Central Region (Tigrinya: ዞባ ማእከል, ), also known as the Ma'ekel or Maakel Region, is an administrative region of Eritrea, located in central Eritrea. The region was formed on 15 April 1996, from the historical province of Hamasien. The region is located on the central plateau, and sits at an average of about above sea level. It contains Asmara, the capital and largest city of Eritrea. Central is the smallest region in Eritrea, and contains the major city and national capital, Asmara. As of 2005, the region had a population of 675,700 compared to a population of 595,900 in 2001. The net growth rate was 11.81 per cent. The total area of the province was 1300.00 km2 and the density was 519.77 persons per km2. Geography Central is the smallest region in Eritrea, and contains the major city and national capital, Asmara. Maekel is situated inland, and borders Anseba to the north-west, the Northern Red Sea region to the north-east, the Debub (Southern) region to the south, and Gash-Barka to the west. Much of the architecture in the region reflects Italian colonial influences. The topography of the region has highland plateau, which are cooler than the regions around the coastal plains. There are two rainy seasons, the heavier one during summer and the lighter one during spring. The climate and geography of the region along with other regions of Eritrea is similar to the one of Ethiopia. The average elevation in the region is around to . The hottest month is May recording temperatures up to , while the coldest month is December to February when it reaches freezing temperature. The region received around of rainfall and the soil is conducive for agriculture. Demographics As of 2002, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR), defined as the children per woman was 3.4. The General Fertility Rate (GFR), defined as the births per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 45 remained at 109.0. The Crude Birth Rate (CBR), the number of births per 1,000 population, was 27.0. The percentage of women pregnant as of 2002 out of the total population was 7.1 per cent. The mean number of children ever born stood at 4.8. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), defined as the number of deaths of children for every 1,000 born was 39.0 while the Child Mortality Rate (CMR), defined as the number of child deaths for every 1,000 children 5