Subdivisions of Eritrea in Tigrinya, Arabic and English: 6 zobas
Eritrea is divided into six regions, ዞባታት (zobatat) in Tigrinya and مناطق (manāṭiq) in Arabic, and the regions into 53 subregions, ንኡስ ዞባታት (nəʾus zobatat). This list names every region and subregion in Tigrinya and Arabic, each with its romanisation, and adds the English name used for it.
- Regions
- 6
- Groups
- 1
Updated
Tigrinya, Arabic and English side by side
Each subregion appears three times. The Tigrinya name comes first, in the Ethiopic script with a transliteration that marks the vowel orders; the Arabic name follows in its own script, from right to left; the English form closes the row. Many names are towns, such as Kärän (Keren) or Däḳämḥarä (Dekemhare), and are the same word in all three. Others are descriptions: three subregions of the central region are named for the north-east, the south-east and the south-west, ደቡባዊ ምብራቕ (Däbubawi Məbraq) being the south-east.
Arabic sources do not agree on the word for a region. The list uses منطقة (minṭaqa) for most of them; earlier editions wrote إقليم (iqlīm). Both are given in the table of regions where they differ.
The six regions of Eritrea with capitals
Each region with its Tigrinya and Arabic name, the capital in both scripts and the ISO 3166-2 code.
Regions 6
| Region (Tigrinya) | Arabic | Arabic, older form | Capital | Capital in Arabic | ISO code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ዞባ ማእከልZoba Ma'əkäl · Central Region
|
المنطقة المركزيةal-Minṭaqâẗu l-Markazīyâ
|
الإقليم الأوسطal-Iqlīmu l-Awsaṭ
|
ኣስመራAsmära · Asmara
|
أسمرةAsmarâ
|
ER-MA
|
ዞባ ሰሜናዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪZoba Sämenawi Ḳäyyəḥ Baḥri · Northern Red Sea Region
|
منطقة شمال البحر الأحمرMinṭaqâẗu Šimāli l-Baḥri l-Aḥmar
|
إقليم شمال البحر الأحمرIqlīmu Šimāli l-Baḥri l-Aḥmar
|
ምጽዋዕMəṣəwwaʿ · Massawa
|
مصوعMuṣawwaʿ
|
ER-SK
|
ዞባ ዓንሰባZoba ʿAnsäba · Anseba Region
|
منطقة أنسباMinṭaqâẗu Ansabā
|
إقليم عنسباIqlīmu ʿAnsabā
|
ከረንKärän · Keren
|
كرنKaran
|
ER-AN
|
ዞባ ደቡብZoba Däbub · Southern Region
|
المنطقة الجنوبيةal-Minṭaqâẗu l-Ǧanūbīyâ
|
الإقليم الجنوبيal-Iqlīmu l-Ǧanūbī
|
መንደፈራMändäfära · Mendefera
|
مندفراMandafarā
|
ER-DU
|
ዞባ ደቡባዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪZoba Däbubawi Ḳäyyəḥ Baḥri · Southern Red Sea Region
|
منطقة جنوب البحر الأحمرMinṭaqâẗu Ǧanūbi l-Baḥri l-Aḥmar
|
إقليم جنوب البحر الأحمرIqlīmu Ǧanūbi l-Baḥri l-Aḥmar
|
ዓሰብʿAsäb · Assab
|
عصبʿAṣab
|
ER-DK
|
ዞባ ጋሽ ባርካZoba Gaš Barka · Gash-Barka Region
|
منطقة قش بركةMinṭaqâẗu Qaš Barkâ
|
إقليم قاش بركةIqlīmu Qāš Barkâ
|
ባረንቱBaräntu · Barentu; Agordat in older lists
|
ER-GB
|
Codes: ISO 3166-2:ER on the ISO Online Browsing Platform, read from the English Wikipedia table that reproduces it on 28 October 2026. Names and capitals: the 2016 edition of this list, English names and the older Arabic forms from its 2007 edition. Capital of Gash-Barka: Wikipedia, Regions of Eritrea, citing the National Statistics and Evaluation Office.
The 53 subregions of Eritrea
The subregions of each region in Tigrinya, Arabic and English.
ዞባ ማእከል Central Region 6
| Tigrinya | Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
ሰሜናዊ ምብራቕSämenawi Məbraq
|
شمال شرقŠimāl Šarq
|
North Eastern
|
ሰረጃቓSäräjaqa
|
سرجقاSaraǧaqā
|
Serejaka
|
በሪኽBäriȟ
|
بريخBarīḫ
|
Berikh
|
ደቡባዊ ምብራቕDäbubawi Məbraq
|
جنوب شرقǦanūb Šarq
|
South Eastern
|
ደቡባዊ ምዕራብDäbubawi Məʿrab
|
جنوب غربǦanūb Ġarb
|
South Western
|
ጋላ ነፍሒGala Näfḥi
|
قلا نفحيQalā Nafḥī
|
Ghala Nefhi
|
ዞባ ሰሜናዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ Northern Red Sea Region 9
| Tigrinya | Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
ምጽዋዕMəṣəwwaʿ
|
مصوعMuṣawwaʿ
|
Massawa
|
ሽዕብŠəʿəb
|
شعبŠaʿab
|
She’eb
|
ቃሩራḲarura
|
قروراQarūrā
|
Karura
|
ናቕፋNaqfa
|
نقفةNaqfâ
|
Nakfa
|
ኣፍዓበትAfʿabät
|
أفعبتAfʿabat
|
Af’abet
|
ዳህላክDahlak
|
داهلاكDāhlāk
|
Dahlak
|
ገልዓሎGälʿalo
|
قلعالوQalʿālū
|
Ghelalo
|
ጊንዳዕGindaʿ
|
جندعǦindaʿ
|
Ghinda
|
ፎሮForo
|
فوروFūrū
|
Foro
|
ዞባ ዓንሰባ Anseba Region 10
| Tigrinya | Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
ሃበሮHabäro
|
هبروHabarū
|
Habero
|
ሓልሓልḤalḥal
|
حلحلḤalḥal
|
Halhal
|
ሓጋዝḤagaz
|
حقازḤaqāz
|
Hagaz
|
ሰላዕSälaʿ
|
سلعSalaʿ
|
Sela
|
ኣስማጥAsmaṭ
|
أسماطAsmāṭ
|
Asmat
|
ከረንKärän
|
كرنKaran
|
Keren
|
ከርከበትKärkäbät
|
كركبتKarkabat
|
Kerkebet
|
ዒላ በርዕድʿIla Bärʿəd
|
عيلا برعدʿĪlā Barʿad
|
Elabered
|
ዓዲ ተከሌዛንʿAddi Täkälezan
|
عد تكليزانʿAd Takalīzān
|
Adi Tekelezan
|
ገለብGäläb
|
قلبQalab
|
Geleb
|
ዞባ ደቡብ Southern Region 11
| Tigrinya | Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
መንደፈራMändäfära
|
مندفراMandafarā
|
Mendefera
|
ማይ ምነMay Mənä
|
ماي منيMāy Manī
|
Mai Mne
|
ሰንዓፈSänʿafä
|
صنعفيṢanʿafī
|
Sen’afe
|
ሰገነይቲSägänäyti
|
سقنيتيSaqanaytī
|
Segeneiti
|
ኩዶ ብዕርKudo Bəʿər
|
كدو بعرKudū Baʿar
|
Kudo Buer
|
ዓረዛʿAräza
|
عرزاʿArazā
|
Areza
|
ዓዲ ቀይሕʿAddi Ḳäyyəḥ
|
عدي قيحʿAdī Qayḥ
|
Adi Keih
|
ዓዲ ዃላʿAddi Ȟʷala
|
عدي خولاʿAdī Ḫwalā
|
Adi Khwala
|
ደቀምሓረDäḳämḥarä
|
دقمحريDaqamḥarī
|
Dekemhare
|
ድባርዋDəbarwa
|
دبارواDabārwā
|
Debarwa
|
ጸሮናṢärona
|
صروناṢarūnā
|
Tserona
|
ዞባ ደቡባዊ ቀይሕ ባሕሪ Southern Red Sea Region 3
| Tigrinya | Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
ማእከል ደንካልያMa'əkäl Dänkalya
|
وسط دنكالياWasaṭ Dankāliyā
|
Central Dankalia
|
ዓረዓታʿAräʿatā
|
عرعتاʿArʿatā
|
Areata
|
ደቡብ ደንካልያDäbub Dänkalya
|
جنوب دنكالياǦanūb Dankāliyā
|
Southern Dankalia
|
ዞባ ጋሽ ባርካ Gash-Barka Region 14
| Tigrinya | Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
ሃይኮታHaykota
|
هايكوتاHāykūtā
|
Haykota
|
ላዕላይ ጋሽLaʿlay Gaš
|
قاش لعلايQāš Laʿlāy
|
Upper Gash
|
ሎጎ ዓንሰባLogo ʿAnsäba
|
لقو عنسباLuqū ʿAnsabā
|
Logo Anseba
|
መንሱራMänsura
|
منصوراManṣūrā
|
Mensura
|
ሞልቂMolḳi
|
مولكيMulkī
|
Molki
|
ሞጎሎMogolo
|
مقلوMuqulū
|
Mogolo
|
ሻምበኮŠambäko
|
شامبوكوŠāmbūkū
|
Shambuko
|
ባረንቱBaräntu
|
بارنتوBārantū
|
Barentu
|
ተሰነይTäsänäy
|
تسنيTasanay
|
Tesseney
|
ኣቑርደትAqurdät
|
أغورداتAġūrdāt
|
Agordat
|
ኦምሓጀርOmḥajär
|
أم حاجرUmmu Ḥāǧar
|
Omhajer
|
ድገDəgä
|
دقيDaqī
|
Dghe
|
ጎኘGoñä
|
قنيQunī
|
Gonye
|
ፎርቶForto
|
فورتوFūrtū
|
Forto
|
Tigrinya and Arabic: the 2016 edition of this list; English: its 2007 edition. The list of subregions in the English Wikipedia article Regions of Eritrea, read on 28 October 2026, differs in some regions, for example by counting Asmara itself in the central region; it is not merged into this table.
Barentu or Agordat: the capital of Gash-Barka
Gash-Barka is the largest region, with fourteen subregions on this list, and older lists give its capital as Agordat, ኣቑርደት (Aqurdät) in Tigrinya and أغوردات (Aġūrdāt) in Arabic. The regional administration sits in Barentu, ባረንቱ (Baräntu), which is itself one of the subregions. Both towns appear in the table below the region, Agordat as a subregion of its own.
The other capitals are Asmara for the central region, Keren for Anseba, Mendefera for the south, Massawa on the northern coast and Assab on the southern one. The smallest region, the Southern Red Sea, has only three subregions, two of them named after Dankalia.
Questions about the subdivisions of Eritrea
How many regions does Eritrea have?
Six: Central (ER-MA), Anseba (ER-AN), Gash-Barka (ER-GB), Southern (ER-DU), Northern Red Sea (ER-SK) and Southern Red Sea (ER-DK).
What does zoba mean?
Region. ዞባ (zoba) is the Tigrinya word; a subregion is ንኡስ ዞባ (nəʾus zoba), a small zoba.
What is the Arabic name of the central region?
المنطقة المركزية (al-Minṭaqa al-Markazīya); older lists have الإقليم الأوسط (al-Iqlīm al-Awsaṭ).