Addi Arkay (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Addi Arkay is one of the 105 woreda
s in the Amhara Region
of Ethiopia
. Located at the northeastern point of the Semien Gondar Zone
, Addi Arkay is bordered on the south by Jan Amora
, on the southwest by Debarq
, on the north and east by the Tigray Region
, and on the southeast by Beyeda
; its eastern border is defined by the Tekezé River
. Towns in Addi Arkay include Addi Arkay and Zarima.
This woreda is situated on the northern slopes of the Semien Mountains
. Rivers include the Zarima
, a tributary of the Tekezé. Due to its inaccessibility and the lack of the most basic infrastructure, in 1999 the Regional government classified Addi Arkay as one of its 47 drought prone and food insecure woredas.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 93,763, a decrease of 12.36% from the 1994 census, of whom 47,907 are men and 45,856 women; 10,391 or 11.08% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,685.16 square kilometers, Addi Arkay has a population density of 55.64, which is less than the Zone average of 63.76 persons per square kilometer. A total of 20,203 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.64 persons to a household, and 19,229 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 106,983 in 21,175 households, of whom 54,196 were men and 52,787 women; 7,044 or 6.58% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Addi Arkay were the Amhara
(97.63%), and the Tigrayan
(2.1%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.27% of the population. Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 98.02%, and 1.8% spoke Tigrinya
; the remaining 0.18% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 93.8% reporting that as their religion, while 5.94% of the population said they were Muslim
.
, 7% in pulses, 11.1% in oilseeds, 0.2% in perennial crops like gesho, and 6.3% all other crops. 80.8% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 17% only grew crops and 2.2% only raised livestock.
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 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....
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...
. Located at the northeastern point of the Semien Gondar Zone
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....
, Addi Arkay is bordered on the south by Jan Amora
Jan Amora
Jan Amora is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Semien Gondar Zone, Jan Amora is bordered on the south by Belessa, on the southwest by Wegera, on the west by Debarq, on the north by Addi Arkay, and on the east by Beyeda...
, on the southwest by Debarq
Debarq (woreda)
Debarq is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It is named after its largest town, Debarq. Part of the Semien Gondar Zone, Debarq is bordered on the south by Dabat, on the west by Sanja, on the northwest by the Tigray Region, on the north by Addi Arkay, and on the east by Jan...
, on the north and east by 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...
, and on the southeast by Beyeda
Beyeda
Beyeda is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Located in the easternmost point of the Semien Gondar Zone, Beyeda is bordered on the south by the Wag Hemra Zone, on the west by Jan Amora, on the north by Addi Arkay, and on the east by the Tekezé River which separates it from the...
; its eastern border is defined 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...
. Towns in Addi Arkay include Addi Arkay and Zarima.
This woreda is situated on the northern slopes of the Semien Mountains
Semien Mountains
The Semien Mountains lie in northern Ethiopia, north east of Gondar. They are a World Heritage Site and include the Semien Mountains National Park. The mountains consist of plateaux separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles...
. Rivers include the Zarima
Zarima River
Zarima River is a tributary of the Tekezé River. The Wolkayite Irrigation Project is based on a tributary of the Zarima River known as Dukoko River. http://www.ictonline.com/water-ethiopia5.html...
, a tributary of the Tekezé. Due to its inaccessibility and the lack of the most basic infrastructure, in 1999 the Regional government classified Addi Arkay as one of its 47 drought prone and food insecure woredas.
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 93,763, a decrease of 12.36% from the 1994 census, of whom 47,907 are men and 45,856 women; 10,391 or 11.08% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,685.16 square kilometers, Addi Arkay has a population density of 55.64, which is less than the Zone average of 63.76 persons per square kilometer. A total of 20,203 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.64 persons to a household, and 19,229 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 106,983 in 21,175 households, of whom 54,196 were men and 52,787 women; 7,044 or 6.58% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Addi Arkay were 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...
(97.63%), and 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...
(2.1%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.27% 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 98.02%, and 1.8% spoke 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...
; the remaining 0.18% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 93.8% reporting that as their religion, while 5.94% 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...
.
Agriculture
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 24,909 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 1.33 hectares of land. Of the 18.778 square kilometers of private land surveyed, 94% was under cultivation, 0.6% pasture, 3.5% was fallow, and the remaining 1.9% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 75.4% was planted in cereals like teffTeff
Eragrostis tef, known as teff, taf , or khak shir , is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the northern Ethiopian Highlands of Northeast Africa....
, 7% in pulses, 11.1% in oilseeds, 0.2% in perennial crops like gesho, and 6.3% all other crops. 80.8% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 17% only grew crops and 2.2% only raised livestock.