Eritrea gained independence in 1993 after 40 years of increasingly bitter civil war with its neighbour Ethiopia and it is still too early for any significant national mapping infrastructure to have developed. The country has appeared on maps published by Ethiopian agencies. Discussions were taking place in 1995 to establish a new national datum, geodetic control network and hydrographic service. A leading influence on these talks was the commercial Marine Engineering Management Offshore Navigation and Surveys in Asmara.

Soviet military topographic mapping remains the best available topographic mapping of Eritrea. It is exists at the following scales: 1:1,000,000 (3 sheets, complete coverage, published 1981-1983); 1:500,000 (8 sheets, complete coverage, published 1980-1981); 1:200,000 (39 sheets, primarily complete coverage, published 1977-1979); 1:100,000 (110 sheets, complete coverage, published 1977-1986) and a city (1:10,000) topographic map of Asmara at published in 1978. These products are available in print, digital raster and digital vector GIS formats from East View Geospatial.

In 1995 the Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse (NGU) signed an agreement with the government of Eritrea to develop a geological survey of the country.

Official plans include the compilation of 1:50,000 and 1:100,000 scale soil mapping of parts of the country, to aid agricultural reconstruction.

The first national small-scale mapping of Eritrea was compiled by the Centre for Development and Environment of the Swiss Institute of Geography University of Berne, whose 1:1,000,000 national map also includes numerous thematic insets showing geology, soils, rainfall, and tourist facilities, as well as a short history of the new country. International Travel Maps (ITM) also issue a general map of Eritrea. Town mapping of Asmara has been compiled by the Italian firm Instituto Grafico Silvio Basile, Genoa, including revised post-independence street names.

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