Asmara, << az MAHR uh, >> is the capital and largest city of Eritrea. About 1,000,000 people live there. It lies in central Eritrea, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) west of the Red Sea. The city has areas of tree-lined streets, expensive homes called villas, and large public buildings. By contrast, some people live in slum areas. A Roman Catholic cathedral, a large Eastern Orthodox church, and the city’s major mosque stand near the center of the city. Many of the city’s buildings date from the early 1900’s, when Eritrea was a colonial possession of Italy. The main industries in Asmara include tanning, textile production, and the processing of agricultural goods. A railroad connects Asmara with Massawa, a port on the Red Sea. Asmara has an airport.
The site of Asmara was a small village until the late 1800’s. It became the center for the Italian colonial government in 1897. The United Kingdom occupied Asmara from 1941 to 1952, when Eritrea became part of Ethiopia. In 1993, following a 30-year civil war between Eritrean rebels and the Ethiopian government, Eritrea gained formal independence.
