Assab
| Assab ዓሰብ, ʿAsäb (in Tigrinya) عصب (in Arabic) | |
|---|---|
| City | |
  Assab Location in Eritrea | |
| Coordinates: 13°00′28″N 42°44′28″E / 13.00778°N 42.74111°E | |
| Country |
 Eritrea |
| Region | Southern Red Sea |
| District | Southern Denkalya |
| Elevation | 16 m (52 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 20,222 |
| Climate | BWh |
Assab or Aseb (Tigrinya: ዓሰብ?, ʿAsäb; Arabic: عصب) is a port city in the Southern Red Sea Region of Eritrea. It is situated on the west coast of the Red Sea. Languages spoken in Assab are predominately Afar, Tigrinya, and Arabic.[1]
Overview
Assab is known for its large market, beaches and nightlife. It is served by the Assab International Airport.
In 1989, Assab had a population of 39,600 inhabitants. It possessed an oil refinery, which was shut down in 1997 for economic reasons. Until 1998, Ethiopia used Assab as port to process 2/3rd of its trade with the world. Ever since and due to closed borders between Eritrea and Ethiopia, both the port and the port town lost most of their relevance. In 2005, an estimate placed the population of Assab at 20.222 inhabitants. In 2008, following a border dispute with neighbouring Djibouti and consequently an unsafe border between both parties, which saw forces from Qatar acting as mediators in a buffer zone, the role of Assab diminished further. Nearby is the site of the ancient city of Arsinoe.
Climate
Assab has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) typical of the Danakil Region. The climate is arid, extremely hot. The city receives low average annual rainfall of 40 mm (1.57 in). It experiences high temperatures both during the day and during the night. The annual mean average temperature approaches 31 °C (87.8 °F).
| Climate data for Assab (1961–1990, extremes 1937–1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.0 (98.6) |
37.0 (98.6) |
40.0 (104) |
43.0 (109.4) |
43.2 (109.8) |
44.2 (111.6) |
45.0 (113) |
44.4 (111.9) |
45.0 (113) |
41.0 (105.8) |
39.0 (102.2) |
36.5 (97.7) |
45.0 (113) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 31.3 (88.3) |
31.7 (89.1) |
33.8 (92.8) |
36.0 (96.8) |
37.0 (98.6) |
38.0 (100.4) |
39.6 (103.3) |
39.1 (102.4) |
37.4 (99.3) |
36.5 (97.7) |
33.9 (93) |
31.6 (88.9) |
35.5 (95.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.3 (79.3) |
26.7 (80.1) |
28.5 (83.3) |
30.5 (86.9) |
32.0 (89.6) |
33.1 (91.6) |
35.0 (95) |
34.6 (94.3) |
32.9 (91.2) |
31.2 (88.2) |
28.8 (83.8) |
26.9 (80.4) |
30.5 (86.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.2 (73.8) |
25.1 (77.2) |
27.0 (80.6) |
28.5 (83.3) |
30.3 (86.5) |
29.9 (85.8) |
28.5 (83.3) |
26.0 (78.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
22.2 (72) |
25.6 (78.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 8.9 (48) |
8.9 (48) |
10.0 (50) |
9.0 (48.2) |
14.4 (57.9) |
17.5 (63.5) |
19.6 (67.3) |
19.9 (67.8) |
16.0 (60.8) |
15.0 (59) |
11.0 (51.8) |
10.0 (50) |
8.9 (48) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 4.0 (0.157) |
6.7 (0.264) |
1.8 (0.071) |
3.6 (0.142) |
1.7 (0.067) |
0.2 (0.008) |
6.9 (0.272) |
2.8 (0.11) |
1.1 (0.043) |
1.0 (0.039) |
4.5 (0.177) |
4.8 (0.189) |
39.1 (1.539) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 62 | 68 | 61 | 54 | 58 | 57 | 50 | 54 | 62 | 54 | 55 | 61 | 58 |
| Source #1: NOAA,[2] Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity, 1937–1970)[3] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)[4] | |||||||||||||
History
In 1869 it was bought by the Rubattino Shipping Company of Italy from the local Sultan.[5] This laid the foundations for the formation of the colony of Italian Eritrea which became the independent country of Eritrea.
Economy
The port facilities were greatly expanded in the early 1990s, with the construction of the new terminal, but the port has declined since trade with Ethiopia was terminated in 1998 as a consequence of the Eritrean-Ethiopian War. The United Arab Emirates reportedly uses the port and airport for logistics, and as a detention center.[6][7]
References
- ↑ Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 volumes]: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society.
- ↑ "Assab Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Klimatafel von Assab (Aseb) / Eritrea" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
- ↑ "Station Assab" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ↑ The Ethiopians: An Introduction to Country and People, second edition (London: Oxford University Press, 1965), p. 90. ISBN 0-19-285061-X.
- ↑ "Has Eritrea's migration problem been exaggerated?". BBC.
- ↑ "Yemen: UAE Backs Abusive Local Forces". Human Rights Watch. June 22, 2017.
Human Rights Watch was not able to verify these claims, but according to lawyers and activists, as well as relatives of men who had been disappeared, the UAE was transferring high-level detainees outside of Yemen. According to one of the activists, about 15 people accused of being members of AQAP or IS-Y had been transferred to the base the UAE has been developing in Eritrea’s port city, Assab, over the past two years. A man whose relatives had been disappeared said at least five officials told him the UAE transferred the men outside of Yemen, including three who said the men were being held in Eritrea.
External links
-
"Assab". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
Coordinates: 13°01′N 42°44′E / 13.017°N 42.733°E