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ASMARA , the capital of theSee also: Italian colony of See also: Eritrea, N.E
.
See also: Africa
.
It is built on the Hamasen See also: plateau, near its eastern edge, at an See also: elevation of 7800 ft., and is some 40 M
.
W.S.W. in a See also: direct See also: line of the seaport of See also: Massawa
.
Pop
.
(1904) about 9000, including the garrison of 300 Italian soldiers, and some r000 native troops
.
The See also: European See also: civil population numbers over 500; the rest of the inhabitants are chiefly Abyssinians
.
There is a small See also: Mahommedan colony
.
The See also: town is strongly fortified
.
The European quarter contains several See also: fine public buildings, including the residence of the governor, See also: club See also: house, barracks and hospital
.
Fort Baldissera is built on a See also: hill to the
See also: south-west of the town and is considered impregnable
.
Asmara, an Amharic word signifying " See also: good pasture place," is a town of considerable antiquity
.
It was included in the maritime province ofSee also: northern See also: Abyssinia, which was governed by a See also: viceroy who See also: bore the title of Bahar-nagash (ruler of the See also: sea)
.
By the Abyssinians the Hamasen plateau was known as the plain of the thousand villages
.
Asmara appears to have been one of the most prosperous of these villages, and to have attained commercial importance through being on the high road from Axum to Massawa
.
When See also: Werner See also: Munzinger (q.v.) became French See also: consul at Massawa, he entered into a scheme for annexing the Hamasen (of which Asmara was then the capital) to See also: France, but the outbreak of the war with See also: Germany in 1870 brought the project to nought (cf
.
A
.
B
.
Wylde, See also: Modern Abyssinia, 1901)
.
In 1872 Munzinger, now in See also: Egyptian service, annexed Asmara to the khedivial dominions, but in 1884, owing to the rise of the See also: mandi,See also: Egypt evacuated her Abyssinian provinces and Asmara was chosen by See also: Ras Alula, the representative of the See also: negus Johannes (See also: King
See also: John), as his headquarters
.
Shortly afterwards the Italians occupied Massawa, and in 1889 Asmara (see ABYSSINIA:
See also: History)
.
In 1900 the seat of See also: government was transferred from Massawa to Asmara, which in its modern See also: form is the creation of the Italians
.
It is surrounded by See also: rich agricultural lands, cultivated in See also: part by Italian immigrants, and is a busy trading centre
.
A railway from Massawa to Asmara was completed as far as Ghinda,
at the See also: foot of fhe plateau, in 1904
.
At Medrizien, 6 m. See also: north of Asmara, are gold-mines which have been partially worked
.
See G
.
Dainelli, In Africa
.
Lettere dall' Eritrea (See also: Bergamo, 1908) ; R
.
Perini, Di qua dal Mareb (Florence, 1905)
.
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Assuredly, Asmara is greatlty known for the kaledioscope life of its cosmpolitans. After 6 o'clock, it is proverbial to look people to move from to with geat whimiscality to meet their friends and then to take their Cappucinos together. Hence, I like this article for it has provied such a scintillia information on Asmara.
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