Kemekem
Encyclopedia
Kemekem is one of the 105 woreda
s in the Amhara Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Debub Gondar Zone
, Kemekem is bordered on the south by the Reb
which separates it from Fogera
, on the west by Lake Tana
, on the north by the Semien Gondar Zone
, and on the east by Ebenat
. The administrative center is Addis Zemen
; other towns include Amba Meda and Yifag.
Rivers in this woreda include the Arno and the Reb, which drain into Lake Tana. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 51% is arable or cultivable, 8.3% pasture, 5.9% forest or shrubland, 17.98% covered with water, and the remaining 17.03% is considered degraded or other. Teff
, corn
, sorghum
, cotton
and sesame
are important cash crops.
The woreda of Kemekem was heavily affected by the flash floods in Ethiopia that started 6 September and receded by 26 September 2006. The heavy rain caused Lake Tana to overflow its banks, making thousands of people homeless. "Thousands of heads of cattle
, whole silos of grain, and significant tracts of grazing and farmland have been washed away," according to IRIN.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 198,435, a decrease of 9.97% from the 1994 census, of whom 100,987 are men and 97,448 women; 22,054 or 11.11% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 999.71 square kilometers, Kemekem has a population density of 198.49, which is greater than the Zone average of 145.56 persons per square kilometer. A total of 45,399 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.37 persons to a household, and 43,836 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 212,341 in 44,156 households, of whom 110,015 were men and 102,326 were women; 12,515 or 5.89% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Kemekem was the Amhara
(99.82%). Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 99.86%. The majority of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity with 95.57% practicing that belief, while 4.35% 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 Gondar Zone
Debub Gondar Zone
Debub Gondar is a Zone in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. This zone is named for the city of Gondar, which was the capital of Ethiopia until the mid-19th century, and has often been used as a name for the local province....
, Kemekem is bordered on the south by the Reb
Reb River
Reb River is a river of north-central Ethiopia which empties into Lake Tana at . The river originates on the slopes of Mount Guna, and flows west through Kemekem woreda. It has no significant tributaries.R.E...
which separates it from Fogera
Fogera
Fogera is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debub Gondar Zone, Fogera is bordered on the south by Dera, on the west by Lake Tana, on the north by the Reb which separates it from Kemekem, and on the east by Farta. The administrative center for this woreda is...
, on the west by Lake Tana
Lake Tana
Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia...
, on the north by the Semien Gondar Zone
Semien Gondar Zone
Semien Gondar is a Zone in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. This Zone is named for the city of Gondar, the capital of Ethiopia until the mid-19th century, which has often been used as a name for the 20th century province of Begemder....
, and on the east by Ebenat
Ebenat (woreda)
Ebenat is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the former district that lay roughly in the same area; the woreda itself dates from the mid 1960s...
. The administrative center is Addis Zemen
Addis Zemen
Addis Zemen is a town in northern-central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, on the road connecting Gondar and Bahir Dar, Addis Zemen has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 1975 meters above sea level...
; other towns include Amba Meda and Yifag.
Rivers in this woreda include the Arno and the Reb, which drain into Lake Tana. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 51% is arable or cultivable, 8.3% pasture, 5.9% forest or shrubland, 17.98% covered with water, and the remaining 17.03% is considered degraded or other. Teff
Teff
Eragrostis tef, known as teff, taf , or khak shir , is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the northern Ethiopian Highlands of Northeast Africa....
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
, cotton
Cotton production in Ethiopia
Cotton is grown throughout Ethiopia at elevations above 1000 meters and below 1400 meters. Because most of the lowlands lack adequate rainfall, cotton cultivation depends largely on irrigation.-History:...
and sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
are important cash crops.
History
The village of Bura, outside of Addis Zemen, was struck by an outbreak of Kala Azar in May 2005, which infected 230 people there.The woreda of Kemekem was heavily affected by the flash floods in Ethiopia that started 6 September and receded by 26 September 2006. The heavy rain caused Lake Tana to overflow its banks, making thousands of people homeless. "Thousands of heads of cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, whole silos of grain, and significant tracts of grazing and farmland have been washed away," according to IRIN.
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 198,435, a decrease of 9.97% from the 1994 census, of whom 100,987 are men and 97,448 women; 22,054 or 11.11% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 999.71 square kilometers, Kemekem has a population density of 198.49, which is greater than the Zone average of 145.56 persons per square kilometer. A total of 45,399 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.37 persons to a household, and 43,836 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 212,341 in 44,156 households, of whom 110,015 were men and 102,326 were women; 12,515 or 5.89% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Kemekem was 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...
(99.82%). 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 99.86%. The majority of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity with 95.57% practicing that belief, while 4.35% 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...
.