Massawa, also known as Mits'iwa, city in northeastern Eritrea, a seaport on the Red Sea, near Asmara (Asmera). The city lies partly on the mainland and partly on several islands off the coast. The harbor is formed by a channel between one of the islands and the mainland. Important industries include the production of marine salt, glue making, and fishing. For many centuries Massawa was a dominion of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), and between the 16th and 18th centuries it was an Ottoman Turkish possession. In 1864 it was ceded to Egypt. Massawa was occupied (1885) by Italian troops and became part of Eritrea, of which it was the capital for several years. In 1941, during World War II, Massawa was taken by the British. It remained under British administration until 1952, when, following a decision of the United Nations General Assembly, Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia; ten years later, Eritrea was united with Ethiopia. In 1993 Eritrea declared itself an independent nation after fighting a 30-year war for secession from Ethiopia. Population (1989 estimate) 19,400.
