154-458: Asmara ( / æ s ˈ m ɑː r ə / əs- MAHR -ə ), or Asmera , is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea , in the country's Central Region . It sits at an elevation of 2,325 metres (7,628 ft), making it the sixth highest capital in the world by altitude and the second highest capital in Africa. The city is located at the tip of an escarpment that is both the northwestern edge of
308-567: A referendum in Eritrea supervised by the United Nations (dubbed UNOVER) in which the Eritrean people overwhelmingly voted for independence, Eritrea declared its independence and gained international recognition in 1993. The EPLF seized power, established a one-party state along nationalist lines and banned further political activity. As of 2020, there have been no elections. On 28 May 1993, Eritrea
462-506: A Latin itinerary during the reign of Emperor Dawit I (1382–1411). Asmara, a small village in the nineteenth century, started to grow quickly when it was occupied by Italy in 1889. Governor Ferdinando Martini made it the capital city of Italian Eritrea in 1897. In the early 20th century, the Eritrean Railway was built to the coast, passing through the town of Ghinda , under the direction of Carlo Cavanna . In both 1913 and 1915
616-471: A different variety; 71,186 in civil administration; 50,538 in transport and communication; 42,514 in education, health and social services; 32,685 in hotel and catering services; and 16,602 in agriculture. In addition to the residents of rural parts of Addis Ababa, the city dwellers also participate in animal husbandry and the cultivation of gardens. 677 hectares (1,670 acres) of land is irrigated annually, on which 129,880 quintals of vegetables are cultivated. It
770-517: A distinct language. The most widely spoken languages are Tigrinya and Arabic . The others are Tigre , Saho , Kuinama , Nara , Afar , Beja , Bilen and English . Tigrinya , Arabic and English serve as the three working languages. Most residents speak languages from the Afroasiatic family, either of the Ethiopian Semitic languages or Cushitic branches. Among these communities,
924-449: A few exceptions, and the kebele buildings remained in tenure. The kebele dwelling and their largely unplanned settings continued to incorporated core areas of Addis Ababa . From the end of 1998, new project was launched by Addis Ababa City Administration naming Office for Revision of Addis Ababa Master Plan (ORAAMP), covering from 1999 to 2003. The plan goal was to meet the standard of market economy with favorable political system resembles
1078-678: A few kilometres west of the East African Rift , which splits Ethiopia into two, between the Nubian Plate and the Somali Plate . The city is surrounded by the Special Zone of Oromia, and is populated by people from different regions of Ethiopia. It is home to Addis Ababa University . The city has a high human development index , and is known for its vibrant culture , strong fashion scene, high civic and political involvement of younger people,
1232-566: A late Victorian style. Art Deco influences are found throughout the city. Essences of Cubism can be found on the Africa Pension Building, and on a small collection of buildings. The Fiat Tagliero Building shows almost the height of futurism, just as it was coming into big fashion in Italy. Asmara is known to be an exceptionally modern city, not only because of its architecture, but Asmara also had more traffic lights than Rome did when
1386-475: A modern sewage system ... [Asmara] gives the impression of being a pleasant enough small city in Calabria , or even Umbria .” Nowadays more than 400 buildings are of Italian origin, and many shops still have Italian names (e.g., Bar Vittoria , Pasticceria moderna , Casa del formaggio , and Ferramenta ). The Kingdom of Italy invested in the industrial development of Asmara (and surrounding areas of Eritrea), but
1540-429: A more "colonial" city and continued on after the occupation. Subsequent master plans were designed by French and British consultants from the 1940s onwards, focusing on monuments, civic structures, satellite cities and the inner-city. Similarly, the later Italo-Ethiopian masterplan (also projected in 1986) concerned only urban structure and accommodation services, but was later adapted by the 2003 masterplan. Addis Ababa
1694-507: A new master plan launched by seven architects such as Marcello Piacentini , Alessandro Bianchi, Enrico Del Debbio , Giuseppe Vaccaro , Le Corbusier , Ignazio Guidi and Cesare Valle . Despite contradictory and different ideas for each other, the plan was intended to focus on the general architectural plan of the city. Two preparations were approved from the master plan: the Le Corbusier and Guidi and Valle. During an invitation to Mussolini,
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#17328452405701848-559: A northern extension of the Ethiopian Highlands , I home to montane grasslands and woodlands . Habitats here vary from the sub-tropical rainforest at Filfil Solomona to the precipitous cliffs and canyons of the southern highlands. Filfil receives over 1,100 mm of rainfall annually. There is a steep escarpment along the eastern side of the highlands, which is the western wall of the East African Rift. The western slope of
2002-460: A place called Finfinne, a name which refers to the presence of hot springs. The site was chosen by Empress Taytu Betul. Initially, she built a house for herself near the "Filwuha" hot mineral springs , where she and members of the Shewan Royal Court liked to take mineral baths. Other nobility and their staff and households settled in the vicinity, and Menelik expanded his wife's house to become
2156-745: A project called "Riverside" planned to expand riverbanks for 56 kilometres (35 mi), from the Entoto Mountains to the Akaki River . In October 2022, the government launched Sheger City , an urban development model that contains 12 sub-cities, 36 districts and 40 rural kebeles with its seat located in Saris area in Addis Ababa. The project objective was to feed other satellite cities into Addis Ababa and contribute economic development within enclave. Several human rights groups as well as politicians criticized
2310-428: A referendum be held immediately to settle the Eritrean question of sovereignty. The United Nations Commission of Enquiry arrived in Eritrea in early 1950 and after about six weeks returned to New York to submit its report. Two reports were presented. The minority report presented by Pakistan and Guatemala proposed that Eritrea be independent after a period of trusteeship. The majority report compiled by Burma, Norway, and
2464-461: A religious purpose in pre- Christian times. One of these granite columns, the Obelisk of Aksum , is the largest such structure in the world, standing at 90 feet (27 metres). Under Ezana ( fl. 320–360), Aksum later adopted Christianity. Christianity was the first world religion to be adopted in modern Eritrea and the oldest monastery in the country, Debre Sina , was built in the fourth century. It
2618-443: A result of capital accumulation . Profiting from this wealth, the bourgeoisie benefited the city by constructing new, stone-fitted houses with imported European furniture and an importation of the latest automobiles, and expansion of banks across the locales. The total register of automobiles were 76 in 1926 and went to 578 in 1930. The first popular road transportation opened between Addis Ababa and Djibouti, about 97 miles northward in
2772-524: A result, the Proclamationon No. 47/1975 issued weakened buildings with small amount of living was administered by kebele units, while rental houses with large quality fell under Agency for Rental Housing Administration (ARHA). If those rental properties value less than 100 birr (US$ 48.31), they would be put under kebele administration. The administrative divisions showed an increase of woredas to 25 and 284 kebeles. Hungarian architect C.K. Polonyi
2926-399: A second church in the area. It was given that Menelik had strong interest to settle in the area due to a partial influence of establishing his old empire and serving as a metropolis. After some time, Entoto was found to be unsatisfactory as a capital because of its cold climate, lack of water, and an acute shortage of firewood. In 1886, settlement began in the valley south of the mountain in
3080-471: A southern Ethiopian kingdom, recognized the Italian occupation of his rivals' lands of Bogos , Hamasien , Akkele Guzay , and Serae in exchange for guarantees of financial assistance and continuing access to European arms and ammunition. His subsequent victory over rival kings and enthronement as Emperor Menelek II (r. 1889–1913) made the treaty formally binding upon the entire territory. In 1888,
3234-438: A thriving arts scene, and for being the heart of a country with one of the fastest economic growth rates in the world. A study based on DNA evidence from almost 1,000 people around the world suggests that early humans first traveled out of Africa via a place close to Addis Ababa, spreading from the region to the rest of the planet some time around 100,000 years ago. The research indicated that genetic diversity decreases steadily
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#17328452405703388-688: A total population of 2,739,551 urban and rural inhabitants. For the capital city 662,728 households were counted living in 628,984 housing units, which results in an average of 5.3 persons to a household. Although all Ethiopian ethnic groups are represented in Addis Ababa because it is the capital of the country, the largest groups include the Amhara (47.05%), Oromo (19.51%), Gurage (16.34%), Tigrayan (6.18%), Silt'e (2.94%), and Gamo (1.68%). Languages spoken as mother tongues include Amharic (70.99%), Afaan Oromo (10.72%), Gurage (8.37%), Tigrinya (3.60%), Silt'e (1.82%) and Gamo (1.03%). The religion with
3542-480: A visit to Eritrea was the Portuguese explorer Francisco Alvares in 1520. His books have the first description of the local powers of Tigray , the kingdom of Axum and Barnagais (the lord of the lands by the sea) The contemporary coast of Eritrea was the one that guaranteed the connection to the region of Tigray where the Portuguese had a small colony, and therefore the connection to the interior Ethiopian , allies of
3696-413: A wide-scale economic boom in 1926 and 1927, and an increase in the number of buildings owned by the middle class, including stone houses filled with imported European furniture. The middle class also imported newly manufactured automobiles and expanded banking institutions. During the Italian occupation, urbanization and modernization steadily increased through a masterplan; it was hoped Addis Ababa would be
3850-727: Is a federally-chartered city in accordance with the Addis Ababa City Government Charter Proclamation No. 87/1997 in the FDRE Constitution . Called "the political capital of Africa" due to its historical, diplomatic, and political significance for the continent, Addis Ababa serves as the headquarters of major international organizations, such as the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa . The city lies
4004-442: Is a highly developed and important cultural, artistic, financial and administrative center of Ethiopia. It is widely known as one of Africa's major capitals. The founding history of Addis Ababa dates back to the late 19th century by Menelik II , Negus of Shewa , in 1886 after finding Mount Entoto unpleasant two years prior. At the time, the city was a resort town ; its large mineral spring abundance attracted nobilities of
4158-692: Is a member of the African Union , the United Nations , and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development , and is an observer state in the Arab League alongside Brazil and Venezuela . The name Eritrea is derived from the ancient (originally Greek) name for the Red Sea , the Erythraean Sea ( Ἐρυθρὰ Θάλασσα Erythra Thalassa , based on the adjective ἐρυθρός erythros "red"). It
4312-416: Is a relatively clean and safe city, with the most common crimes being pickpocketing, scams and minor burglary. The city has recently been in a construction boom with tall buildings rising in many places. Various luxury services have also become available and the construction of shopping malls has recently increased. According to Tia Goldenberg of IOL , area spa professionals said that some people have labelled
4466-700: Is also the see of the archbishop of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church , which became autocephalous in 1993. The archbishop was elevated in 1998 to the rank of Patriarchate of Eritrea, on a par with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church . Eritrean Airlines , the Eritrean Telecommunications Corporation , and other companies are headquartered in the city. The country's national television station Eri-TV has many studios located in various areas in
4620-517: Is an exceptional example of early modernist urbanism at the beginning of the 20th century and its application in an African context. The Historic Center of Asmara was placed on the World Monuments Fund 's 2006 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. The listing was designed to bring more attention to the city to save the center from decay and redevelopment and to promote restoration. Following CARP (a World Bank initiative on Cultural Heritage),
4774-573: Is characteristic of rainy, wet seasons and dry seasons. Asmara averages about 518 mm (20.4 in) of precipitation annually. Frost , however, is extremely rare in the city. The long dry season of the year extends from September until around April, and a season of occasional showers occurs from April to June. On average, about 60% of Asmara's annual precipitation is experienced during the months of July and August. In contrast, December to February are typically Asmara's driest months, where on average only 9.1 mm (0.36 in) of precipitation falls in
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4928-610: Is home to the Eritrean National Museum . The city is often the starting point of the Tour of Eritrea cycling competition. The city is known for its early 20th-century buildings, including the Art Deco Cinema Impero (opened in 1937 and considered by the experts one of the world's finest examples of Art Déco style building), Cubist Africa Pension, eclectic Eritrean Orthodox Enda Mariam Cathedral and former Opera House ,
5082-484: Is less than the nationwide average of 77; at least half of these deaths occurred in the infants' first month of life. The city is partially powered by water at the Koka Reservoir . The economic activities in Addis Ababa are diverse. According to official statistics from the federal government, some 119,197 people in the city are engaged in trade and commerce; 113,977 in manufacturing and industry; 80,391 homemakers of
5236-549: Is mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea as an important market place for ivory , which was exported throughout the ancient world. At the time, Aksum was ruled by Zoskales , who also governed the port of Adulis . The Aksumite rulers facilitated trade by minting their own Aksumite currency . After the decline of Aksum, the Eritrean highlands fell under the domain of the Christian Zagwe dynasty , and later, fell under
5390-529: Is one of the oldest monasteries in Africa and the world. Debre Libanos , the second oldest monastery, was said to have been founded in the late fifth or early sixth century. Originally located in the village of Ham, it was moved to an inaccessible location on the edge of a cliff below the Ham plateau. Its church contains the Golden Gospel, a metal-covered bible dating to the thirteenth century during which Debre Libanos
5544-514: Is situated on a rocky highland plateau, which separates the western lowlands from the eastern coastal plains. The lands that surround Asmara are very fertile, especially those to the south towards the Debub Region of Eritrea. The highlands that Asmera is located in fall away to reveal the eastern lowlands, characterized by the searing heat and humidity of the Eritrean salt pans, lapped by the Red Sea. To
5698-429: Is the probable location of a triple junction where three tectonic plates are pulling away from one another. The highest point of the country, Emba Soira , is located in the center of Eritrea, at 3,018 m (9,902 ft) above sea level . Eritrea has volcanic activity in the southeastern parts of the country. In 2011 Nabro Volcano had an eruption. The main cities of the country are the capital city of Asmara and
5852-540: The Bahr Negash or the governor of the coastal province, however it still existed as a major settlement for over half a millennium and enjoyed some importance as it stood on the trade route to Massawa . Asmara first rose to prominence during the 20th century, when it became capital of Italian Eritrea . Under Italian rule the city of Asmara experienced rapid urbanization and modernization. According to Eritrean Tigrinya oral traditional history, there were four clans living in
6006-607: The Barka Valley dating from 8,000 BC appear to offer the first concrete evidence of human settlement in the area. Research also shows that many of the ethnic groups of Eritrea were the first to inhabit these areas. Excavations in and near Agordat in central Eritrea yielded the remains of an ancient pre-Aksumite civilization known as the Gash Group . Ceramics were discovered that were dated back to between 2,500 and 1,500 BC. Around 2,000 BC, parts of Eritrea were most likely part of
6160-545: The Dahlak Archipelago and several of the Hanish Islands . Human remains found in Eritrea have been dated to 1 million years old and anthropological research indicates that the area may contain significant records related to the evolution of humans. The Kingdom of Aksum , covering much of modern-day Eritrea and northern Ethiopia , was established during the first or second century AD. It adopted Christianity around
6314-534: The Duke of Aosta 's capital for unified Italian East Africa until 1941, when it was abandoned in favor of Amba Alagi and other redoubts during the Second World War 's East African Campaign . According to Soviet estimates, 15,000 Ethiopians casualties were victims of chemical weapons, especially by sulfur mustard . The Italian ambition regarding Addis Ababa was to create a beautified colonial capital city along with
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6468-534: The Eritrean Highlands and the Great Rift Valley in neighbouring Ethiopia . In 2017, the city was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved modernist architecture . According to local traditions, the city was founded after four separate villages unified to live together peacefully after long periods of conflict. Asmara had long been overshadowed by nearby Debarwa , the residence of
6622-689: The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), a successor of the ELF , defeated the Ethiopian forces in Eritrea and helped a coalition of Ethiopian rebel forces take control of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa . In the 1980s a non-government organization called the Eritrea Inter-Agency Consortium (EIAC) aided in the development projects for the Eritrean Liberation movement. Following
6776-533: The Eritrean government's human rights record is among the worst in the world. The Eritrean government has dismissed these allegations as politically motivated. Freedom of the press in Eritrea is extremely limited; the Press Freedom Index consistently ranks it as one of the least free countries. As of 2022 Reporters Without Borders considers the country to be among those with the least press freedom. Eritrea
6930-616: The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition party in course of overthrowing the Derg , seized Addis Ababa. They entered Menelik II Avenue and ordered a curfew for 24 hours. According to a witness, residents of Addis Ababa were ignorant and not terrified by the event, as the military told them everything was safe. The military went to central locations of the city (such as Hilton Hotel) and displayed banners "Peace, Solidarity, Friendship". At 5:30 am, they took control of
7084-758: The European Union Delegation in Asmara has engaged into a Heritage Project pertaining to building's restoration and archive management. Launched in 2010 the EU/Eritrea Cultural Project was expected to be completed in 2014 (Pierre Couté – Edward Denison, Project Design Report, EUD Asmara 2009). Four big landmarks of the city are the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Kidane Mehret Cathedral of
7238-533: The Habesh Eyalet . Massawa served as the new province's first capital. When the city became of secondary economical importance, the administrative capital was soon moved across the Red Sea to Jeddah . The Turks tried to occupy the highland parts of Hamasien in 1559 but withdrew after they encountered fierce resistance. They were pushed back by the Bahri Negash and highland forces. In 1578 they tried to expand into
7392-501: The Imperial Palace in 1887 which remains the seat of government in Addis Ababa today. In 1886, the city was renamed to Addis Ababa as the capital of Menelik's kingdom of Shewa. It become the capital of Ethiopia in 1889, when Menelik became Emperor. The town grew by leaps and bounds. Not only for nobles, but also the site attracted numerous working classes including artisans, merchants, and foreign visitors. Early residential dwelling
7546-621: The Italian Eritrean cuisine are 'Pasta al Sugo e Berbere', which means "pasta with tomato sauce and berbere " (spice), " lasagna " and "cotoletta alla milanese" (milano cutlet). Asmara was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2017, becoming the first modernist city anywhere to be listed in its entirety. The inscription taking place during the 41st World Heritage Committee Session. The city has thousands of Art Deco , futurist , modernist , and rationalist buildings, constructed during
7700-468: The Land of Punt , first mentioned in the twenty-fifth century BC. It was known for producing and exporting gold , aromatic resins , blackwood , ebony , ivory , and wild animals. The region is known from ancient Egyptian records of trade expeditions to it, especially a well-documented expedition to Punt in approximately 1,469 BC during the reestablishment of disrupted trade routes by Hatshepsut shortly after
7854-698: The Scramble for Africa . On 15 November 1869, the ruling local chief sold lands surrounding the Bay of Assab to the Italian missionary Giuseppe Sapeto on behalf of the Rubattino Shipping Company . The area served as a coaling station along the shipping lanes introduced by the recently completed Suez Canal . In 1882, the Italian government formally took possession of the Assab colony from its commercial owners and expanded their control to include Massawa and most of
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#17328452405708008-528: The State of Eritrea , is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa , with its capital and largest city being Asmara . It is bordered by Ethiopia in the south , Sudan in the west, and Djibouti in the southeast. The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea . The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km (45,406 sq mi), and includes
8162-718: The Tigrinyas make up about 50% of the population, with the Tigre people constituting around 30% of inhabitants. In addition, there are several Nilo-Saharan -speaking Nilotic ethnic groups. Most people in the country adhere to Christianity or Islam , with a small minority adhering to traditional faiths . Eritrea is one of the least developed countries . It is a unitary one-party presidential republic in which national legislative and presidential elections have never been held. Isaias Afwerki has served as president since its official independence in 1993. According to Human Rights Watch ,
8316-401: The desertification of the soil. In order to obtain nutrient rich and moist soil for farming purposes, populations rely on deforestation to make use of the underlying ground. The most serious environmental issues Asmara faces are deforestation and desertification. Other issues Asmara faces are soil erosion and overgrazing . All of these environmental issues produce soil degradation . The city
8470-540: The futurist Fiat Tagliero Building , the neo-Romanesque Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara , and the neoclassical Governor's Palace . The city is adorned by Italian colonial villas and mansions , one prominent example being the World Bank Building . Most of central Asmara was built between 1935 and 1941, so the Italians effectively managed to build almost an entire city in just six years. At this time,
8624-407: The temperate zone , subtropical climate zone , and tropical climate zone . Addis Ababa Addis Ababa ( / ˌ æ d ɪ s ˈ æ b ə b ə / ; Amharic : አዲስ አበባ , lit. 'new flower' [adˈdis ˈabəba] ) is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia . In the 2007 census, the city's population was estimated to be 2,739,551 inhabitants. Addis Ababa
8778-692: The 1892 famine, and eventually the Battle of Adwa . Another includes the 1907 land act, municipal administration in 1909, and a railway and modernized transportation system boom beginning in the 20th century, culminating in continual growth. Additional supplements, for example the laying of Ethio-Djibouti Railways and topographical factors further led the city's boundary to expand southward. Gebrehiwot Baykedagn took major administrative division post, and Addis Ababa–Djibouti railways in 1916, which also connects Addis Ababa with French Somaliland port of Djibouti. Ras Tafari Mekonnen, later became Emperor Haile Selassie I
8932-647: The 1941 Battle of Keren , the British expelled the Italians and took over the administration of the country. Economically, the decade of British administration saw a significant restructuring of the Eritrean economy. Until 1945, the British and Americans relied on Italian equipment and skilled labor for wartime needs and to support the Allies in the Middle East. This economic boom, fueled by substantial Italian involvement, lasted until
9086-637: The 1965 master plan, the city covered an area of 21,000 hectares and would increase to 51,000 hectares by 1984 master plan. In 1965, the first student march took place in response to the feudal imperial government of Haile Selassie, in which they chanted "Land for the Tiller", culminating in a Marxist–Leninist movement in Ethiopia. In addition, the 1973 oil crisis heavily impacted the city. 1,500 peasants in Addis Ababa marched to plead for food to be returned by police, and intellectual from Addis Ababa University forced
9240-788: The Asmera area on the Kebessa Plateau: the Gheza Gurtom, the Gheza Shelele, the Gheza Serenser and Gheza Asmae. These villages were frequently attacked by clans from the lowlands, until the women of each clan decided that to preserve peace the four clans must unite. The men accepted, hence the name "Arbate Asmera". Arbate Asmera literally means, in the Tigrinya language , "the four (feminine plural) made them unite". The first mention of Asmara comes from
9394-428: The British colony of Sudan and partly to Ethiopia. After the peace treaty with Italy was signed in 1947, the United Nations sent a Commission of Enquiry to decide the fate of the colony. In the 1950s, the Ethiopian feudal administration under Emperor Haile Selassie sought to annex Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. He laid claim to both territories in a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Paris Peace Conference and
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#17328452405709548-415: The Catholic faith (the former of Latin and the latter of Coptic rite), the Enda Mariam Cathedral of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church , and the Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin Mosque of the Islamic faith. The population in the Central Region , which contains Asmara, is 89 percent Christian (almost 84 percent Orthodox, 4 percent Roman Catholic, and more than 1 percent Protestant) and 5 percent Muslim. Asmara
9702-592: The Eritrean and Ethiopian highlands during the mid-first millennium BC. Dʿmt was a kingdom that existed from the tenth to fifth centuries BC in what is now Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. Given the presence of a massive temple complex at Yeha , this area was most likely the kingdom's capital. Qohaito , often identified as the town of Koloe in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea , as well as Matara were important ancient Dʿmt kingdom cities in southern Eritrea. The realm developed irrigation schemes, used plows , grew millet , and made iron tools and weapons. After
9856-435: The Eritrean coastal lowlands after the Egyptians withdrew from Eritrea in February 1885. In the vacuum that followed the 1889 death of Emperor Yohannes IV , Gen. Oreste Baratieri occupied the highlands along the Eritrean coast and Italy proclaimed the establishment of Italian Eritrea , a colony of the Kingdom of Italy . In the Treaty of Wuchale (It. Uccialli ) signed the same year, Menelik OI of Shewa ,
10010-426: The Eritrean parliament and formally annexed Eritrea . The Eritrean secessionist movement organised the Eritrean Liberation Front in 1961 and fought the Eritrean War of Independence until Eritrea gained de facto independence in 1991. Eritrea gained de jure independence in 1993 after an independence referendum . Contemporary Eritrea is a multi-ethnic country with nine recognised ethnic groups, each of which has
10164-401: The First Session of the United Nations. In the United Nations, the debate over the fate of the former Italian colonies continued. The British and Americans preferred to cede all of Eritrea except the Western province to the Ethiopians as a reward for their support during World War II . The Independence Bloc of Eritrean parties consistently requested from the United Nations General Assembly that
10318-540: The French Swiss architect Le Corbusier illustrated the master plan in a guideline sketch involving a traversing route monumental structure by a grand boulevard across the city from north to south, as he extracted from his 1930–1933 Radiant City concept. His two counterparts, Guildi and Valle prepared the master plan in summer 1936 likely emphasizing fascist ideology with monumental structure and no native Ethiopian participation in designing sector. Two parallel axis were drawn in European character connecting Arada /Giyorgis with
10472-417: The Italian administration launched its first development projects in the new colony. The Eritrean Railway was completed to Saati in 1888, and reached Asmara in the highlands in 1911. The Asmara–Massawa Cableway was the longest line in the world during its time but was later dismantled by the British in World War II. Besides major infrastructural projects, the colonial authorities invested significantly in
10626-522: The Italo-Ethiopian master plan was set up by 45 Ethiopian professional along with 75 Italian experts with 207 sectorial reports documented as references. The plan dealt with a balanced urban system and services in urban area such as water supply. Akaki incorporated to Addis Ababa to supply industrial and freight terminal services. The bureaucratic rule of the Derg postponed the master plan for eight years until 1994, which caused failure of basic issues in public service and unplanned development. On 28 May 1991,
10780-436: The Middle East. The British placed Eritrea under British military administration until Allied forces could determine its fate. In the absence of agreement amongst the Allies concerning the status of Eritrea, the British administration continued for the remainder of World War II and until 1950. During the immediate postwar years, the British proposed that Eritrea be divided along religious community lines and annexed partly to
10934-434: The Portuguese. Massawa was also the stage for the 1541 landing of troops by Cristóvão da Gama in the military campaign that would eventually defeat the Adal Sultanate in the final battle of Wayna Daga in 1543. By 1557, the Ottomans had occupied all of northeastern present-day Eritrea for the next two decades, an area which stretched from Massawa to Swakin in Sudan. The territory became an Ottoman governorate, known as
11088-529: The State of Oromia, shall be respected. Particulars shall be determined by law." In 2000, Oromia's capital was moved from Addis Ababa to Adama. Because this move sparked considerable controversy and protests among Oromo students, the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization (OPDO), part of the ruling EPRDF coalition, on 10 June 2005, officially announced plans to move the regional capital back to Addis Ababa. Due to
11242-755: The Union of South Africa called for Eritrea to be incorporated into Ethiopia. Following the adoption of U.N. Resolution 390A(V) in December 1950, Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia under the prompting of the United States. The resolution called for Eritrea and Ethiopia to be linked through a loose federal structure under the sovereignty of the emperor. Eritrea was to have its own administrative and judicial structure, its own new flag, and control over its domestic affairs, including police, local administration, and taxation. The federal government, which for all practical purposes
11396-629: The administration of the coastal highlands into the Christian province of Midri-Bahri ("Sea land" in Tigrinya, although it included some areas such as Shire in Ethiopia on the other side of the Mereb, today in Ethiopia) ruled by a Bahri Negus (or Bahri Negash, meaning "sea king"). With its capital at Debarwa , the state's main provinces were Hamasien , Serae , and Akele Guzai . The first Westerner to document
11550-853: The agricultural sector. They also oversaw the provision of urban amenities in Asmara and Massawa, and employed many Eritreans in public service, particularly in the police and public works departments. Thousands of Eritreans were concurrently enlisted in the army, serving during the Italo-Turkish War in Libya as well as the First and Second Italo-Abyssinian Wars. Additionally, the Italian Eritrea administration opened many new factories that produced buttons, cooking oil, pasta, construction materials, packing meat, tobacco, hide, and other household commodities. In 1939, there were approximately 2,198 factories and most of
11704-478: The beginning of World War II brought this to a halt. UNESCO made Asmara a World Heritage Site in July 2017, saying "It is an exceptional example of early modernist urbanism at the beginning of the 20th century and its application in an African context". In 1952, the United Nations resolved to federate the former colony under Ethiopian rule. During the Federation, Asmara was no longer the capital city. The capital
11858-458: The beginning of her rule as the king of ancient Egypt. Excavations at Sembel found evidence of an ancient pre- Aksumite civilization in greater Asmara. This Ona urban culture is believed to have been among the oldest pastoral and agricultural communities in East Africa . Artifacts at the site have been dated to between 800 BC and 400 BC, contemporaneous with other pre-Aksumite settlements in
12012-575: The capital. Asmara Brewery , built 1939 under the name of Melotti, is located in the city and employs 600 people. The brewery produces Asmara beer and other beverages like rum and gin. The brewery also owns and operates as a sponsor of the local football team Asmara Brewery FC , also named "Asmara Birra" (translated "Asmara Beer"). After Eritrean independence, the roads of Asmara underwent extensive construction projects. Old roads were renovated and new highways were also built. There are five primary roads out of Asmara. Asmara International Airport serves
12166-505: The centralizing policies of the imperial Ethiopian state. On 1 September 1961, the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), under the leadership of Hamid Idris Awate , waged an armed struggle for independence. In 1962, Emperor Haile Selassie unilaterally dissolved the Eritrean parliament and annexed the territory. The ensuing Eritrean War of Independence went on for 30 years against successive Ethiopian governments until 1991, when
12320-454: The city suffered only slight damage in large earthquakes. A large Italian community developed the city. According to the 1939 census, Asmara had a population of 98,000, of whom 53,000 were Italian. Only 75,000 Italians lived in all of Eritrea, thus making the capital city by far their largest centre. (Compare this to the Italian colonization of Libya , where the settler population, albeit larger,
12474-519: The city was being built. The city incorporates many features of a planned city. Asmara has wide streets, restaurants, piazzas (town squares), bars and cafes while many of the boulevards are lined with palms trees. The Italian inspired food and culture is very present and was introduced during Italian Eritrea . Countless restaurants and cafes, serve high quality espresso , cappuccinos and lattes , as well as gelato parlours and restaurants with Italian Eritrean cuisine . Common dishes served from
12628-404: The city with many international flights. Massawa International Airport is an alternative airport nearby. As of 1999, there is a total of 317 kilometres of 950 mm ( 3 ft 1 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) (narrow gauge) rail line in Eritrea. The Eritrean Railway was built between 1887 and 1932. Badly damaged during WWII and in later fighting, it was closed section by section, with
12782-486: The city's position near the Equator means that temperatures are very constant from month to month. As such the climate would be maritime if its elevation was not taken into account, as no month is above 22 °C (72 °F) in mean temperatures. Mid-November to January is a season for occasional rain. The highland climate regions are characterised by dry winters, and this is the dry season in Addis Ababa. During this season
12936-501: The city, "the spa capital of Africa." The Ethiopian Airlines has its headquarters on the grounds of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. The city hosts the We Are the Future centre, a child care centre that provides children with a higher standard of living. The centre is managed under the direction of the mayor's office, and the international NGO Glocal Forum serves as
13090-404: The city, with plans to build more. Values for other reported common indicators of the standard of living for Addis Ababa as of 2005 include the following: 0.1% of the inhabitants fall into the lowest wealth quintile; adult literacy for men is 93.6% and for women 79.95%, the highest in the nation for both sexes; and the civic infant mortality rate is 45 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, which
13244-522: The colonial government in Italian Eritrea. After il Duce declared the birth of the Italian Empire in May 1936, Italian Eritrea (enlarged with northern Ethiopia's regions) and Italian Somaliland were merged with the just-conquered Ethiopia into the new Italian East Africa ( Africa Orientale Italiana ). This Fascist period was characterized by imperial expansion in the name of a "new Roman Empire". Eritrea
13398-431: The contemporary admixture of a classic neighborhood. One of Emperor Menelik's contributions that are still visible today is the planting of numerous eucalyptus trees along the city streets. Moreover, the city held strong social organization patterns prior to the Italian invasion. According to Richard Pankhurst (1968), the city's accelerated population growth was due to factors of provisional governors and their troops,
13552-419: The daily maximum temperatures are usually not more than 23 °C (73 °F), And the night-time minumum temperatures will range from 5°C to 10°C and can drop to freezing. The short rainy season is from February to May. During this period, the difference between the daytime maximum temperatures and the nighttime minimum temperatures is not as great as during other times of the year, with minimum temperatures in
13706-476: The dictator Benito Mussolini had great plans for a second Roman Empire in Africa. War cut this short, but his injection of funds created the Asmara of today, which supposedly was to be a symbol to the colonial fascism during that period of time. The city shows off most early 20th-century architectural styles. Some buildings are neo-Romanesque , such as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, some villas are built in
13860-754: The direction of Dessie . Initially intended to connect Italian occupied Assab with Addis Ababa in the Italo-Ethiopian Treaty of 1928 , the road was considered for motor vehicle travel. The highway was important to the French railway of Djibouti and freight rate was very high with a lack of competition , and increase of cargo between Ethiopia and Assab. In 1930, the Emperor was crowned and proceeded with new technologies and building infrastructure. Among them, he installed power lines and telephones, and erected several monuments (such as Meyazia 27 Square ). Following all
14014-426: The empire and led them to establish permanent settlement. It also attracted many members of the working classes – including artisans and merchants – and foreign visitors. Menelik II then formed his imperial palace in 1887. Addis Ababa became the empire's capital in 1889, and subsequently international embassies were opened. Urban development began with the 20th century, without any prior planning. Addis Ababa saw
14168-484: The employees were Eritrean citizens. The establishment of industries also increased the number of Italians and Eritreans residing in the cities. The number of Italians in the territory increased from 4,600 to 75,000 in five years; and with the involvement of Eritreans in the industry, trade and fruit plantations were expanded across the nation, and some of the plantations were owned by Eritreans. In 1922, Benito Mussolini 's rise to power in Italy brought profound changes to
14322-488: The end of the war. However, shortly after the conflict concluded, the Eritrean economy faced a combination of recession and depression that severely impacted the local urban population. War factories that had employed thousands were shut down, and Italians began to be repatriated. Additionally, many small manufacturing plants established between 1936 and 1945 were forced to close due to intense competition from factories in Europe and
14476-448: The fall of Dʿmt in the fifth century BC, the plateau came to be dominated by smaller successor kingdoms. This lasted until the rise of one of these polities during the first century, the Kingdom of Aksum , which was able to reunite the area. The Kingdom of Aksum (or Axum) was a trading empire centered in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. It existed from approximately 100–940 AD, growing from
14630-461: The final closure coming in 1978. After independence, a rebuilding effort commenced, and the first rebuilt section was reopened in 2003. As of 2009, the section from Asmara to Massawa was fully rebuilt and available for service. Asmara has always been a national centre of education, and is home to many elementary and high schools. It was home to the University of Asmara from 1958 until the university
14784-536: The foot of Mount Entoto and forms part of the watershed for the Awash . From its lowest point, around Bole International Airport , at 2,326 metres (7,631 ft) above sea level in the southern periphery, Addis Ababa rises to over 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) in the Entoto Mountains to the north. The city is divided into 10 boroughs, called subcities ( Amharic : ክፍለ ከተማ , kifle ketema), and 99 wards ( Amharic : ቀበሌ , kebele ). The 10 subcities are: *Lemi-Kura sub-city
14938-680: The fundraiser and program planner and coordinator for the WAF child centre in each city. Each WAF city is linked to several peer cities and public and private partners to create a unique international coalition. Launched in 2004, the program is the result of a strategic partnership between the Glocal Forum, the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation, and Mr Hani Masri, with the support of the World Bank , UN agencies and major companies. Tourism
15092-455: The further one's ancestors travelled from Addis Ababa. Mount Entoto , a high tableland to the north of current Addis Ababa, is one of a handful of sites put forward as a possible location for a medieval imperial capital known as Barara. This permanent fortified city was established during the early to mid-15th century and it served as the main residence of several successive emperors up to the early 16th-century reign of Libne Dengel . The city
15246-489: The government to take a measure against the spreading famine, a report which Haile Selassie government denounced as "fabrication". Haile Selassie responded later "rich and poor have always existed and will, Why? Because there are those that work...and those that prefer to do nothing...Each individual is responsible for his misfortunes, his fate." Students around the city gathered to protest in February 1974; eventually Haile Selassie
15400-747: The highlands is more gradual, descending to interior lowlands. Southwestern Eritrea is drained by the Atbara River , which flows northwestwards to join the Nile . The northwestern slope of the highlands is drained by the Barka River , which flows northwards into Sudan to empty into the Red Sea. Western Eritrea is part of the Sahelian Acacia savanna , which extends across Africa south of the Sahara from Eritrea to Senegal. The Afar Triangle or Danakil Depression of Eritrea
15554-454: The highlands with the help of Bahri Negash Yisehaq, who had switched alliances due to a power struggle. Ethiopian Emperor Sarsa Dengel made a punitive expedition against the Turks in 1588 in response to their raids in the northern provinces, and apparently by 1589, they were once again compelled to withdraw their forces to the coast. The Ottomans were eventually driven out in the last quarter of
15708-631: The historical and natural connection between the city and the Oromo people, the Oromia Government has asserted its ownership of Addis Ababa. Both the current mayor of Addis Ababa, Adanech Abebe , and the former mayor, Takele Uma Banti are from the former ruling party of Oromia. Addis Ababa lies at an elevation of 2,355 metres (7,726 ft) and is a grassland biome , located at 9°1′48″N 38°44′24″E / 9.03000°N 38.74000°E / 9.03000; 38.74000 . The city lies at
15862-441: The independence of Eritrea. Asmara was left relatively undamaged throughout the war, as were the majority of highland regions. After independence, Asmara again became the capital of Eritrea. The city lies at an elevation of 2,325 metres (7,628 feet) above sea level . It lies on north–south trending highlands known as the Eritrean Highlands , an extension of the Ethiopian Highlands . The temperate central portion, where Asmara lies,
16016-416: The inner-city affected by urban morphology initiated by Italian occupation and the peripheral area were in urban sprawl. In 1946, Haile Selassie invited famous British master planner Sir Patrick Abercrombie with goals of modelling and beautifying the city to become the capital for Africa. By this organizing model, Abercrombie launched the master plan with neighborhood units surrounded by green parkways, and he
16170-401: The major engagements of their invasion , the Italian troops from the colony of Eritrea entered Addis Ababa on 5 May 1936. Along with Dire Dawa , the city had been spared the aerial bombardment (including the use of chemical weapons such as mustard gas ) practiced elsewhere in Ethiopia. This also allowed its railway to Djibouti to remain intact. After the occupation, the city served as
16324-558: The middle of the fourth century. Beginning in the 12th century, the Ethiopian Zagwe and Solomonid dynasties held sway to a fluctuating extent over the entire plateau and the Red Sea coast. Eritrea's central highlands, known as Mereb Melash (" Beyond the Mereb "), were the northern frontier region of the Ethiopian kingdoms and were ruled by a governor titled the Bahri Negasi ("lord of
16478-399: The most believers in Addis Ababa is Ethiopian Orthodox with 43% of the population, while 33% are Muslim , 20% Protestant , and 0.48% Catholic . Ethnic groups of Addis Ababa (2007) Religion in Addis Ababa (2007) In the previous census, conducted in 1994, the city's population was reported to be 2,112,737, of whom 1,023,452 were men and 1,089,285 were women. At that time, not all of
16632-637: The nomadic Tigre and Beni Amer clans of the west (closely related to the Funj Kingdom in Sudan) and the Arabic Muslims of Massawa and the pastoralist Sultanate of Assua found in the two coastal regions. These fractured groups hindered the political and economic development of present-day Eritrea from the limited exchanges that hinders development and innovation, thus creating an inequality in state strength. The boundaries of present-day Eritrea were established during
16786-412: The oldest hominid fossils found to date that reveal significant stages in the evolution of humans and to represent a possible link between the earlier Homo erectus and an archaic Homo sapiens . Her remains have been dated to 1 million years old. She is the oldest skeletal find of her kind and provides a link between earlier hominids and the earliest anatomically modern humans . It is believed that
16940-573: The period of Italian Eritrea . The city, nicknamed " La piccola Roma " ("Little Rome"), is located over 2,000 meters above sea level, and was an ideal spot for construction due to the relatively cool climate; architects used a combination of both Italian and local materials. Some notable buildings include the Fiat Tagliero Building , Bar Zilli , opera houses, hotels, and cinemas, such as the Cinema Impero . A statement from UNESCO read: It
17094-654: The place, they did not incorporated outer area like Mekenissa and West of the old Air Port in the proposal, while Rapi, Gefersa, Kaliti and Kotebe proposed as outlet of Jimma , Ambo and Dessie respectively (the four regional highways). The Hennessy and Partners illustration would be physically larger to current size of Addis Ababa with surrounded satellite towns . In 1965, the French Mission for Urban Studies and Habitat led by Luis De Marien launched another master plan responsible to create monumental axis through Addis Ababa City Hall with an extension across Gofa Mazoria in
17248-545: The population were urban inhabitants; only 2,084,588 or 98.7% were. For the entire administrative council there were 404,783 households in 376,568 housing units, with an average of 5.2 persons per household. The major ethnic groups included the Amhara (48.27%), Oromo (19.24%), Gurage (13.54%; 9.40% Sebat Bet , and 4.14% Sodo ), Tigrayan 7.65%, Silt'e 3.98%, and foreigners from Eritrea 1.34%. Languages spoken included Amharic (72.64%), Afaan Oromo (10.01%), Gurage (6.45%), Tigrinya (5.41%), and Silt'e 2.29%. In 1994
17402-574: The port town of Asseb in the southeast, as well as the towns of Massawa to the east, the northern town of Keren , and the central town Mendefera . Local variability in rainfall patterns and reduced precipitation are known to occur, which may precipitate soil erosion, floods, droughts, land degradation , and desertification. Eritrea is part of a 14-nation constituency within the Global Environment Facility , which partners with international institutions, civil society organizations, and
17556-439: The predominant religion was also Ethiopian Orthodox with 82.0% of the population, while 12.67% were Muslim , 3.87% Protestant , and 0.78% Catholic . According to the 2007 national census, 98.64% of the housing units of Addis Ababa had access to safe drinking water , while 14.9% had flush toilets, 70.7% pit toilets (both ventilated and unventilated), and 14.3% had no toilet facilities. In 2014, there were 63 public toilets in
17710-432: The present-day boundaries of the country. Italian rule continued until 1942 when Eritrea was placed under British Military Administration during World War II; following a UN General Assembly decision in 1952, Eritrea would govern itself with a local Eritrean parliament, but for foreign affairs and defense, it would enter into a federal status with Ethiopia for ten years. However, in 1962, the government of Ethiopia annulled
17864-476: The presidential palace and large-scale tanks were seen entering the area. A new constitution was adapted in 1994 and enacted a year later; while all cities in Ethiopia accountable rule by regional authority, Addis Ababa (Proclamation No 87/1997) and Dire Dawa (Proclamation No 416/2004) remained chartered cities, with mandates for self-governing and developmental centers. The Proclamation No. 112/1995 legitimized privatization of many government buildings, with
18018-541: The private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives. In 2006, Eritrea announced that it would become the first country in the world to turn its entire coast into an environmentally protected zone. The 1,347 km (837 mi) coastline, along with another 1,946 km (1,209 mi) of coast around its more than 350 islands, will come under governmental protection. Based on temperature variations, Eritrea can be broadly divided into three major climate zones:
18172-503: The process to build Sheger City due to inciting mass house demotions that belonged to non-Oromo ethnic group, regional disparity by violating the constitutional rights of Oromo people. Addis Ababa is located in the heart of the Oromia state and the major ecosystem services to the city provided by Oromia state. The city was abandoned by the Oromo since the late 19th century due to its conquest by Menelik. Oromos were physically removed from
18326-439: The proto-Aksumite Iron Age period around the fourth century BC to achieve prominence by the first century AD. According to the medieval Liber Axumae ( Book of Aksum ), Aksum's first capital, Mazaber, was built by Itiyopis, son of Cush. The capital was later moved to Axum in northern Ethiopia. The kingdom used the name "Ethiopia" as early as the fourth century. The Aksumites erected a number of large stelae , which served
18480-456: The railway station to the south end five kilometers long and varied width spanning from 40 to 90 meters. On 5 May 1941, the city was liberated by Major Orde Wingate and Emperor Haile Selassie for Ethiopian Gideon Force and Ethiopian resistance in time to permit Emperor Haile Selassie's return on 5 May 1941, five years to the day after he had left. In the aftermath, Addis Ababa suffered from economic stagnation and rapid population growth,
18634-430: The range of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F). At this time of the year, the city experiences warm temperatures and pleasant rainfall. The long wet season is from June to mid-September; it is the coldest time of the year. This period coincides with summer, but the temperatures are much lower than at other times of year because of the frequent rain and hail and the abundance of cloud cover and fewer hours of sunshine. This time of
18788-780: The revised 1986 master plan in terms of urban area. A controversial plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa, by 1.1 million hectares into the Oromia special zone in April 2014, sparked the Oromo protests on 25 April 2014 against expansion of the boundaries of Addis Ababa. The government responded by shooting at and beating peaceful protesters. This escalated to full blown strikes and street protests on 12 November 2015 by university students in Ginchi town, located 80 km southwest of Addis Ababa city, encircled by Oromia Region. The controversial master plan
18942-527: The sea"). In the 16th century, the Ottomans conquered the Eritrean coastline, then in May 1865 much of the coastal lowlands came under the rule of the Khedivate of Egypt , until it was transferred to Italy in February 1885. Beginning in 1885–1890, Italian troops systematically spread out from Massawa toward the highlands, eventually resulting in the formation of the colony of Italian Eritrea in 1889, establishing
19096-466: The section of the Danakil Depression in Eritrea was a major site in terms of human evolution and may contain other traces of evolution from Homo erectus hominids to anatomically modern humans. During the last interglacial period, the Red Sea coast of Eritrea was occupied by early anatomically modern humans. It is believed that the area was on the route out of Africa that some scholars suggest
19250-548: The sixteenth century. However, they retained control over the seaboard until the late 1800s. The central Eritrean highlands then became a vassal fiefdom of the lords of Tigray, who were seldom on good terms with the dominant Amhara branch of the Ethiopian family. In 1734, the Afar leader Kedafu, established the Mudaito Dynasty in Ethiopia, which later also came to include the southern Denkel lowlands of Eritrea, thus incorporating
19404-560: The southern Denkel lowlands to the Sultanate of Aussa . The sixteenth century also marked the arrival of the Ottomans, who began making inroads in the Red Sea area. Eritrea's pre-colonial period had four distinct regions that were divided by geography, thus, having limited contact with each other. The regions were ruled as follows: the Abyssians (Tigrinya-speaking Christians) in the highlands,
19558-542: The southern end of the Red Sea, is the home of the fork in the rift. The Dahlak Archipelago and its fishing grounds are situated off the sandy arid coastline. Eritrea may be split into three ecoregions . A hot arid coastal plain extends along the coast. The coastal plain is narrow in the west and widens towards the east. These coastal lowlands are part of the Djibouti xeric shrublands ecoregion. The cooler, more fertile highlands reach up to 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and are
19712-567: The southern part of the city. Marien's difference to the previous Italian master plan was the use of single monumental axis while they used the double one. Haile Selassie also helped to form the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, which was later dissolved in 2002 and replaced by the African Union (AU), which is also headquartered in the city, airports and industrial parks. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa founded in 1958, also has its headquarters in Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa
19866-590: The sphere of influence of the Ethiopian Empire . The area was at first known as Ma'ikele Bahri ("between the seas/rivers", i.e. the land between the Red Sea and the Mereb river ). The entire coastal domain of Ma'ikele Bahri was under the Adal Sultanate during the reign of Sultan Badlay ibn Sa'ad ad-Din . The state was later reconquered by the Ethiopian Emperor Zara Yaqob who reorganized
20020-407: The subtropical thorn woodland biome. Rainfall patterns differ from month to month with highest precipitation in July and August, and lower precipitation in other months. Asmara has warm, but not hot summers and mild winters. Due to its 2,325-metre (7,628 ft) altitude, temperatures are relatively mild for a city located not particularly far from the hotter surroundings in the country. This climate
20174-437: The three months combined. Due to variable rainfall, Asmara's climate is also characterized by drought. Several prolonged droughts in this region have occurred beginning in the 1960s and have recurred each decade since then. During periods of drought, temperatures are high and little rainfall occurs. As temperatures in a region increase, the rate of evaporation of water from the soil also increases. These combined processes result in
20328-461: The very recent discovery of a large medieval town overlooking Addis Ababa located between rock-hewn Washa Mikael and the more modern church of Entoto Maryam, founded in the late 19th century. Dubbed the Pentagon, the 30-hectare site incorporates a castle with 12 towers, along with 520 meters of stone walls measuring up to 5-meter high. The city's immediate predecessor as the capital of Ethiopia, Entoto,
20482-600: The vicinity of the city during the Haile Selassie and Derg eras. Article 49(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia states: "The special interest of the State of Oromia in Addis Ababa, regarding the provision of social services or the utilization of natural resources and other similar matters, as well as joint administrative matters arising from the location of Addis Ababa within
20636-670: The west of the plateau stretches a vast semi-arid hilly terrain continuing all the way towards the border with Sudan through the Gash-Barka Region . Asmara has a cool semi-arid climate ( BSk ) according to the Köppen climate classification . It has year-round moderately warm weather, with recorded temperatures ranging between a minimum of −4.5 °C or 23.9 °F and a maximum of 31.0 °C or 87.8 °F. It has an average humidity of 51% and an UV-index of 6. Holdridge life zones system of bioclimatic classification put Asmara in or near
20790-447: The year is characterised by dark, chilly and wet days and nights. The autumn which follows is a transitional period between the wet and dry seasons. The highest temperature on record was 30.6 °C (87.1 °F) 26 February 2019, while the lowest temperature on record was 0 °C (32 °F), recorded on multiple occasions. As of the 2007 population census conducted by the Ethiopian national statistics authorities, Addis Ababa has
20944-409: Was added as the eleventh sub-city of Addis Ababa in 2020 Addis Ababa has a subtropical highland climate ( Köppen : Cwb ) with precipitation varying considerably by the month. The city has a complex mix of alpine climate zones, with temperature differences of up to 10 °C (18 °F), depending on elevation and prevailing wind patterns. The high elevation moderates temperatures year-round, and
21098-405: Was admitted into the United Nations as the 182nd member state. Eritrea is located in East Africa . It is bordered to the northeast and east by the Red Sea , Sudan to the west, Ethiopia to the south, and Djibouti to the southeast. Eritrea lies between latitudes 12° and 18°N, and longitudes 36° and 44°E. The country is virtually bisected by a branch of the East African Rift . Eritrea, at
21252-587: Was also the site of the Council of the Oriental Orthodox Churches in 1965. Pankhurst (1962) noted in a survey of total land of 212 square kilometers, 58% owned by 1,768, owing to 10,000 square meters, and 12% were given to church whereas other small areas were still acquired in the name of posthumous nobilities such as Dejazemach Wube Haile Mariam , Fitawrari Aba Koran, and a bridge named "Fitawrari Habtegiorgis" after Habte Giyorgis Dinagde . According to
21406-666: Was an important seat of religious power. In the seventh century AD, early Muslims from Mecca , at least companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , sought refuge from Qurayshi persecution by travelling to the kingdom, a journey known in Islamic history as the First Hijrah . They reportedly built the first African mosque , that is the Mosque of the Companions in Massawa. The kingdom
21560-424: Was cancelled on 12 January 2016. By that time, 140 protesters were killed. United Nations Population Projections estimated the population of metro area of Addis Ababa to be 5,228,000 in 2022, a 4.43% increase from 2021. During Abiy Ahmed 's premiership, Addis Ababa and its vicinities underwent Beautifying Sheger . This project is aimed to enhance the green coverage and beauty of the city. In 2018, Abiy initiated
21714-734: Was chosen by the Italian government to be the industrial center of Italian East Africa. After 1935, art deco architecture was widely employed in Asmara. The Italians designed more than 400 buildings in a construction boom that only halted with Italy's involvement in World War II . These included the Fiat Tagliero Building and Cinema Impero . In 2017, the city was declared a World Heritage Site , described by UNESCO as featuring eclectic and rationalist built forms, well-defined open spaces, and public and private buildings, including cinemas, shops, banks, religious structures, public and private offices, industrial facilities, and residences . ) Through
21868-514: Was depicted standing between Mount Zuqualla and Menegasha on a map drawn by the Italian cartographer Fra Mauro in around 1450, and it was razed and plundered by Ahmed Gragn while the imperial army was trapped on the south of the Awash River in 1529, an event witnessed and documented two years later by the Yemeni writer Arab-Faqih. The suggestion that Barara was located on Mount Entoto is supported by
22022-422: Was encouraged to draw ring roads characterized by radial shapes to channel traffic pathway from the central area. His careful master plan of a major traffic route was completed by segregating neighborhood units, as he extracted from his 1943 London traffic problem. In 1959, the British consultant team named Bolton Hennessy and Partners commissioned an improvement of Abercrombie's 1954–1956 satellite towns. From
22176-533: Was established by Menelik II in 1884. In addition, he had used it for a garrison base. Menelik, initially the King of the Shewa province, had found Mount Entoto a useful base for military operations in the south of his realm, and in 1879 he visited the reputed ruins of the medieval town and the unfinished rock church. His interest in the area grew when his wife Taytu began work on a church on Mount Entoto, and Menelik endowed
22330-402: Was first formally adopted in 1890, with the formation of Italian Eritrea ( Colonia Eritrea ). The name persisted throughout subsequent British and Ethiopian occupation, and was reaffirmed by the 1993 independence referendum and 1997 constitution . Madam Buya is the name of a fossil found at an archaeological site in Eritrea by Italian anthropologists. She has been identified as among
22484-401: Was more dispersed.) The capital acquired an Italian architectural look . Europeans used Asmara "to experiment with radical new designs". By the late 1930s, Asmara was called Piccola Roma (Little Rome). Journalist John Gunther noted in 1955 that "the Italians built [Asmara] well, like Tripoli , with handsome wide streets, ornate public buildings, and even such refinements of civilization as
22638-482: Was now Addis Ababa , over 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) to the south. In 1961, Emperor Haile Selassie I ended the "federal" arrangement and declared the territory to be the 14th province of the Ethiopian Empire . Ethiopia's biggest ally was the United States. The city was home to the US Army 's Kagnew Station installation from 1943 until 1977. The Eritrean War of Independence began in 1961 and ended in 1991, resulting in
22792-727: Was shut down in 2006, following the opening of a university at Mai Nefhi . During the period of Ethiopian Federation and annexation, the university was also linked with what was then the nation's largest tertiary institution, Addis Ababa University . Secondary School's Asmara is divided into 13 districts or administrative areas. These districts are subdivided into North, North-West, North-East, South-East, South-West, East, West and Central areas. The thirteen districts (or Neous Zobas ) are: Eritrea Eritrea ( / ˌ ɛr ɪ ˈ t r iː ə / ERR -ih- TREE -ə or /- ˈ t r eɪ -/ - TRAY - ; , pronounced [ʔer(ɨ)trä] ), officially
22946-453: Was successfully deposed from office in 1974 by a group of police officers. Later, the group named themselves Derg , officially "Provisional Military Administrative Council" (PMAC). The city had only 10 woredas. After the Derg came to power, roughly two-third of housing stock transferred to rental housing. The population growth declined from 6.5% to 3.7%. In 1975, the Derg nationalized "extra" rental structures built by private stockholders. As
23100-592: Was the existing imperial government, was to control foreign affairs (including commerce), defense, finance, and transportation. The resolution ignored the wishes of Eritreans for independence but guaranteed the population democratic rights and a measure of autonomy. In 1958, a group of Eritreans founded the Eritrean Liberation Movement (ELM). The organization mainly consisted of Eritrean students, professionals, and intellectuals. It engaged in clandestine political activities intended to cultivate resistance to
23254-462: Was the first person to embark the city's master plan during the Derg period with assistance of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing. He used two formula concentrating an integration Addis Ababa with suburbs of rural areas and developing inner-city. Polonyi also worked to redesign Meskel Square , which was renamed Abiyot Square by the time, implemented immediately after the name change. In 1986,
23408-411: Was the most powerful figure in the city following his appointment in 1917. He transformed the city by recognizing the importance of modernization and urbanization, and he distributed wealth to support emerging class. From this point, Ras Tafari gained a legitimate power as regency council in 1918. By 1926 and 1927, a large-scale economic revolution occurred, a surplus of coffee production began growing as
23562-497: Was typically made of circular huts; walls were constructed with mud (Amharic: ጭቃ, cheka ) and straw plastered on a wooden frame and thatched roofs. Addis Ababa's growth rate began with early rapid urbanization without preplanned intention. This was the time where nobilities embarked on concentrated permanent settlement, and altered by social patterns; i.e. each neighborhoods ( sefer ) was located on higher grounds, noncontiguous from adjacent settlements. The early social milieu contributed
23716-669: Was used by early humans to colonize the rest of the Old World. In 1999, the Eritrean Research Project Team composed of Eritrean, Canadian, American, Dutch, and French scientists discovered a Paleolithic site with stone and obsidian tools dated to more than 125,000 years old near the Gulf of Zula south of Massawa , along the Red Sea littoral. The tools are believed to have been used by early humans to harvest marine resources such as clams and oysters. Research shows tools found in
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