Wag Hemra Zone
Encyclopedia
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 (or "Hemra") Agaw
. Wag Hemra is bordered on the south by Semien Wollo
, on the southwest by Debub (South) Gondar
, on the west by Semen (North) Gondar, on the north and east by the Tigray Region
. Towns in Wag Hemra include Soqota
.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 426,213, an increase of 54.64% over the 1994 census, of whom 213,845 are men and 212,368 women. With an area of 9,039.04 square kilometers, Wag Hemra has a population density of 47.15; 29,951 or 7.03% are urban inhabitants. A total of 102,098 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.17 persons to a household, and 98,222 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 275,615 in 70,474 households, of whom 139,301 were men and 136,314 women; 11,643 or 4.22% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Wag Hemra were the Agaw Kamyr Agaw (51.24%), the Amhara
(47.18%), and the Tigrayan
(1.5%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.08% of the population. Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 50.92%, 46.85% spoke Kamyr, and 2.19% spoke Tigrinya
; the remaining 0.04% spoke all other primary languages reported. 99.6% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.
According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank
memorandum, 5% of the inhabitants of Wag Hemra have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 30.3 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 0.9 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and a regional average of 0.51) and the equivalent of 0.9 heads of livestock. 8% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 21%. 35% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 5% in secondary schools. 100% of the zone is exposed to malaria
, and none to Tsetse fly
. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 622.
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...
. Its name is a combination of the former province of Wag
Wag
Wag is a traditional highland district in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia, in the approximate location of the modern Wag Hemra Zone. Weld Blundell described the district as bounded on the south by the mountains of Lasta, on the east and north by the Tellare River, and the west by the Tekezé...
, and the dominant local ethnic group, the Kamyr (or "Hemra") Agaw
Agaw
The Agaw are an ethnic group in Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea.-History:The Agaw are perhaps first mentioned in the 3rd c. AD Aksumite inscription recorded by Cosmas Indicopleustes in the 6th century...
. Wag Hemra is bordered on the south by Semien Wollo
Semien Wollo Zone
Semien Wollo is a Zone in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. Semien Wollo acquired its name from the former province of Wollo. Semien Wollo is bordered on the south by Debub Wollo, on the west by Debub Gondar, on the north by Wag Hemra, and on the northeast and east by the Afar Region; part of its...
, on the southwest by Debub (South) 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....
, on the west by Semen (North) Gondar, 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...
. Towns in Wag Hemra include Soqota
Soqota
Soqota is a town in northern Ethiopia. The name is likely from the Agaw word sekut, "fortified village." Located the Wag Hemra Zone of the Amhara Region, Soqota has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2266 meters above sea level...
.
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 426,213, an increase of 54.64% over the 1994 census, of whom 213,845 are men and 212,368 women. With an area of 9,039.04 square kilometers, Wag Hemra has a population density of 47.15; 29,951 or 7.03% are urban inhabitants. A total of 102,098 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.17 persons to a household, and 98,222 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 275,615 in 70,474 households, of whom 139,301 were men and 136,314 women; 11,643 or 4.22% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Wag Hemra were the Agaw Kamyr Agaw (51.24%), 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...
(47.18%), 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...
(1.5%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.08% 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 50.92%, 46.85% spoke Kamyr, and 2.19% 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 0.04% spoke all other primary languages reported. 99.6% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.
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, 5% of the inhabitants of Wag Hemra have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 30.3 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 0.9 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and a regional average of 0.51) and the equivalent of 0.9 heads of livestock. 8% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 21%. 35% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 5% in secondary schools. 100% 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 622.