and culture of Eritrea.
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