Raya Azebo
Encyclopedia
Raya Azebo is one of the 36 woreda
s in the Tigray Region
of Ethiopia
. It is named in part after the and who with the Yejju Oromo
are the northernmost groups of the Oromo people
. These peoples had settled in the area by the 17th century. Located in the Debubawi Zone
at the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands
, Debubawi Zone
, Raya Azebo is bordered on the south by Alamata
, on the southwest by Ofla
, on the northwest by Endamehoni
, on the north by Hintalo Wajirat
, and on the east by the Afar Region
. The administrative center of this woreda is Mehony; other towns in Raya Azebo include eyra Wuha], Balla, kukufto, Mechare and Hade Alga.
The zonal water, mining and energy department announced 15 August 2009 that 84 of the 100 wells planned in Raya Azebo and Alamata woredas have been completed at a cost of 40 million Birr
. These wells would assist in irrigating over 3,000 hectares of land and benefit over 13,000 farmers.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 135,870, an increase of 55.04% over the 1994 census, of whom 67,687 are men and 68,183 women; 16,056 or 11.82% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,132.83 square kilometers, Raya Azebo has a population density of 63.70, which is greater than the Zone average of 53.91 persons per square kilometer. A total of 32,360 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.20 persons to a household, and 31,468 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 87,638 of whom 43,259 were men and 44,379 were women; 8,047 or 9.18% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Raya Azebo were the Tigrayan
(87.21%), the Amhara
(9.77%), the Afar
(1.55%), and the Oromo (1.4%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.07% of the population. Tigrinya
was spoken as a first language by 85.52%, 11.04% Amharic
, 1.83% Oromo
, and 1.53% spoke Afar
; the remaining 0.08% spoke all other primary languages reported. 69.15% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 30.82% were Muslim
. Concerning education
, 8.44% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 15.71%; 14.64% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 0.9% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school; and 0.31% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, 56.9% of the urban houses and 13.4% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 20.6% of the urban and about 4.7% of the total had toilet facilities.
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...
. It is named in part after the and who with the Yejju Oromo
Yejju Oromo
Yejju Oromo is a tribe of the Barentu branch of Oromo people. They are one of the northernmost tribes of the Oromo people, which is the second largest ethnicity in Ethiopia....
are the northernmost groups of the Oromo people
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...
. These peoples had settled in the area by the 17th century. Located in the Debubawi Zone
Debubawi Zone
Debubawi is one of five Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Debubawi is bordered on the south and west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Mehakelegnaw , the north by Misraqawi and on the east by the Afar Region...
at the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands
Ethiopian Highlands
The Ethiopian Highlands are a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia, Eritrea , and northern Somalia in the Horn of Africa...
, Debubawi Zone
Debubawi Zone
Debubawi is one of five Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Debubawi is bordered on the south and west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Mehakelegnaw , the north by Misraqawi and on the east by the Afar Region...
, Raya Azebo is bordered on the south by Alamata
Alamata (woreda)
Alamata is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Alamata is bordered on the south and west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Ofla, and on the northeast by Raya Azebo...
, on the southwest by Ofla
Ofla
Ofla is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Ofla is bordered on the south by Alamata, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the north by Endamehoni, and on the east by Raya Azebo...
, on the northwest by Endamehoni
Endamehoni
Endamehoni is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Endamehoni is bordered on the south by Ofla, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the north by Alaje, and on the east by Raya Azebo...
, on the north by Hintalo Wajirat
Hintalo Wajirat
Hintalo Wajirat is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is named after its largest town, Hintalo, and the Wajirat Mountains in the southern part of the woreda...
, and on the east by the Afar Region
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
. The administrative center of this woreda is Mehony; other towns in Raya Azebo include eyra Wuha], Balla, kukufto, Mechare and Hade Alga.
The zonal water, mining and energy department announced 15 August 2009 that 84 of the 100 wells planned in Raya Azebo and Alamata woredas have been completed at a cost of 40 million Birr
Ethiopian birr
The birr is the unit of currency in Ethiopia. Before 1976, dollar was the official English translation of birr. Today, it is officially birr in English as well....
. These wells would assist in irrigating over 3,000 hectares of land and benefit over 13,000 farmers.
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 135,870, an increase of 55.04% over the 1994 census, of whom 67,687 are men and 68,183 women; 16,056 or 11.82% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,132.83 square kilometers, Raya Azebo has a population density of 63.70, which is greater than the Zone average of 53.91 persons per square kilometer. A total of 32,360 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.20 persons to a household, and 31,468 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 87,638 of whom 43,259 were men and 44,379 were women; 8,047 or 9.18% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Raya Azebo were 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...
(87.21%), 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...
(9.77%), the Afar
Afar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
(1.55%), and the Oromo (1.4%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.07% of the population. 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 85.52%, 11.04% 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...
, 1.83% Oromo
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
, and 1.53% spoke Afar
Afar language
Afar is a Lowland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. It is believed to have 1.5 million speakers, the Afar. The basic word order in Afar, like in other East Cushitic languages, is subject–object–verb. Its speakers have a literacy rate of between one and three per cent...
; the remaining 0.08% spoke all other primary languages reported. 69.15% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 30.82% 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...
, 8.44% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 15.71%; 14.64% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 0.9% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school; and 0.31% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. 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...
, 56.9% of the urban houses and 13.4% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 20.6% of the urban and about 4.7% of the total had toilet facilities.