Medebay Zana
Encyclopedia
Medebay Zana is one of the 36 woreda
s in the Tigray Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mi'irabawi Zone
, Medebay Zana is bordered on the south by the Tekezé River
which separates Tahtay Adiyabo from Tselemti
, on the southwest by Asigede Tsimbela
, on the northwest by Tahtay Koraro
, on the north by La'ilay Adiyabo
, and on the east by the Mehakelegnaw (Central) Zone
. The administrative center of this woreda is Seleh Leha
; other towns in Medebay Zana include Debre Kerbe.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 125,028, an increase of 97,237 over the 1994 census, of whom 61,977 are men and 63,051 women; 10,526 or 8.42% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,685.12 square kilometers, Medebay Zana has a population density of 46.56 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 40.21. A total of 27,689 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.52 persons to a household, and 26,918 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 97,237, of whom 47,973 were men and 49,264 were women; 6,304 or 6.48% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Medebay Zena was the Tigrayan
(99.89%), and Tigrinya
was spoken as a first language by 99.93%. The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 97.82% reporting that as their religion, while 1.89% were Muslim
. Concerning education
, 10.15% of the population were considered literate, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.01%; 10.34% of the children aged 7-12 were in primary school, which is less than the Zone average of 11.34%; 0.31% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, which is also less than the Zone average of 0.65%; and 0.08% of the children aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school, which is less than the Zone average of 0.51%. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 49% of the urban houses and 9% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 11% of the urban and 4% of all houses had toilet facilities.
, and 2.47% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 86.96% is planted in cereals, 5.94% in pulses, 0.93% in oilseeds, 0.34% in vegetables, and 0.14% in root crops. The number of hectares planted in fruit trees is missing. 79.51% of the farmers both raise crops and livestock, while 19.03% only grow crops and 1.46% only raise livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 85.61% owning their land, and 13.21% rent; the numbers for those who held their land under other forms of tenure are missing.
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 Tigray Region
Tigray Region
Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine ethnic regions of Ethiopia containing the homeland of the Tigray people. It was formerly known as Region 1...
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 Mi'irabawi Zone
Mi'irabawi Zone
Mi'irabawi is one of four Zones in the Ethiopian Tigray Region. Mi'irabawi is bordered on the east by the Mehakelegnaw Zone, the south by the Amhara Region, the west by Sudan and on the north by Eritrea...
, Medebay Zana is bordered on the south by the Tekezé River
Tekezé River
The Tekezé River, also known as the Takkaze River, is a major river of Ethiopia, and forms a section the westernmost border of Ethiopia and Eritrea for part of its course. The river is also known as the Setit in Eritrea, western Ethiopia, and eastern Sudan. According to materials published by the...
which separates Tahtay Adiyabo from Tselemti
Tselemti
Tselemti is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The woreda name is derived from the name of the former province Tselemt, which also lay between the Tekezé River and the Semien Mountains....
, on the southwest by Asigede Tsimbela
Asigede Tsimbela
Asegede Tsimbela is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mi'irabawi Zone, Asegede Tsimbela is bordered along the south by the Tekezé River which separates the woreda on the south from Tselemti and to the west by Wolqayt, then on the northwest by La'ilay Adiyabo, on...
, on the northwest by Tahtay Koraro
Tahtay Koraro
Tahtay Koraro is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mi'irabawi Zone, Tahtay Koraro is bordered on the southwest by Asigede Tsimbela, on the north by La'ilay Adiyabo, and on the southeast by Medebay Zana...
, on the north by La'ilay Adiyabo
La'ilay Adiyabo
La'ilay Adiyabo is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mi'irabawi Zone, La'ilay Adiyabo is bordered on the south by Tahtay Koraro, on the southwest by Asigede Tsimbela, on the northwest by Tahtay Adiyabo, on the northeast by the Mareb River which separates it from...
, and on the east by the Mehakelegnaw (Central) Zone
Mehakelegnaw Zone
Mehakelegnaw is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Mehakelegnaw is bordered on the east by Misraqawi , on the south by Debubawi , on the west by Mirabawi and on the north by Eritrea...
. The administrative center of this woreda is Seleh Leha
Seleh Leha
Seleh Leha is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Mirabawi Zone of the Tigray Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2107 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Medebay Zana woreda.This town serves as the primary market center for much...
; other towns in Medebay Zana include Debre Kerbe.
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 125,028, an increase of 97,237 over the 1994 census, of whom 61,977 are men and 63,051 women; 10,526 or 8.42% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,685.12 square kilometers, Medebay Zana has a population density of 46.56 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 40.21. A total of 27,689 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.52 persons to a household, and 26,918 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 97,237, of whom 47,973 were men and 49,264 were women; 6,304 or 6.48% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Medebay Zena was the Tigrayan
Tigray-Tigrinya people
Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in the southern, central and northern parts of Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopia's Tigray province. They also live in Ethiopia's former provinces of Begemder and Wollo, which are today mostly part of Amhara Region, though a few regions...
(99.89%), and Tigrinya
Tigrinya language
Tigrinya , also spelled Tigrigna, Tigrnia, Tigrina, Tigriña, less commonly Tigrinian, Tigrinyan, is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigrinya people in central Eritrea , where it is one of the two main languages of Eritrea, and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia , where it...
was spoken as a first language by 99.93%. The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 97.82% reporting that as their religion, while 1.89% 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...
. Concerning education
Education in Ethiopia
Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the provision of schools and...
, 10.15% of the population were considered literate, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.01%; 10.34% of the children aged 7-12 were in primary school, which is less than the Zone average of 11.34%; 0.31% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, which is also less than the Zone average of 0.65%; and 0.08% of the children aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school, which is less than the Zone average of 0.51%. Concerning sanitary conditions
Water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia
Access to water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia is amongst the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa and the entire world. While access has increased substantially with funding from external aid, much still remains to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the share of people...
, about 49% of the urban houses and 9% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 11% of the urban and 4% of all houses had toilet facilities.
Agriculture
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 23,161 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 0.77 hectares of land. Of the 17,723 hectares of private land surveyed, 94.58% was under cultivation, 0.34% pasture, 2.52% fallow, 0.1% woodlandForestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and 2.47% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 86.96% is planted in cereals, 5.94% in pulses, 0.93% in oilseeds, 0.34% in vegetables, and 0.14% in root crops. The number of hectares planted in fruit trees is missing. 79.51% of the farmers both raise crops and livestock, while 19.03% only grow crops and 1.46% only raise livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 85.61% owning their land, and 13.21% rent; the numbers for those who held their land under other forms of tenure are missing.