Gash-Barka Region

Gash-Barka (Tigrinya: ጋሽ-ባርካ^?) is one of the six regions of Eritrea. It is situated in the south-west of the country, bordering the Anseba region to the north, and the Maekel (Central) and Debub (Southern) regions to the east; the country of Sudan lies to the west and Ethiopia to the south.

The capital of Gash-barka is Barentu. Other towns include Agordat (the former capital), Molki, Sebderat and Teseney.

With an area of 37,000 square kilometers and a population of 567,000, the Gash Barka region makes up roughly one-third of Eritrea. Many call this region the "breadbasket" as the region is rich in agriculture. As of 2005, many believe there are over 3.5 million livestock in this region, and many camels. The region is also rich in marble, and other important minerals, including gold. In Augaro, there are some old mineshafts and machinery from the days when the Italians mined gold here.

Most of the people in the area tend to be healthy and well-fed, a rarity in this area of Africa.