Editing Demographics of Eritrea (section)

====Cushitic speakers====
=====Afar=====
{{main|Afar people}}
According to the CIA, the Afar constitute 4% of the nation's population.<ref name=":2" /> They live in the [[Debubawi Keyih Bahri Region]] of Eritrea, as well as the [[Afar Region]] in Ethiopia, and [[Djibouti]]. They speak the [[Afar language]] as a mother tongue, and are predominantly Muslim. Afars in Eritrea number about 600,000 individuals, the smallest population out of the countries they reside in. In Djibouti, there are about 780,000 group members, and in Ethiopia, they number approximately 2,100,000.
=====Saho=====
{{main|Saho people}}
The Saho represent 4% of Eritrea's population.<ref name=":2" /> They principally reside in the [[Debubawi Keyih Bahri Region]] and the [[Northern Red Sea Region]] of Eritrea. Their language is called [[Saho language|Saho]]. They are predominantly Muslim, although a few Christians known as the [[Irob people|Irob]] live in the [[Debub Region]] of Eritrea and the [[Tigray region]] of Ethiopia.
=====Bilen=====
{{main|Bilen people}}
The Bilen in Eritrea represent around 3% of the country's population.<ref name=":2" /> They are primarily concentrated in the north-central areas, in and around the city of [[Keren, Eritrea|Keren]], and south towards [[Asmara]], the nation's capital. Many of them entered Eritrea from Kush (central Sudan) in the 8th century and settled at Merara, after which they went to Wag and Lasta. The Bilen then returned to Axum in Ethiopia's [[Tigray Province]], and battled with the natives; in the resulting aftermath, the Bilen returned to their main base at Merara. The Bilen include adherents of both [[Islam]] and [[Christianity]]. They speak the [[Bilen language|Bilen]] language as a mother tongue. Christian adherents are mainly urban and have interbred with the Tigrinya who live in the area. Muslim adherents are mainly rural and have intermingled with the adjacent Tigre.
=====Beja=====
{{main|Beja people}}
The Beja in Eritrea, or [[Hedareb]], constitute 2% of local residents.<ref name=":2" /> They mainly live along the north-western border with Sudan. Group members are predominantly Muslim and communicate in [[Beja language|Beja]] as a first or second language. The Beja also include the [[Beni-Amer people]], who have retained their native [[Beja language]] alongside Hedareb.