Mirab Gojjam Zone
Encyclopedia
Mirab Gojjam is a Zone in the Amhara Region
of Ethiopia
. Mirab Gojjam is named after the former province of Gojjam
was divided in to two administrative zones by EPRDF (the ruling party). The other half is called Misraq Gojjam
Mirab Gojjam is bordered on the south by the Abay River which separates it from the Oromia Region
, on the west by Agew Awi
, on the northwest by Semien Gondar
, on the north by Lake Tana
, and the Abay River which separates it from the Debub Gondar
, and on the east by Misraq Gojjam
. Its highest point is Mount Amedamit. Towns in Mirab Gojjam include Bahir Dar
, Adet
, Finote Selam
, Bure
and Dembecha
. Bahir Dar is the capital of the zone and it is a zone by itself.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 2,106,596, of whom 1,058,272 are men and 1,048,324 women; with an area of 13,311.94 square kilometers, Mirab Gojjam has a population density of 158.25. While 184,703 or 8.77% are urban inhabitants, one person was reported to be a pastoralist. A total of 480,255 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.39 persons to a household, and 466,491 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 1,779,723 in 374,115 households, of whom 897,215 were men and 882,508 women; 107,238 or 6.03% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic group reported in Mirab Gojjam was the Amhara
(99.43%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.57% of the population. Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 99.46%; the remaining 0.54% spoke all other primary languages reported. 98.28% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.59% of the population said they were Muslim
.
According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank
memorandum, 6% of the inhabitants of Mirab Gojjam have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 56.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 1.1 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 0.75 for the Amhara Region) and the equivalent of 0.7 heads of livestock. 19.5% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 21%. 61% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 11% in secondary schools. 40% of the zone is exposed to malaria
, and 38% to Tsetse fly
. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 454.
The Zonal Water Resource Development Office announced 29 July 2009 that it had completed construction of 943 wells and 89 springs in Mirab Gojjam, which will benefit 331,000 people. Using funds from the government, local NGOs and the public, this program improved the rate of access to clean water
for inhabitants in the Zone from 39% to 50.6%.
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...
. Mirab Gojjam is named after the former province of Gojjam
Gojjam
Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...
was divided in to two administrative zones by EPRDF (the ruling party). The other half is called Misraq Gojjam
Mirab Gojjam is bordered on the south by the Abay River which separates it from the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
, on the west by Agew Awi
Agew Awi Zone
Agew Awi is one of 10 Zones in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Agew Awi is named for the Awi sub-group of the Agaw people, some of whom live in this Zone. Agew Awi is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the north-west by Semien Gondar Zone and on...
, on the northwest by Semien Gondar
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....
, on the north by Lake Tana
Lake Tana
Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia...
, and the Abay River which separates it from the Debub Gondar
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....
, and on the east by Misraq Gojjam
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...
. Its highest point is Mount Amedamit. Towns in Mirab Gojjam include Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar is a city in north western Ethiopia. It is the capital of the Amhara Region .Administratively, Bahir Dar is considered a Special Zone, placing it midway between Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa which are organized as chartered cities , and cities like Debre Marqos and Dessie, which are...
, Adet
Adet
Adet is a town in northwestern Ethiopia. Located south of Bahir Dar in the Mirab Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Region , this town has a latitude and longitude of with an altitude of 2216 meters above sea level...
, Finote Selam
Finote Selam
Finote Selam is a town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Mirab Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a longitude and latitude of with an elevation of 1917 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Jabi Tehnan woreda....
, Bure
Bure
-Belgium:*Bure, Belgium, a small village in the Belgian province of Luxembourg, known for the Chantoir de Bure.-Ethiopia:*Bure, Africa is a town on the disputed border between Eritrea and Ethiopia....
and Dembecha
Dembecha
Dembecha is a town in northwestern Ethiopia 340 km north of Addis Ababa. Located in the Mirab Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2083 meters above sea level. It is one of three towns in Dembecha woreda.Located near Dembecha are hot...
. Bahir Dar is the capital of the zone and it is a zone by itself.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 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 Zone has a total population of 2,106,596, of whom 1,058,272 are men and 1,048,324 women; with an area of 13,311.94 square kilometers, Mirab Gojjam has a population density of 158.25. While 184,703 or 8.77% are urban inhabitants, one person was reported to be a pastoralist. A total of 480,255 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.39 persons to a household, and 466,491 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 1,779,723 in 374,115 households, of whom 897,215 were men and 882,508 women; 107,238 or 6.03% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic group reported in Mirab Gojjam 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...
(99.43%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.57% 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 99.46%; the remaining 0.54% spoke all other primary languages reported. 98.28% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.59% 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...
.
According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
memorandum, 6% of the inhabitants of Mirab Gojjam have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 56.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 1.1 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 0.75 for the Amhara Region) and the equivalent of 0.7 heads of livestock. 19.5% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 21%. 61% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 11% in secondary schools. 40% of the zone is exposed to malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, and 38% to Tsetse fly
Tsetse fly
Tsetse , sometimes spelled tzetze and also known as tik-tik flies, are large biting flies that inhabit much of mid-continental Africa between the Sahara and the Kalahari deserts. They live by feeding on the blood of vertebrate animals and are the primary biological vectors of trypanosomes, which...
. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 454.
The Zonal Water Resource Development Office announced 29 July 2009 that it had completed construction of 943 wells and 89 springs in Mirab Gojjam, which will benefit 331,000 people. Using funds from the government, local NGOs and the public, this program improved the rate of access to clean water
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...
for inhabitants in the Zone from 39% to 50.6%.