Eritrea did not exist as a sovereign nation until May 24, 1993. Before that, it was a province of Ethiopia following a 30-year war of independence that began in 1961 and ended in 1991 with Eritrean forces defeating the Ethiopian army. The independence referendum came in 1993, and Eritrea took its place in the international order with its own flag, its own currency, and its own timezone: East Africa Time, UTC+3.

The choice was simple. UTC+3 was already the timezone in use throughout the territory during Ethiopian administration, and it aligned with the broader East African region. No adjustment was needed.

Asmara: the art deco capital

The capital Asmara sits at 2,300 meters above sea level in the Eritrean highlands. It is famous in architectural circles for its extraordinary concentration of Italian modernist and art deco buildings from the Italian colonial period (1890-1941). The city has a miniature Italian rationalist cinema, a futurist petrol station shaped like an airplane, a fiat garage that looks like it belongs in Milan circa 1938.

Italy colonized Eritrea in 1890, transforming Asmara from a small village into a showcase colonial capital. They installed a cableway to carry goods 75 kilometers down to the port of Massawa, one of the longest in the world when built. The infrastructure ran on Italian time and Italian administration. After the British arrived in 1941 during World War II and drove the Italians out, the territory shifted to British administration and British organizational time.

Asmara’s UNESCO World Heritage designation, granted in 2017, describes the city as “a testimony to modernity” that documents the colonial encounter between Italian futurism and the East African landscape.

The isolation clock

Eritrea under President Isaias Afwerki, who has governed since independence, is one of the world’s most isolated countries. There is no independent press. The country has one of the highest rates of military conscription anywhere in the world, with national service lasting indefinitely for many citizens. This has driven significant emigration, particularly to Sudan and Europe.

The effect on timekeeping is indirect: Eritrea does not have strong telecommunications infrastructure, and access to accurate internet time is limited outside urban areas. In many rural communities, the local reading of the sun continues to set the practical rhythm of the day more than any UTC standard.

The Dahlak Archipelago

Eritrea controls the Dahlak Archipelago, a scatter of islands in the Red Sea off the coast of Massawa. The islands are officially part of Eritrean territory and share the UTC+3 timezone. They are also one of the world’s least visited places, accessible only with special permits.

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