Irob (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Irob is one of the 36 woreda
s in the Tigray Region
of Ethiopia
. This woreda is named after the Irob people
, who are the predominant ethnic group living there. Located in the Misraqawi Zone
at the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian highlands
, Irob is bordered on the south by Saesi Tsaedaemba
, on the west by Gulomahda
, on the north and east by the Endelli River which separates it from Eritrea
, and on the southeast by the Afar Region
. The administrative center of this woreda is Dawhan; other towns include Alitena
, the former administrative center.
s), Adgadi-Arae (the present Edalgeda kebele) and Hassaballa (the present Arae kebele). Elevations range from about 150 meters above sea level where the eastward-flowing Endelli leaves Irob to Mounts Asimba (3,250 meters) and Ayga. Landmarks in Irob woreda include the Assabol Dam near Dawhan, and the monastery of Gunda Gunde
.
Both Irob woreda and its urban center of Alitena were occupied by the Eritrean army during the early months of the Eritrean-Ethiopian War
. They reportedly inflicted a great amount of damage to Alitena.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 25,471, an increase of 43.29% over the 1994 census, of whom 12,412 are men and 13,059 women; 2,091 or 8.21% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,532.64 square kilometers, Irob has a population density of 16.62, which is less than the Zone average of 56.93 persons per square kilometer. A total of 5,363 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.75 persons to a household, and 5,165 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 17,776 of whom 8,663 were men and 9,113 were women; 490 or 2.76% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in this woreda were the Irob (91.83%) and the Tigrayan
(6.94%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.23% of the population. Saho
is spoken as a first language by 89.36%, and 10.5% speak Tigrinya
; the remaining 0.14% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Catholic
, with 51.63% of the population reporting that as their faith, while 44.3% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 4.04% were Muslim
. Concerning education
, 17.96% of the population were considered literate, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.01%; 29.15% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 1.59% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school; and 3.94% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, all of the urban houses and 10.3% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; none of the urban and about 2% of the total had toilet facilities.
s in the seasonal watercourses to trap the silt washed down them, which they gradually raise and lengthen, until after several years a series of step-like terraces are created, which are up to 10 meters high and about 8 meters wide, with about 20 meters between dams. These terraces are then used for farming or grazing. Building daldals is a relatively recent innovation, having been started by two farmers in Awo village in the late 1940s, and advocated by an Irob elder, Zigta Gebre Medhin, starting in the early 1960s.
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 4,045 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 0.19 hectares of land. Of the 787 hectares of private land surveyed, 80.56% was in cultivation, 3.94% pasture, 0.89% fallow, 0.51% woodland, and 14.23% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 53.88% was planted in cereals, 2.03% in pulses, and 0.25% in oilseeds. Fruit trees were planted in 191 hectares. 76.54% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 12.44% only grew crops and 11.03% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 95.3% owning their land, 1.65% renting, and 3.18% under other forms of tenure.
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...
. This woreda is named after the Irob people
Irob people
The Irob people are an ethnic group who occupy a predominantly highland, mountainous area by the same name in northeastern Tigray Region, Ethiopia. They speak the Saho language, are Christians , and mainly agriculturalists...
, who are the predominant ethnic group living there. Located in the Misraqawi Zone
Misraqawi Zone
Misraqawi is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Misraqawi is bordered on the east by the Afar Region, on the south by Debubawi , on the west by Mehakelegnaw and on the north by Eritrea. Its highest point is Mount Asimba...
at the eastern escarpment 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...
, Irob is bordered on the south by Saesi Tsaedaemba
Saesi Tsaedaemba
Saesi Tsaedaemba is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi Zone at the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands, Saesi Tsaedaemba is bordered on the south by Wukro, on the southwest by Hawzen, on the west by Ganta Afeshum, on the northwest by Gulomahda, on...
, on the west by Gulomahda
Gulomahda
Gulomakeda is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Its name partly comes from the legendary Queen Makeda, also known as the Queen of Sheba. Part of the Misraqawi Zone, Gulomakeda is bordered on the south by Ganta Afeshum, on the west by the Mehakelegnaw Zone, on the north by...
, on the north and east by the Endelli River which separates it from Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, and on the southeast 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 Dawhan; other towns include Alitena
Alitena
Alitena is a town in northern Ethiopia, located in the Misraqawi Zone of the Tigray Region. Alitena was the administrative center of Irob woreda until Dawhan was made the new center prior to 2003.- Overview :...
, the former administrative center.
Overview
The woreda is traditionally divided into three parts: Buknite-Arae (the present Waraatele, Harze Sebaata, Agar Lekoma and Edamossa kebeleKebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
s), Adgadi-Arae (the present Edalgeda kebele) and Hassaballa (the present Arae kebele). Elevations range from about 150 meters above sea level where the eastward-flowing Endelli leaves Irob to Mounts Asimba (3,250 meters) and Ayga. Landmarks in Irob woreda include the Assabol Dam near Dawhan, and the monastery of Gunda Gunde
Gunda Gunde
Gunda Gunde is an Ethiopian Orthodox monastery, located in the Misraqawi Zone of the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. It is known for its prolific scriptorium and its library of Ge'ez manuscripts...
.
Both Irob woreda and its urban center of Alitena were occupied by the Eritrean army during the early months of the Eritrean-Ethiopian War
Eritrean-Ethiopian War
The Eritrean–Ethiopian War took place from May 1998 to June 2000 between Ethiopia and Eritrea, forming one of the conflicts in the Horn of Africa...
. They reportedly inflicted a great amount of damage to Alitena.
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 25,471, an increase of 43.29% over the 1994 census, of whom 12,412 are men and 13,059 women; 2,091 or 8.21% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,532.64 square kilometers, Irob has a population density of 16.62, which is less than the Zone average of 56.93 persons per square kilometer. A total of 5,363 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.75 persons to a household, and 5,165 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 17,776 of whom 8,663 were men and 9,113 were women; 490 or 2.76% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in this woreda were the Irob (91.83%) 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...
(6.94%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.23% of the population. Saho
Saho language
The Saho language is a Cushitic language of Eritrea and Ethiopia.-Overview:It is spoken natively by the Saho people who traditionally inhabit territory in Eritrea bounded by the bay of Arafali in the east, the Laasi Ghedé valleys in the south, and the Eritrea highlands to the west .This speech area...
is spoken as a first language by 89.36%, and 10.5% speak 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 0.14% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Catholic
Roman Catholicism in Ethiopia
The Catholic Church in Ethiopia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.The Ethiopian Catholic Church, the primary organization of Catholicism in the country, is especially close to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, whose doctrine and...
, with 51.63% of the population reporting that as their faith, while 44.3% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 4.04% 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...
, 17.96% of the population were considered literate, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.01%; 29.15% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 1.59% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school; and 3.94% 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...
, all of the urban houses and 10.3% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; none of the urban and about 2% of the total had toilet facilities.
Agriculture
Irob farming is distinguished by its terraced crop lands, known as Daldal. The local farmers build a series of check damCheck dam
A check dam is a small dam, which can be either temporary or permanent, built across a minor channel, swale, bioswale, or drainage ditch. Similar to drop structures in purpose, they reduce erosion and gullying in the channel and allow sediments and pollutants to settle. They also lower the speed of...
s in the seasonal watercourses to trap the silt washed down them, which they gradually raise and lengthen, until after several years a series of step-like terraces are created, which are up to 10 meters high and about 8 meters wide, with about 20 meters between dams. These terraces are then used for farming or grazing. Building daldals is a relatively recent innovation, having been started by two farmers in Awo village in the late 1940s, and advocated by an Irob elder, Zigta Gebre Medhin, starting in the early 1960s.
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 4,045 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 0.19 hectares of land. Of the 787 hectares of private land surveyed, 80.56% was in cultivation, 3.94% pasture, 0.89% fallow, 0.51% woodland, and 14.23% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 53.88% was planted in cereals, 2.03% in pulses, and 0.25% in oilseeds. Fruit trees were planted in 191 hectares. 76.54% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 12.44% only grew crops and 11.03% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 95.3% owning their land, 1.65% renting, and 3.18% under other forms of tenure.
External links
- Tsegay Berhe GebreLibanos, "An Ethno-Historical Survey of the Irob Agri-Pastoralists of North Eastern Tigray (Ethiopia)", Irob Relief and Rehabilitation Operations Brotherhood website.