Assab
| Assab ዓሰብ, ʿAsäb (Tigrinya) عصب (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 (2012) | |
| • Total | 101,284 |
| 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 possesses an oil refinery, which was shut down in 1997 for economic reasons. 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.
References
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=YjoVCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA433&lpg=PA433&dq=languages+spoken+in+Assab&source=bl&ots=fKlAV1xrme&sig=Iz75kqkSAt81SZR_74M_zEeslqc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjioNj41LDNAhVV_mMKHXTHArk4FBDoAQggMAE#v=onepage&q=languages%20spoken%20in%20Assab&f=false
- ↑ "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.
External links
-
"Assab". New International Encyclopedia. 1905.
Coordinates: 13°01′N 42°44′E / 13.017°N 42.733°E