Debre Sina (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Debre Sina is one of the 105 woreda
s in the Amhara Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Debub Wollo Zone
, Debre Sina is bordered on the south by Wegde
, on the west by the Abbay River which separates it from the Misraq Gojjam Zone
, on the north by Sayint
, and on the east by Legambo
. The administrative center is Mekane Selam
; other towns in Debre Sina include Amsale Genet.
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 500 meters above sea level at the bottom of the canyon of the Abay to 3200 meters in the northeast corner. Rivers include the Defarsa, Donqoto, Endras, Lagadaba, and Yashum. Forested areas include the Denkoro Forest, a forest remnant on the eastern side of Denkoro river gorge with an elevation stretching from 2,400 to 3,000 meters above sea level. The lowest portions are dominated by Podocarpus falcatus and Juniperus procera
, which are replaced with Rapanea
and Dombeya
as the elevation rises, and are in turn replaced by Erica arborea and Hypericum revolutum midway up through the forest, and eventually dominate by the highest portion. Dombeya and Erica are both important for the cultivation of honey
.
The southern part of this woreda was detached in summer 1994 to create Wegde woreda.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 158,209, an increase of 26.44% over the 1994 census, of whom 78,621 are men and 79,588 women; 8,709 or 5.50% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,027.61 square kilometers, Debre Sina has a population density of 153.96, which is greater than the Zone average of 147.58 persons per square kilometer. A total of 37,193 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.25 persons to a household, and 36,006 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 125,126 in 28,461 households, of whom 62,036 were men and 63,090 were women; 5,509 or 4.4% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Were Babu were the Amhara
(98.75%), and the Oromo
(1.19%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.06% of the population. Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 99.87%. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 57.79% having reported they practiced that belief, while 41.99% of the population said they were Muslim
.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Amhara Region
Amhara Region
Amhara is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, containing the homeland of the Amhara people. Previously known as Region 3, its capital is Bahir Dar....
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Part of the Debub Wollo Zone
Debub Wollo Zone
Debub Wollo is one of 10 Zones in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. It acquired its name from the former province of Wollo.Debub Wollo is bordered on the south by Semien Shewa and the Oromia Region, on the west by Mirab Gojjam, on the northwest by Debub Gondar, on the north by Semien Wollo and on the...
, Debre Sina is bordered on the south by Wegde
Wegde
Wegde is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debub Wollo Zone, Wegde is bordered on the south by the Walaqa River which separates it from the Oromia Region, on the west by the Abay River which separates it from the Misraq Gojjam Zone, on the north by Debre Sina, and...
, on the west by the Abbay River which separates it from the Misraq Gojjam Zone
Misraq Gojjam Zone
Misraq Gojjam is a Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Misraq Gojjam is named after the former province of Gojjam.Misraq Gojjam is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by Mirab Gojjam, on the north by Debub Gondar, and on the east by Debub Wollo; the bend of the Abay River...
, on the north by Sayint
Sayint
Sayint is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the historic district of Sayint...
, and on the east by Legambo
Legambo
Legambo is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. This woreda is named for one of the "Houses" or subgroups of the Wollo Oromo, who was located there...
. The administrative center is Mekane Selam
Mekane Selam
Mekane Selam is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1827 meters above sea level...
; other towns in Debre Sina include Amsale Genet.
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 500 meters above sea level at the bottom of the canyon of the Abay to 3200 meters in the northeast corner. Rivers include the Defarsa, Donqoto, Endras, Lagadaba, and Yashum. Forested areas include the Denkoro Forest, a forest remnant on the eastern side of Denkoro river gorge with an elevation stretching from 2,400 to 3,000 meters above sea level. The lowest portions are dominated by Podocarpus falcatus and Juniperus procera
Juniperus procera
Juniperus procera, commonly known in English as African Juniper or East African Juniper, is a coniferous tree native to the mountains of eastern Africa from eastern Sudan south to Zimbabwe, and the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula...
, which are replaced with Rapanea
Rapanea
Rapanea is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Rapanea acuminata* Rapanea allenii Lundell, Central & South America* Rapanea ceylanica Mez, Sri Lanka endemic* Rapanea coclensis Lundell, Panama endemic...
and Dombeya
Dombeya
Dombeya is a flowering plant genus. Traditionally included in the family Sterculiaceae, it is included in the expanded Malvaceae in the APG and most subsequent systematics. These plants are known by a number of vernacular names which sometimes, misleadingly, allude to the superficial similarity of...
as the elevation rises, and are in turn replaced by Erica arborea and Hypericum revolutum midway up through the forest, and eventually dominate by the highest portion. Dombeya and Erica are both important for the cultivation of honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
.
The southern part of this woreda was detached in summer 1994 to create Wegde woreda.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 national census conducted by the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 158,209, an increase of 26.44% over the 1994 census, of whom 78,621 are men and 79,588 women; 8,709 or 5.50% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,027.61 square kilometers, Debre Sina has a population density of 153.96, which is greater than the Zone average of 147.58 persons per square kilometer. A total of 37,193 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.25 persons to a household, and 36,006 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 125,126 in 28,461 households, of whom 62,036 were men and 63,090 were women; 5,509 or 4.4% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Were Babu were the Amhara
Amhara people
Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...
(98.75%), and the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
(1.19%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.06% of the population. Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
was spoken as a first language by 99.87%. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 57.79% having reported they practiced that belief, while 41.99% of the population said they were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
.