Kola Tembien
Encyclopedia
Kola Tembien is one of the 36 woreda
s in the Tigray Region
of Ethiopia
. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien
. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone
, Kola Tembien is bordered on the south by Abergele
, then by the Tekezé River
on the west which separates it on the west from the Mi'irabawi (Western) Zone
, on the north by the Wari River
which separates it from Naeder Adet
and Werie Lehe
, on the east by Misraqawi (Eastern) Zone
, and on the southeast by Degua Tembien
. The administrative center for this woreda is Abiy Addi
; other towns in Kola Tembien include Guya and Werkamba.
Notable landmarks in this woreda include the monastery of Abba Yohanni and the monolithic church
of Gebriel Wukien, both of which are north of Abiy Addi.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 134,336, an increase of 28.13% over the 1994 census, of whom 66,925 are men and 67,411 women; 0 or 0.00% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,538.39 square kilometers, Kola Tembien has a population density of 52.92, which is 56.29 than the Zone average of 0 persons per square kilometer. A total of greater households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 8,871 persons to a household, and 28,917 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 113,712, of whom 56,453 were men and 57,259 were women; 8,871 or 7.8% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Kola Tembien was the Tigrayan
(99.88%). Tigrinya
was spoken as a first language by 99.82%. 98.23% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.69% were Muslim
. Concerning education
, 9.15% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 14.21%; 8.64% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 0.72% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.86% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 86% of the urban houses and 17% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 11% of the urban and 3% of the total had toilet facilities.
, and 2.84% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 78.02% was planted in cereals, 4.61% in pulses, 1.82% in oilseeds, and 0.08% in vegetables. The area planted in gesho was 36 hectares; the amount of land planted in fruit trees is missing. 77.26% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 19.75% only grew crops and 2.98% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 89.01% owning their land, and 10.48% renting; the percentage reported as holding their land under other forms of tenure is missing.
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 former province of Tembien
Tembien
Tembien is one of the former provinces of Ethiopia. It is a mountainous area of that country.The name Tembien has also been used for:*Tembien, an Italian 600-Serie Adua class submarine sunk in World War II...
. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone
Mehakelegnaw Zone
Mehakelegnaw is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Mehakelegnaw is bordered on the east by Misraqawi , on the south by Debubawi , on the west by Mirabawi and on the north by Eritrea...
, Kola Tembien is bordered on the south by Abergele
Abergele (woreda)
Abergele or Tanqua Abergele is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Abergele is bordered on the south and west by the Amhara Region, then by the Tekezé River on the west, on the north by Kola Tembien, on the east by Degua Tembien and on the...
, then 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...
on the west which separates it on the west from the Mi'irabawi (Western) Zone
Mi'irabawi Zone
Mi'irabawi is one of four Zones in the Ethiopian Tigray Region. Mi'irabawi is bordered on the east by the Mehakelegnaw Zone, the south by the Amhara Region, the west by Sudan and on the north by Eritrea...
, on the north by the Wari River
Wari River
Wari River is a river of northern Ethiopia and a tributary of the Tekezé River. It rises in the Gar'alta and flows to the southwest into the Tekezé at . Tributaries of the Wari include the Assam, Chemit, Meseuma, and Tsedia rivers...
which separates it from Naeder Adet
Naeder Adet
Naeder Adet is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Naeder Adet is bordered on the south by the Wari River which separates it from Kola Tembien, on the west by Mi'irabawi Zone, on the northwest by Tahtay Maychew, on the northeast by La'ilay...
and Werie Lehe
Werie Lehe
Werie Lehe is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Werie Lehe is bordered on the south by the Wari River which separates it from Kola Tembien, on the southwest by Naeder Adet, on the west by La'ilay Maychew, on the north by Adwa, on the northeast by...
, on the east by Misraqawi (Eastern) 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...
, and on the southeast by Degua Tembien
Degua Tembien
Degua Tembien is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Degua Tembien is bordered on the south by the Debubawi Zone, on the west by Abergele, on the north by Kola Tembien, and on the east by...
. The administrative center for this woreda is Abiy Addi
Abiy Addi
Abiy Addi is a town in north central Ethiopia, and was capital of the former province of Tembien before that province was incorporated into Tigray...
; other towns in Kola Tembien include Guya and Werkamba.
Notable landmarks in this woreda include the monastery of Abba Yohanni and the monolithic church
Monolithic church
A monolithic church or rock-hewn church is a church made from a single block of stone. They are one of the most basic forms of monolithic architecture....
of Gebriel Wukien, both of which are north of Abiy Addi.
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 134,336, an increase of 28.13% over the 1994 census, of whom 66,925 are men and 67,411 women; 0 or 0.00% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,538.39 square kilometers, Kola Tembien has a population density of 52.92, which is 56.29 than the Zone average of 0 persons per square kilometer. A total of greater households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 8,871 persons to a household, and 28,917 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 113,712, of whom 56,453 were men and 57,259 were women; 8,871 or 7.8% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Kola Tembien was 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...
(99.88%). 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 99.82%. 98.23% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.69% 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...
, 9.15% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 14.21%; 8.64% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 0.72% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.86% 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...
, about 86% of the urban houses and 17% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 11% of the urban and 3% of the total had toilet facilities.
Agriculture
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 27,665 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 0.81 hectares of land. Of the 22,402 hectares of private land surveyed, 85.28% was in cultivation, 0.87% pasture, 10.78% fallow, 0.23% woodlandForestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and 2.84% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 78.02% was planted in cereals, 4.61% in pulses, 1.82% in oilseeds, and 0.08% in vegetables. The area planted in gesho was 36 hectares; the amount of land planted in fruit trees is missing. 77.26% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 19.75% only grew crops and 2.98% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 89.01% owning their land, and 10.48% renting; the percentage reported as holding their land under other forms of tenure is missing.