Asmara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Asmara
ኣስመራ Asmera
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 Asmara
Location in Eritrea
Asmara
Location in Africa
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| Country | Eritrea | |
| Region | Central | |
| Districts | 13 | |
| Demonym | Asmarino | |
| Area | ||
| • Capital | 45 km2 (17 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 2,325 m (7,628 ft) | |
| Population
(2017)
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| • Capital | 804,000 | |
| • Density | 17,867/km2 (46,280/sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 1,258,001 | |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) | |
| Climate | BSk | |
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | ||
| Official name | Asmara: a Modernist City of Africa | |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv | |
| Reference | 1550 | |
| Inscription | 2017 (41st Session) | |
| Area | 481 ha | |
| Buffer zone | 1,203 ha | |
Asmara is the capital city of Eritrea. It is the largest settlement in the country. Asmara has a population of about 579,000 people. Textiles and clothing, meat, beer, shoes, and ceramics are the major industrial products of the city.
History
Asmara grew from four villages founded in the twelfth century. It is said that there were four clans living in the Asmara area. The women of these tribes told them men to join together to fight bandits who had been attacking the area. After they defeated the bandits, a new name was given to the place, Arbaete Asmara. This name, in the Tigrinya language, meant the four females united. Arbaete was later dropped and the name was made Asmara.
In 1889, Asmara became an Italian colony. It was made the capital of the country in 1897 and was called Asmara italiana. The city was damaged during earthquakes in 1913 and 1915. During the 1930s, the Italians made many chances to how Asmara looked. Many new buildings were created during this time.
These buildings were built in the same style as Italian buildings. This gave Asmara the look of an Italian city. Today many of the buildings and stores in Asmara still have Italian names.
During World War II, after the defeat of Italy in Africa, Asmara was under British rule. In 1952, the United Nations placed the country and Asmara under Ethiopian control. In the 1960s, the Eritrean people started fighting for independence from Ethiopia.
This bloody war lasted until 1991. Asmara was given back to the Eritrean people on May 24, 1991.
In July 2017 Asmara has been declared World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Asmara in 1935
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Map of Italian Asmara in 1929
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A view over Asmara
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Solar traffic lights in a street in Asmara
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The Eritrean national museum in Asmara
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Tour of Eritrea cycling competition in Asmara, Eritrea
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Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara
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Steam train outside Asmara on the Eritrean Railway
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Bar Zilli, architecturally modeled in accordance with the Art Deco movement in the 1930s.
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