Semien Shewa Zone (Oromia)
Encyclopedia
Semien Shewa is one of the 12 Zones of the Ethiopia
n Region of Oromia. Semien Shewa takes its name from the kingdom or former province of Shewa
. Semien Shewa is bordered on the south by Addis Ababa
, on the southwest by Mirab Shewa
, on the north by the Amhara Region
, and on the southeast by Misraq Shewa
. Towns and cities in Semien Shewa include Debre Libanos
, Fiche
and Gebre Guracha
.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 1,431,305, of whom 717,552 are men and 713,753 women; with an area of 10,322.48 square kilometers, Semien Shewa has a population density of 138.66. While 146,758 or 10.25% are urban inhabitants, a further 9 individuals are pastoralists. A total of 314,089 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.56 persons to a household, and 303,609 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 1,157,978 in 243,161 households, of whom 576,890 were men and 581,088 women; 86,289 or 7.45% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Semien Shewa were the Oromo
(79.53%), and the Amhara
(19.81%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.66% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 79.41%, and 20.42% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.17% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 94.04% of the population reporting as practicing that belief, while 5.03% of the population said they were Muslim
.
According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank
memorandum, 7% of the inhabitants of Semien Shewa have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 55.0 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 1.14 for the Oromia Region) and the equivalent of 0.8 heads of livestock. 14.9% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a regional average of 24%. 62% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 12% in secondary schools. 41% of the zone is exposed to malaria
, and none to Tsetse fly
. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 510.
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...
n Region of Oromia. Semien Shewa takes its name from the kingdom or former province of Shewa
Shewa
Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...
. Semien Shewa is bordered on the south by Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, on the southwest by Mirab Shewa
Mirab Shewa Zone
Mirab Shewa is one of the 12 zones of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. This zone takes its name from the kingdom or former province of Shewa...
, on the north by 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....
, and on the southeast by Misraq Shewa
Misraq Shewa Zone
Misraq Shewa is one of the 12 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone takes its name from the kingdom or former province of Shewa. Misraq Shewa is located in the middle of Oromia, connecting the western regions to the eastern ones...
. Towns and cities in Semien Shewa include Debre Libanos
Debre Libanos
Debre Libanos is a monastery in Ethiopia, lying northwest of Addis Ababa in the Oromia Region. Founded in the thirteenth century by Saint Tekle Haymanot, the monastery's chief abbot, called the Ichege, was the second most powerful official in the Ethiopian Church after the Abuna.The monastery...
, Fiche
Fiche
Fiche is a town in central Ethiopia. The administrative centre of the Semien Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, located about three km off the main Addis Ababa-Debre Marqos road, Fiche has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation between 2738 and 2782 metres above sea level.Notable landmarks in...
and Gebre Guracha
Gebre Guracha
Garba Guracha is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Shewa Kaaba /Semien Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation between 2515 and 2547 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Kuyu woreda.This town has had telephone service at...
.
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 1,431,305, of whom 717,552 are men and 713,753 women; with an area of 10,322.48 square kilometers, Semien Shewa has a population density of 138.66. While 146,758 or 10.25% are urban inhabitants, a further 9 individuals are pastoralists. A total of 314,089 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.56 persons to a household, and 303,609 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 1,157,978 in 243,161 households, of whom 576,890 were men and 581,088 women; 86,289 or 7.45% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Semien Shewa were 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...
(79.53%), and 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...
(19.81%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.66% of the population. Oromiffa
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...
was spoken as a first language by 79.41%, and 20.42% spoke 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...
; the remaining 0.17% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 94.04% of the population reporting as practicing that belief, while 5.03% 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, 7% of the inhabitants of Semien Shewa have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 55.0 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 1.14 for the Oromia Region) and the equivalent of 0.8 heads of livestock. 14.9% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a regional average of 24%. 62% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 12% in secondary schools. 41% 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 none 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 510.