Debubawi Zone

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Southern Tigray
Debubawi
Zone
Flag of Southern Tigray
Flag
Southern Tigray location in Ethiopia
Southern Tigray location in Ethiopia
CountryEthiopia
RegionTigray Region
Largest cityMaychew
Area
[1]
 • Total18,670.45 km2 (7,208.70 sq mi)
Population
 (2012 est.)
 • Total1,138,440
 • Density61/km2 (160/sq mi)

Debubawi (Tigrinya: ደቡባዊ, transl. "Southern"), formerly also known as Zoba Enderta, is a zone in Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Debubawi is bordered on the south and west by the Amhara Region, on the north by Debub Misraqawi (Southeastern) Zone, and on the east by the Afar Region. Towns and cities in Debubawi include Maychew, Korem, Alamata. Debub Misraqawi (Southeastern) Zone was separated from Debubawi Zone.

The highest point in this Zone is Mount Ferrah Imba (3954 meters; sometimes called Tsibet after the nearby village),[2] one of the southernmost peaks of the . Due to its prominent location dominating the roadway that runs past it from Mek'ele south to Maychew, this mountain has been the scene of several battles. Important bodies of water include Lake Hashenge.

Demographics[]

A map of the regions and zones of Ethiopia

Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 1,006,504, of whom 497,280 are men and 509,224 women; 125,787 or 12.5% are urban inhabitants. Two largest ethnic groups reported in Debubawi were the Tigray (95.36%) and Amhara (2.7%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.94% of the population. Tigrinya is spoken as a first language by 92.49%, Amharic by 5.58% and Xamtanga by 1.01%; the remaining 0.92% spoke all other primary languages reported. 92.15% of the population said they were Orthodox Christians, and 7.79% were Muslim.[3]

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this zone has an estimated total population of 1,239,988, of whom 610,164 are men and 629,824 are women; 361,252 or 29.1% of its population are urban dwellers. With an estimated area of 9,310.96 square kilometers, Debubawi has an estimated population density of 133.18 people per square kilometer.[4]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 873,509 people in 210,858 households, of whom 425,655 were men and 447,854 women; 207,352 or 23.7% of its population were urban dwellers. The Zone is predominantly Tigrayan, at 92.1% of the population, while 5.4% were Amhara, 1.5% were Agaw, and all other ethnic groups 1.0%. Tigrinya is spoken by 91.7% of the population, and Amharic was a first language by 6.3% and as a second language by 11.5%. 92.2% of the population said they observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity while 7.6% were Muslim.[5]

According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank memorandum, 15% of the inhabitants of Debubawi have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 80.2 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers, the average rural household has 0.8 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and a regional average of 0.51)[6] and the equivalent of 0.9 heads of livestock. 34.5% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a regional average of 28%. 64% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 24% in secondary schools. 36% of the zone is exposed to malaria, and none to Tsetse fly. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 627.[7]

Population sociology[]

The population comprises several ethnic groups: (1) Tigraians, occupying the major part of the zone, particularly the western uplands as well as the escarpment and also the central and northern part of the Raya graben bottom, (2) Oromo form an ancient population group in the Raya graben that has been partly assimilated to the surrounding Tigraians – the language is not anymore used on a daily basis; they live in dispersed villages across the wider area between Alamata, Mohoni and Chercher, (3) Afar share settlements on the mountains east of Raya, (4) Amhara, generally living south of the Gobu River. In major towns along the main road, Amharic is frequently used as trade language. The Tigraians and assimilated Oromos on the escarpments and in the Raya graben are mainly engaged in smallholder agriculture, often using spate irrigation with floods from the escarpment. In recent years they have started dry season irrigation agriculture, stimulated by government-established groundwater pumps and by mimicking commercial farms that have been attracted. Settlements are mainly along roads and iron roofed. Tigraians are dominantly Orthodox Christians, though some villages follow Islam, such as Hugumburda in the Ashenge graben and other villages in the Raya graben bottom. The Afar pastoralists in the nearby Abala and Kalla grabens practice transhumance, during drought periods, to remote areas, especially to the escarpment and highlands of Region Tigray. Movements to the Tigray uplands allow the Afar pastoralists to herd their livestock on denser vegetation as well as on standing stubble of croplands.[8]

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b Geohive: Ethiopia; This figures include Debub Misraqawi Zone
  2. ^ Hendrickx et al. 2015: Glacial and periglacial geomorphology and its paleoclimatological significance in three North Ethiopian Mountains, including a detailed geomorphological map
  3. ^ Census 2007 Tables: Tigray Region Archived November 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, Tables 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4.
  4. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics Archived November 23, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Table B.3
  5. ^ The 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Tigray Region Archived 2008-12-07 at the Wayback Machine, vol. 1, part 1: Tables 2.1, 2.7, 2.11, 2.14, 2.17
  6. ^ Comparative national and regional figures comes from the World Bank publication, Klaus Deininger et al. "Tenure Security and Land Related Investment", WP-2991 Archived 2007-03-10 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 23 March 2006).
  7. ^ World Bank, Four Ethiopias: A Regional Characterization (accessed 23 March 2006).
  8. ^ Nyssen, J. and colleagues (2019). At the edge between Ethiopian plateau and Rift Valley. In: Nyssen, J., Biadgilgn Demissie, Tesfaalem Ghebreyohannes (eds.). Land, water, people and landscapes in north Ethiopia's grabens, pp. 48-54. VLIR-UOS, Mekelle University, Ghent University, KU Leuven. ISBN 9789082922226.

Coordinates: 13°30′N 39°00′E / 13.500°N 39.000°E / 13.500; 39.000

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