Semien Gondar Zone
Encyclopedia
Semien Gondar is a Zone in the Ethiopia
n 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
.
Semien Gondar is bordered on the south by Lake Tana
, Mirab (West) Gojjam
and the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the west by Sudan
, on the north by the Tigray Region
, on the east by Wag Hemra
and on the southeast by Debub Gondar
. Towns and cities in Semien Gondar include Dabat
, Debarq
, Emfranz, Gondar, Gorgora
and Metemma
.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 2,929,628, an increase of 40.26% over the 1994 census, of whom 1,486,040 are men and 1,443,588 women; with an area of 45,944.63 square kilometers, Semien Gondar has a population density of 63.76. While 462,700 or 15.79% are urban inhabitants, a further 2,148 or 0.07% are pastoralists. A total of 654,803 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.47 persons to a household, and 631,509 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 2,088,684 in 434,297 households, of whom 1,059,698 were men and 1,028,986 women; 236,625 or 11.33% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Semien Gondar were the Amhara
(89.72%), the Qemant
(8.25%), and the Tigrayan
(0.94%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.09% of the population. Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 98.24%, and 0.81% spoke Tigrinya
; the remaining 0.95% spoke all other primary languages reported. 95.32% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 4.54% of the population said they were Muslim
.
According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank
memorandum, 7% of the inhabitants of Semien Gondar have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 21.2 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 1.2 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 0.75 for the Ahmara Region) and the equivalent of 0.8 heads of livestock. 24.6% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 21%. 50% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 13% in secondary schools. 62% of the zone is exposed to malaria
, and none to Tsetse fly
. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 506.
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 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....
. This Zone is named for the city of Gondar
Gondar
Gondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as 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
Begemder
Begemder was a province in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. There are several proposed etymologies for this name...
.
Semien Gondar is bordered on the south by Lake Tana
Lake Tana
Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia...
, Mirab (West) Gojjam
Mirab Gojjam Zone
Mirab Gojjam is a Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Mirab Gojjam is named after the former province of Gojjam was divided in to two administrative zones by EPRDF...
and the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the west by Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, on the north 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...
, on the east by Wag Hemra
Wag Hemra Zone
Wag Hemra is a Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Its name is a combination of the former province of Wag, and the dominant local ethnic group, the Kamyr Agaw. Wag Hemra is bordered on the south by Semien Wollo, on the southwest by Debub Gondar, on the west by Semen Gondar, on the north and...
and on the southeast by Debub Gondar
Debub Gondar Zone
Debub Gondar is a Zone in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. This zone is named for the city of Gondar, which was the capital of Ethiopia until the mid-19th century, and has often been used as a name for the local province....
. Towns and cities in Semien Gondar include Dabat
Dabat
Dabat is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located on the Semien Mountains along the Gondar-Debarq highway it is in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region. Dabat is one of two towns in Dabat woreda.There is a state run health centre in Dabat....
, Debarq
Debarq
Debarq is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located 90 kilometers north of Gondar on the paved highway between Gondar and Axum and in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, it has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2850 meters above sea level.Debarq is the closest town to the Semien...
, Emfranz, Gondar, Gorgora
Gorgora
Gorgora is a town and peninsula in northwestern Ethiopia...
and Metemma
Metemma
Metemma is a town in northwestern Ethiopia, on the border with Sudan. Located in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Metemma has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 685 meters above sea level. Across the border is the corresponding Sudanese village of Gallabat...
.
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 2,929,628, an increase of 40.26% over the 1994 census, of whom 1,486,040 are men and 1,443,588 women; with an area of 45,944.63 square kilometers, Semien Gondar has a population density of 63.76. While 462,700 or 15.79% are urban inhabitants, a further 2,148 or 0.07% are pastoralists. A total of 654,803 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.47 persons to a household, and 631,509 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 2,088,684 in 434,297 households, of whom 1,059,698 were men and 1,028,986 women; 236,625 or 11.33% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Semien Gondar 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...
(89.72%), the Qemant
Qemant
The Qemant are a small ethnic group in Ethiopia, who, despite their close historical and ethnic relationship, should not be confused with the Beta Israel....
(8.25%), 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...
(0.94%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.09% 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 98.24%, and 0.81% 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 0.95% spoke all other primary languages reported. 95.32% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 4.54% 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 Gondar have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 21.2 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 1.2 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 0.75 for the Ahmara Region) and the equivalent of 0.8 heads of livestock. 24.6% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 21%. 50% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 13% in secondary schools. 62% 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 506.