Aseb or Assab
[key], town, Eritrea, on the Red Sea. Ethiopia's most important port before Eritrean
independence (1993), it continued, through agreements with Eritrea, to handle much of
Ethiopia's foreign trade until the border war with Ethiopia brought about the port's closure.
The town has a petroleum refinery (1967). Once the terminus of caravans from the interior of
Ethiopia, Aseb was acquired by a private Italian shipping company in 1869. In 1882 it was
taken over by the Italian government, and in 1890 Aseb was included in the colony of
Eritrea.
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