The Tigray Region, officially the Tigray National Regional State, is the northernmost
regional state in
Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the
Tigrayan
Tigrayans ( ti, ተጋሩ) are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group indigenous to the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. They speak the Tigrinya language, an Afroasiatic language belonging to the Ethiopian Semitic branch.
The daily life of Tigra ...
,
Irob, and
Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is
Mekelle. Tigray is the fifth-largest by area, the fifth-most populous, and the fifth-most densely populated of the 11 regional states.
Tigray's official language is
Tigrinya
(; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions.
History and literatur ...
, similar to that
spoken in Eritrea just to the North. The estimated population as of 2019 is 5,443,000. The majority of the population (c. 80%) are farmers, contributing 46% to the regional gross domestic product (2009). The highlands have the highest population density, especially in
eastern
Eastern may refer to:
Transportation
*China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai
*Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways
*Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991
*Eastern Air Li ...
and
central Tigray. The much less densely populated lowlands comprise 48% of Tigray's area. Like many parts of Africa, Tigray is far from a religious monolith. Despite the historical identification of Ethiopia with Orthodox Christianity, the presence of Islam in Ethiopia is as old as the religion itself. The most recent Ethiopian census, collected in 2007, estimates that Muslims make up 34% of the rapidly growing national population. Although the percentage of Muslims in Tigray is only 5 to 10%, it has historically been Islam’s doorway to the region and to Africa at large. 96% of
Tigrayans
Tigrayans ( ti, ተጋሩ) are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group indigenous to the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. They speak the Tigrinya language, an Afroasiatic language belonging to the Ethiopian Semitic branch.
The daily life of Tigra ...
are
Orthodox Christian.
Tigray is bordered by
Eritrea to the north,
Sudan to the west, the
Amhara Region
The Amhara Region ( am, አማራ ክልል, Åmara Kilil), officially the Amhara National Regional State (), is a regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara people. Its capital is Bahir Dar which is the seat of the Re ...
to the south and the
Afar Region
The Afar Region (; aa, Qafar Rakaakayak; am, አፋር ክልል), formerly known as Region 2, is a regional state in northeastern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Afar people. Its capital is the planned city of Semera, which lies on the pave ...
to the east and southeast.
Towns in Tigray include:
Mekelle,
Adigrat
Adigrat (, ''ʿaddigrat'', also called ʿAddi Grat) is a city and separate woreda in Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is located in the Misraqawi Zone at longitude and latitude , with an elevation of above sea level and below a high ridge to the we ...
,
Axum,
Shire,
Humera
Humera (; ) is a town in the Kafta Humera woreda in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Western Zone the town has an elevation of above sea level. The Tekezé river borders the town to the north. Humera is a very important regional ...
,
Adwa,
Addi Remets,
Alamata,
Wukro,
Maychew,
Sheraro,
Abiy Addi,
Korem,
Qwiha,
Atsbi,
Hawzen
Hawzen ( Ge'ez: ሓውዜን) is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi (Eastern) Zone of the Tigray Region (or ''kilil''), this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2105 meters above sea level. Its market da ...
,
Mekoni,
Dansha,
Adi Gudom,
Sheraro, Indabaguna, Mai Tsebri, and
Zalambessa
Zalambessa ( Tigrigna: ዛላምበሳ) is a town located in Tigray, Ethiopia. Zalambessa is part of the Misraqawi (Eastern) Zone of the Tigray Region. It is about 42 kilometers north of Adigrat. The Serha-Zalambesa border crossing is located in ...
.
The government of Tigray consists of the
executive branch, led by the president,
Debretsion Gebremichael; the
legislative branch, which comprises the state council; and the
judicial branch, which is led by the state supreme court. In early November 2020, a
conflict between the Tigray Region, involving the
Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian federal government began, in which Eritrea took part on the side of the federal government, rapidly escalating into the
Tigray War
The Tigray War; ; . was an armed conflict that lasted from 3 November 2020 to 3 November 2022. The war was primarily fought in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia between the Ethiopian federal government and Eritrea on one side, and the Tigray Peop ...
and destabilizing the region.
History
3rd millennium to 1st century BC
Tigray is often regarded as the cradle of Ethiopian civilization. Its landscape has many historic monuments. Three major monotheistic religions,
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...
,
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and
Islam arrived in Ethiopia through the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
and then Tigray.
Given the presence of a large temple complex and fertile surroundings, the capital of the 3,000-year-old kingdom of
Dʿmt may have been near present-day
Yeha
Yeha ( gez, ይሐ ''yiḥa'', older ESA 𐩥𐩢 ''ḤW''; Old South Arabian: 𐩺𐩢𐩱 ''Yḥʾ'') is a town in the Maekelay Zone of the northern Tigray Region in Ethiopia. It likely served as the capital of the pre-Aksumite kingdom of D'm ...
.
Dʿmt developed irrigation schemes, used the
plough, grew
millet, and made
iron tools and weapons. Some modern historians, including Stuart Munro-Hay, Rodolfo Fattovich, Ayele Bekerie,
Cain Felder
Cain Hope Felder (June 9, 1943 – October 1, 2019) was an American biblical scholar, serving as professor of New Testament language and literature and editor of ''The Journal of Religious Thought'' at the Howard University School of Divinity. He ...
, and
Ephraim Isaac consider this civilization to be indigenous, although
Sabaean-influenced due to the latter's dominance of the
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
. Others, including Joseph Michels, Henri de Contenson, Tekletsadik Mekuria, and Stanley Burstein, have viewed Dʿmt as the result of a mixture of Sabaean and indigenous peoples.
[Nadia Durrani, ''The Tihamah Coastal Plain of South-West Arabia in its Regional context c. 6000 BC-AD 600 (Society for Arabian Studies Monographs No. 4)'', Oxford: Archaeopress, 2005, p. 121 ] The most recent research, however, shows that
Ge'ez, the ancient Semitic language spoken in Tigray, Eritrea and northern Ethiopia in ancient times, is not likely to have been derived from
Sabaean. There is evidence of a Semitic-speaking presence in Tigray, Eritrea and northern Ethiopia at least as early as 2000 BC.
It is now believed that Sabaean influence was minor, limited to a few localities and disappearing after a few decades or a century, It may have represented a trading or military colony, in some sort of symbiosis or military alliance with the civilization of Dʿmt or some other proto-
Aksumite state.
After the fall of Dʿmt in the 5th century BC, the plateau came to be dominated by smaller, unknown successor kingdoms. This lasted until the rise of one of these polities during the first century BC, the
Aksumite Kingdom
The Kingdom of Aksum ( gez, መንግሥተ አክሱም, ), also known as the Kingdom of Axum or the Aksumite Empire, was a kingdom centered in Northeast Africa and South Arabia from Classical antiquity to the Middle Ages. Based primarily in wha ...
, which succeeded in reunifying the area and is, in effect, the ancestor of medieval and modern states in Eritrea and Ethiopia using the name "Ethiopia" as early as the 4th century.
[Henze, Paul B. (2005) ''Layers of Time: A History of Ethiopia'', ]
1st to 10th century AD
The Kingdom of Aksum was a trading empire rooted in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. It existed from approximately 100–940 AD, growing from the proto-Aksumite
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
period c. 4th century BC to achieve prominence by the 1st century AD.
According to the ''
Book of Axum'', Axum's first capital, Mazaber, was built by Itiyopis, son of Cush. The capital was later moved to
Aksum
Axum, or Aksum (pronounced: ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015).
It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, a naval and trading power that ruled the whole regio ...
in northern Ethiopia.
The Empire of Aksum, at its height, at times extended across most of present-day
Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Djibouti, Sudan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The capital city of the empire was
Axum, now in northern Ethiopia. Today a smaller community, the city of Axum was once a bustling metropolis and a cultural and economic hub. Two hills and two streams lie on the east and west expanses of the city; perhaps providing the initial impetus for settling this area. Along the hills and plain outside the city, the Aksumites had cemeteries with elaborate grave stones, which are called
stelae
A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...
, or
obelisks. Other important cities included
Yeha
Yeha ( gez, ይሐ ''yiḥa'', older ESA 𐩥𐩢 ''ḤW''; Old South Arabian: 𐩺𐩢𐩱 ''Yḥʾ'') is a town in the Maekelay Zone of the northern Tigray Region in Ethiopia. It likely served as the capital of the pre-Aksumite kingdom of D'm ...
,
Hawulti-Melazo,
Matara,
Adulis
Adulis (Sabaean: ሰበኣ
𐩱 𐩵 𐩡 𐩪, gez, ኣዱሊስ, grc, Ἄδουλις) was an ancient city along the Red Sea in the Gulf of Zula, about south of Massawa. Its ruins lie within the modern Eritrean city of Zula. It was the e ...
, and
Qohaito
Qohaito ( Tigrinya: ቆሓይቶ)was a major ancient city in what is now the Debub region of Eritrea. It was a pre-Aksumite settlement that thrived during the Aksumite period. The city was located over 2,500 meters above sea level, on a high plat ...
, the last three of which are now in Eritrea. By the reign of
Endubis in the late 3rd century, Aksum had begun minting its own currency and was named by
Mani as one of the four great powers of his time, along with
China and the
Sassanid and
Roman empires. It converted to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
in 325 or 328 under
King Ezana
Ezana ( gez, ዔዛና ''‘Ezana'', unvocalized ዐዘነ ''‘zn''; also spelled Aezana or Aizan) was ruler of the Kingdom of Axum, an ancient kingdom located in what is now Eritrea and Ethiopia. (320s – c. 360 AD). He himself employed the ...
and was the first state to use the image of
the cross on its coins.
11th to 19th century AD
In the 14th century the Tigrinya-speaking lands (Tigray-
Mareb Melash) were divided into two provinces, separated by the Mereb River, by the newly enthroned Amhara emperors. The governor of the northern province received the title Bahre Negash (Ruler of the sea), whereas the governor of the southern province was given the title of Tigray Mekonen (Lord of Tigray). The Portuguese Jesuit Emanuele Baradas's work titled "Do reino de Tigr", written in 1633–34, states that the "Reino de Tigr" (Kingdom of Tigray) extended from
Hamasien
The Provinces of Eritrea existed between Eritrea's incorporation as a colony of Italy until the conversion of the provinces into administrative regions.
Overview
In Italian Eritrea, the Italian colonial administration had divided the colony into e ...
to
Temben, from the borders of
Dankel to the
Adwa mountain. He also stated that Tigray-Mereb Melash was divided into 24 smaller political units (principalities), twelve of which were located south of the Mereb and governed by the Tigray Mekonen, based in
Enderta. The other twelve were located north of the Mereb, under the authority of the
Bahre Negash, based in the district of
Serae.
The ''Book of Aksum'', likely written and compiled before the 15th century, shows a traditional schematic map of Tigray with the city of
Aksum
Axum, or Aksum (pronounced: ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015).
It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, a naval and trading power that ruled the whole regio ...
at its center, surrounded by the 13 principal provinces: "Tembien, Shire, Serae, Hamasien,
Bur, Sam’a,
Agame
Agame () was a former province in northern Ethiopia. It includes the northeastern corner of the Ethiopian Empire, borders Akele Guzai in Eritrea, Tembien, Kalatta Awlalo and Enderta in the south, and both the Eritrean and Ethiopian Afar lowlan ...
, Amba Senayt,
Garalta,
Enderta, Sahart and Abergele."
During the Middle Ages, the position of Tigray Mekonnen ("Governor of Tigray") was established to rule over the area. Other districts included
Akele Guzay (now part of
Eritrea), and the kingdom of the
Bahr negus, who ruled much of what is now Eritrea and
Shire district and town in Western Tigray. At the time when Tigray Mekonnen existed simultaneously with that of Bahr negus, their frontier seems to have been the
Mareb River, which is currently constitutes the border between the Ethiopian province of Tigray and Eritrea.
After the loss of power of the Bahr negus in the aftermath of
Bahr negus Yeshaq
Yeshaq (died 1578) was the Bahr Negus, or ruler of the Medri Bahri, during the mid to late 16th century A subordinate of Ethiopian Emperor Dawit II, he was noted for supporting Gelawdewos during the Ethiopian-Adal war, and rebelling against his ...
's rebellions, By the unsettled
Zemene Mesafint
The Zemene Mesafint ( gez, ዘመነ መሳፍንት ''zamana masāfint'', modern: ''zemene mesāfint'', variously translated "Era of Judges," "Era of the Princes," "Age of Princes," etc.; named after the Book of Judges) was a period in Ethiop ...
period ("Era of the Princes"), both designations had declined to little more than empty titles, and the lord who succeeded them used (and received from the Emperor) the title of either
Ras or
Dejazmach
Until the end of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint ( gez, መሳፍንት , modern , singular መስፍን , modern , "prince"), the hereditary nobility, formed the upper ...
, beginning with Ras
Mikael Sehul
Mikael Sehul (born Blatta Mikael; 1692 – 1784) was a nobleman who ruled Ethiopia for a period of 25 years as regent of a series of weak emperors. He was also a Ras or governor of Tigray 1748–71 and again from 1772 until his death. He was a m ...
. Rulers of Tigray such as Ras
Wolde Selassie
Wolde Selassie (; c.1736 - 28 May 1816) was Ras of the Tigray province between 1788-1816, and Regent of the Ethiopian Empire between 1797-1800. John J. Halls, in his ''Life and Correspondence of Henry Salt'', preserves a description of this power ...
alternated with others, chiefly those of
Begemder
Begemder ( amh, በጌምድር; also known as Gondar or Gonder, alternative name borrowed from its 20th century capital Gondar) was a province in northwest Ethiopia.
Etymology
A plausible source for the name ''Bega'' is that the word means " ...
or
Yejju
Yejju Oromo people are a sub clan of the Barento branch of Oromo people. They are one of the northernmost communities of Oromo people residing in Ethiopia.
During the 17th century, the Yejju dynasty, more specifically, the Warra Sheik, or sons o ...
, as warlords to maintain the Ethiopian monarchy during the Zemene Mesafint.
In the mid-19th century, the lords of Tembien and Enderta managed to establish an overlordship of Tigray. One of its members, Dejazmach Kahsay Mercha, ascended the imperial throne in 1872 under the name
Yohannes IV. Following his 1889 death in the
Battle of Metemma
The Battle of Gallabat (also called the Battle of Metemma) was an armed conflict fought on 9–10 March 1889 between the Mahdist Sudanese and Ethiopian forces. It is a critical event in Ethiopian history because ''Nəgusä Nägäst'' (or Empero ...
, the Ethiopian throne came under the control of the king of
Shewa, and the center of power shifted south and away from Tigray.
20th century
In 1943, open resistance
broke out all over southern and eastern Tigray under the slogan, "there is no government; let's organize and govern ourselves". Throughout Enderta Awraja, including
Mekelle, Didibadergiajen,
Hintalo, Saharti,
Samre and Wajirat, Raya Awraja, Kilte-Awlaelo Awraja and Tembien Awraja, local assemblies, called gerreb, were formed. The gerreb sent representatives to a central congress, called the shengo, which elected leaders and established a military command system. Although the first
Woyane rebellion of 1943 had shortcomings as a prototype revolution, historians agree that it involved a fairly high level of spontaneity and peasant initiative. It demonstrated considerable popular participation and reflected widely shared grievances. The uprising was specifically directed against the central Shoan Amhara regime of
Haile Selassie I
Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia ('' ...
, rather than the Tigrayan imperial elite.
Ethiopian Civil War
After the February 1974 popular revolution, the first signal of any mass uprising was the actions of the soldiers of the 4th Brigade of the 4th Army Division in Nagelle in southern Ethiopia. The Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, or the
Derg (
Ge'ez "Committee"), was officially announced 28 June 1974 by a group of military officers. The committee elected Major
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam ( am, መንግሥቱ ኀይለ ማሪያም, pronunciation: ; born 21 May 1937) is an Ethiopian politician and former army officer who was the head of state of Ethiopia from 1977 to 1991 and General Secretary of the Wor ...
as its chairman and Major
Atnafu Abate as its vice-chairman. In July 1974, the Derg obtained key concessions from the emperor, Haile Selassie, which included the power to arrest not only military officers but government officials at every level. Soon both former Prime Ministers
Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold and
Endalkachew Makonnen, along with most of their cabinets, most regional governors, many senior military officers and officials of the Imperial court were imprisoned. In August 1974, after a proposed constitution creating a constitutional monarchy was presented to the emperor, the Derg began a program of dismantling the imperial government in order to forestall further developments in that direction. The Derg deposed and imprisoned the emperor on 12 September 1974.
In addition, the Derg in 1975 nationalized most industries and private and somewhat secure urban real-estate holdings. But mismanagement, corruption, and general hostility to the Derg's violent rule, coupled with the draining effects of constant warfare with the separatist guerrilla movements in Tigray, led to a drastic fall in general productivity of food and cash crops. In October 1978, the Derg announced the National Revolutionary Development Campaign to mobilize human and material resources to transform the economy, which led to a Ten-Year Plan (1984/1985-1993/1994) to expand agricultural and industrial output, forecasting a 6.5% growth in GDP and a 3.6% rise in per capita income. Instead per capita income declined 0.8% over this period. Famine scholar
Alex de Waal observes that while the
famine
A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usually accompani ...
that struck the country in the mid-1980s is usually ascribed to drought, "closer investigation shows that widespread drought occurred only some months after the famine was already under way". Hundreds of thousands fled economic misery, conscription, and political repression, and went to live in neighboring countries and all over the
Western world, creating an Ethiopian
diaspora.
Toward the end of January 1991, a coalition of rebel forces, the
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) captured
Gondar
Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on t ...
, the ancient capital city,
Bahar Dar, and
Dessie.
Postwar
John Young, who visited the area several times in the early 1990s, attributes this delay in part to "central budget restraint, structural readjustment, and lack of awareness by government bureaucrats in
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
of conditions in the province", but notes "an equally significant obstacle was posed by an entrenched, and largely Amhara-dominated, central bureaucracy which used its power to block government-authorised funds from reaching Tigray". At the same time, a growing urban middle class of traders, businessmen and government officials emerged that was suspicious of and distant from the victorious EPRDF.
From 1991 to 2001, the president of Tigray was
Gebru Asrat.
In 1998,
war erupted between Eritrea and Ethiopia over a portion of territory that had been administered as part of Tigray, which included the town of
Badme
Badme ( ti, ባድመ, ) is a town in Gash-Barka region of Eritrea. Control of the town was at the centre of the Eritrean–Ethiopian border conflict, which lasted from the beginning of the Eritrean–Ethiopian War, in 1998, to the signing of ...
. A 2002
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
decision awarded much of this land to Eritrea, but Ethiopia did not accept the ruling until 2018, when a
bilateral agreement
Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
ended the
border conflict. The text of this agreement has not been publicly availed.
21st century
From 2001 to 2010 the president was
Tsegay Berhe Tsegay or Tsegaye is a male name of Ethiopian origin that may refer to:
Given name
*Tsegaye Degineh (born 1969), Ethiopian martial arts advocate
*Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin (1936–2006), Ethiopian writer and Poet Laureate
Surname
*Atsedu Tsegay (born 1 ...
.
2020 administrative reorganisation
Between 2018 and 2020, as part of a reform aimed to deepen and strengthen decentralisation, woredas were reorganised, and new boundaries established. As smaller towns had been growing, they had started providing a larger range of services, such as markets and even banks, that encouraged locals to travel there rather than to their formal woreda centre. However, these locals still had to travel to their local woreda centre for most local government services - often in a different direction. In 2018 and 2019, after multiple village discussions that were often vigorous in the more remote areas, 21 independent urban administrations were added and other boundaries re-drawn, resulting in an increase from 35 to 88 woredas in January 2020.
Tigray War
Following the
2020 Tigray regional election, after months of preparation with the Eritrean army, as demonstrated by the Eritrean president visiting the Ethiopian air force on October 14 2020,
the Ethiopian military launched attacks on the government of Tigray headquarters in
Mekelle on 4 November, marking the beginning of the Tigray War. Ethiopian troops as well as Amhara militia advanced through southern Tigray, while Eritrean troops occupied border towns in northern Tigray. Amhara militias took over parts of western Tigray.
Warfare, the
COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia, and a
locust outbreak all contributed to an
emergency food situation in the region in January
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
. Two million people faced food shortages; the situation was particularly dire in
Shire Inda Selassie
Shire (, ; , ), also known as Inda Selassie (, meaning "House of the Trinity"), is a city and separate woreda in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The city is the administrative center of the Semien Mi'irabawi Zone. It was part of Tahtay Koraro di ...
, where there are 100,000 refugees. The
Famine Early Warning Systems Network said parts of central and eastern Tigray are likely in emergency phase 4, a step below famine.
Geography
Location and size
Tigray is situated between 12° – 15°N and 36° 30' – 40° 30'E.
A 2006 national statistics report stated the land area as .
The 2011 National Statistics gave an area of , but the sum of the figures it gave for the Tigray zones was substantially different,
rendering the 2011 report internally inconsistent. The figure of 50,079 km
2 is supported by the
Google Maps area calculator.
Geology
Overview
The
East African Orogeny
The East African Orogeny (EAO) is the main stage in the Neoproterozoic assembly of East and West Gondwana (Australia–India–Antarctica and Africa–South America) along the Mozambique Belt.
Gondwana assembly
The notion that Gondwana was asse ...
led to the growth of a mountain chain in the
Precambrian (up to 800 Ma
illion years ago, which was largely eroded afterwards. Around 600 Ma, the
Gondwana break-up led to the presence of
tectonic structures and a
Palaeozoic planation surface, that extents to the north and west of the
Dogu'a Tembien
Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien) is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Nowadays, the mountainous district is part of the Southeastern Tigray ...
massif.
Subsequently, there was the deposition of
sedimentary and
volcanic formations, from older (at the foot of the massif) to younger, near the summits. From Palaeozoic to
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago (Year#Abbreviations yr and ya, Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 ...
, Tigray was located near the South Pole. The (reactivate) Precambrian extensional faults guided the deposition of
glacial sediments (
Edaga Arbi Glacials and
Enticho Sandstone). Later alluvial plain sediments were deposited (
Adigrat Sandstone
The Adigrat Sandstone formation in north Ethiopia, in a wide array of reddish colours, comprises sandstones with coarse to fine grains, and locally conglomerates, silt- and claystones. Given the many lateritic palaeosols and locally fossil wood ...
). The break-up of Gondwana (
Late Palaeozoic to
Early Triassic) led to an extensional
tectonic phase, what caused the lowering of large parts of the
Horn of Africa. As a consequence a
marine transgression occurred, leading to the deposition of
marine sediments (
Antalo Limestone
The Antalo Limestone, also known as the Antalo Sequence, is a geological formation in Ethiopia. It is between 300 and 800 metres thick and comprises fossiliferous limestones and marls that were deposited in a reef. Marine microfossils have shown ...
and Agula Shale). The region has an estimated 3.89 billion tons of mostly "excellent" quality
oil shale
Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitut ...
.
At the end of the
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic Era ( ), also called the Age of Reptiles, the Age of Conifers, and colloquially as the Age of the Dinosaurs is the second-to-last era of Earth's geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretace ...
tectonic phase, a new (
Cretaceous) planation took place. After that, the deposition of continental sediments (
Amba Aradam Formation) indicates the presence of less shallow seas, probably caused by a regional uplift. At the beginning of the
Caenozoic, there was a relative tectonic quiescence, during which the Amba Aradam Sandstones were partially eroded, which led to the formation of a new planation surface.
In the
Eocene, the Afar
plume, a broad regional uplift, deformed the
lithosphere, leading to the eruption of
flood basalt
A flood basalt (or plateau basalt) is the result of a giant volcanic eruption or series of eruptions that covers large stretches of land or the ocean floor with basalt lava. Many flood basalts have been attributed to the onset of a hotspot reac ...
s. Three major formations may be distinguished:
lower basalts,
interbedded lacustrine deposits and
upper basalts.
Almost at the same time, the Mekelle
Dolerite intruded into the Mesozoic sediments, following joints and
faults.
A new magma intrusion occurred in the
Early Miocene
The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages.
The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...
, which gave rise to
phonolite plugs, mainly in the Adwa area and also in Dogu’a Tembien.
The present geomorphology is marked by deep valleys, eroded as a result of the regional uplift. Throughout the
Quaternary, deposition of
alluvium
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. ...
and freshwater
tufa occurred in the valley bottoms.
Fossils
In Tigray, there are two main fossil-bearing geological units. The
Antalo Limestone
The Antalo Limestone, also known as the Antalo Sequence, is a geological formation in Ethiopia. It is between 300 and 800 metres thick and comprises fossiliferous limestones and marls that were deposited in a reef. Marine microfossils have shown ...
(
upper Jurassic) is the largest. Its marine deposits comprise mainly
benthic marine invertebrates
Marine invertebrates are the invertebrates that live in marine habitats. Invertebrate is a blanket term that includes all animals apart from the vertebrate members of the chordate phylum. Invertebrates lack a vertebral column, and some have ev ...
. Also, the
Tertiary lacustrine deposits, interbedded in the
basalt formations, contain a range of
silicified mollusc fossils.
In the
Antalo Limestone
The Antalo Limestone, also known as the Antalo Sequence, is a geological formation in Ethiopia. It is between 300 and 800 metres thick and comprises fossiliferous limestones and marls that were deposited in a reef. Marine microfossils have shown ...
: large ''
Paracenoceratidae
The Paracenoceratidae are an extinct family of prehistoric nautiloids. The cephalopods lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the thi ...
''
cephalopods (
nautilus
The nautilus (, ) is a pelagic marine mollusc of the cephalopod family Nautilidae. The nautilus is the sole extant family of the superfamily Nautilaceae and of its smaller but near equal suborder, Nautilina.
It comprises six living species in ...
); ''
Nerineidae'' indet.;
sea urchins;
Rhynchonellid brachiopod
Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of trochozoan animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, w ...
;
crustaceans;
coral colonies;
crinoid
Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea. Crinoids that are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk in their adult form are commonly called sea lilies, while the unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids, which are ...
stems.
In the Tertiary
silicified lacustrine deposits: ''
Pila (gastropod)''; ''
Lanistes
''Lanistes'' is a genus of freshwater snails which have a gill and an operculum, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the family Ampullariidae, the apple snails.Bouchet, P.; Neubauer, Thomas A. (2015). Lanistes Montfort, 1810. In: MolluscaBase (2015) ...
'' sp.; ''
Pirenella conica''; and land snails (''
Achatinidae
Achatinidae (New Latin, from Greek "''agate''") is a family of medium to large sized tropical land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks from Africa.
Well known species include ''Achatina achatina'' the Giant African Snail, and ''Liss ...
'' indet.).
All snail shells, both fossil and recent, are called ''t’uyo'' in
Tigrinya language, which means ‘
helicoidal’.
Traditional uses of rock
As Tigray holds a wide variety of
rock types, there is expectedly a varied use of rock.
:* Natural
stone masonry
Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...
. Preferentially, the easier shaped
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
and
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
are used to build homesteads and churches, but particularly in the upland areas,
basalt is also used. Traditionally, fermented mud will be used as mortar
:* Fencing of homesteads, generally in
dry stones
:* Church bells, generally three elongated plates in
phonolite or
clinkstone
Phonolite is an uncommon extrusive rock, of intermediate chemical composition between felsic and mafic, with texture ranging from aphanitic (fine-grained) to porphyritic (mixed fine- and coarse-grained). Phonolite is a variation of the igneous ...
, with different tonalities
:* Milling stone: for this purpose plucked-bedrock pits, small
rock-cut basin
A rock-cut basin is a natural cylindrical depression cut into stream or river beds, often filled with water. Such plucked-bedrock pits are created by kolks; powerful vortices within the water currents which spin small boulders around, eroding out ...
s that naturally occur in rivers with
kolks, are excavated from the river bed and further shaped.
Milling is done at home using an elongated small boulder
:* Door and window
lintels, prepared from rock types that frequently have an elongated shape (
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
,
phonolite,
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
), or that are easily shaped (
tufa)
:* Troughs for livestock
watering and feeding, generally hewn from
tufa
:* Footpath
paving, generally done as
community work. Some very ancient paved
footpaths
A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide v ...
occur on major communication lines dating back to the period before the introduction of the automobile
:* foot travellers stop, pray and put an additional stone
:* Stones collected from farmlands in order to free space for the crop, and heaped in typical rounded metres-high heaps, called ''zala''
:*
Contour bunding or ''gedeba'':
terrace walls in
dry stone, typically laid out along the contour for sake of
soil conservation
Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the topmost layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination.
Slash-and-burn and other uns ...
:*
Check dams or ''qetri'' in
gullies
A gully is a landform created by running water, mass movement, or commonly a combination of both eroding sharply into soil or other relatively erodible material, typically on a hillside or in river floodplains or terraces. Gullies resemble lar ...
for sake of
gully erosion control
:*
Cobble stone
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on cobble-sized stones, and is used for pavement roads, streets, and buildings.
Setts, also called Belgian blocks, are often casually referred to as "cobbles", although a sett is distinct fr ...
s, used for paving secondary streets in the towns. Generally
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
is used.
Major mountains
:*
Ferrah Imba
Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she played ...
, 3954 metres, summit of the
Tsibet massif in
Endamekoni ''woreda'' (), and highest peak of Tigray
:*
Imba Alaje, 3438 metres, in
Alaje ''woreda'' ()
:*
Mugulat, 3263 metres, in
Ganta Afeshum ''woreda'' (); one of its spurs is crossed by the
Siqurto foot tunnel
:*
Asimba, 3199 metres, in
Irob ''woreda'' ()
:* Upper plateaus of the
Atsbi Horst at 3057 metres in
Atsbi Wenberta ''woreda'' ()
:*
Maebino, 3031 metres, in
Irob ''woreda'' ()
:*
Imba Tsion, 2917 metres, in
Hawzen
Hawzen ( Ge'ez: ሓውዜን) is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi (Eastern) Zone of the Tigray Region (or ''kilil''), this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2105 meters above sea level. Its market da ...
''woreda'' ()
:*
Ekli Imba, 2799 metres, summit of the
Arebay massif in
Degua Tembien ''woreda'' ()
:*
Imba Aradom – sometimes transliterated as
Amba Aradam, 2756 metres, in
Hintalo Wajirat ''woreda'' ()
:*
Soloda, 2436 metres, part of the
Adwa plugs
Adwa ( ti, ዓድዋ; amh, ዐድዋ; also spelled Aduwa) is a town and separate woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is best known as the community closest to the site of the 1896 Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopian soldiers defeated Italian ...
in
Adwa ''woreda'' ()
:*
Imba Neway IMBA can refer to:
* Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Vienna, Austria
* International Masters of Business Administration
* International Mountain Bicycling Association
* Imba, a full-stack web programming language
* Gaming slang for game imbal ...
, 2388 metres, in
Abergele (woreda)()
Water challenge
Overall, the region is
semi-arid
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...
. The
wet season lasts only for a couple of months. The farmers are adapted to this, but the problem arises when rains are less than normal. Another major challenge is providing water to urban areas. Smaller towns, but particularly Mekelle, face endemic
water shortages.
Reservoirs
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including control ...
have been built, but their management is sub-optimal.
Wildlife
Large mammals
Besides
elephants in
Western Tigray
The Western Zone () is a zone in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is subdivided into three woredas (districts); from north to south they are Kafta Humera, Welkait and Tsegede. The largest town is Humera. The Western Zone is bordered on the east ...
and the endemic
gelada baboon on the highest mountains, large mammals in the region, with scientific (italics), English and
Tigrinya language names, are:
* ''Cercopithecus aethiops'';
grivet monkey, ወዓግ ()
* ''Crocuta crocuta'',
spotted hyena, ዝብኢ ()
* ''Caracal caracal'',
caracal, ጭክ ኣንበሳ ()
* ''Panthera pardus'',
leopard, ነብሪ ()
* ''Xerus rutilus'',
unstriped ground squirrel, ምጹጽላይ or ጨጨራ (, )
* ''Canis mesomelas'',
black-backed jackal, ቡኳርያ ()
* ''Canis anthus'',
golden jackal
The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy ...
, ቡኳርያ ()
* ''Papio hamadryas'',
hamadryas baboon, ጋውና ()
* ''Procavia capensis'',
rock hyrax, ጊሐ ()
* ''Felis silvestris'',
African wildcat
The African wildcat (''Felis lybica'') is a small wildcat species native to Africa, West and Central Asia up to Rajasthan in India and Xinjiang in China. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in 2022.
In Cyprus, an African wil ...
, ሓክሊ ድሙ ()
* ''Civettictis civetta'',
African civet
The African civet (''Civettictis civetta'') is a large viverrid native to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is considered common and widely distributed in woodlands and secondary forests. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 200 ...
, ዝባድ ()
* ''Papio anubis'',
olive baboon
The olive baboon (''Papio anubis''), also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys. The species is the most wide-ranging of all baboons, being native to 25 countries throughout Africa, extending fr ...
, ህበይ ()
* ''Ichneumia albicauda'',
white-tailed mongoose
The white-tailed mongoose (''Ichneumia albicauda'') is a species in the mongoose family Herpestidae. It is the only member of the genus ''Ichneumia''.
Taxonomy
''Herpestes albicaudus'' was the scientific name proposed by Georges Cuvier in 1829 ...
, ፂሒራ ()
* ''Herpestes ichneumon'',
large grey mongoose
The Egyptian mongoose (''Herpestes ichneumon''), also known as ichneumon (), is a mongoose species native to the coastal regions along the Mediterranean Sea between North Africa and Turkey, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrub ...
, ፂሒራ ()
* ''Hystrix cristata'',
crested porcupine
The crested porcupine (''Hystrix cristata''), also known as the African crested porcupine, is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae native to Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Characteristics
The adult crested porcupine h ...
, ቅንፈዝ ()
* ''Oreotragus oreotragus'';
klipspringer, ሰስሓ ()
* ''Orycteropus afer'',
aardvark
The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlik ...
, ፍሒራ ()
* ''Genetta genetta'',
common genet, ስልሕልሖት ()
* ''Lepus capensis'',
cape hare
The Cape hare (''Lepus capensis''), also called the brown hare and the desert hare, is a hare native to Africa and Arabia extending into India.
Taxonomy
The Cape hare was one of the many mammal species originally described by Carl Linnaeus ...
, ማንቲለ ()
* ''Mellivora capensis'',
honey badger
The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is liste ...
, ትትጊ ()
Small rodents
The most common pest
rodents with widespread distribution in agricultural fields and storage areas are three Ethiopian endemic species: the Dembea grass rat (''Arvicanthis dembeensis'', sometimes considered a subspecies of ''
Arvicanthis niloticus''), Ethiopian white-footed rat (''
Stenocephalemys albipes
The Ethiopian white-footed mouse or white-footed stenocephalemys (''Stenocephalemys albipes'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It lives in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Its natural habitats are tropical moist montane forest and tropical hi ...
''), and
Awash multimammate mouse (''Mastomys awashensis'').
Bats
Bats occur in natural
caves
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
, church buildings and abandoned homesteads. The large colony of bats that roosts in
Zeyi cave comprises ''Hipposideros megalotis'' (
Ethiopian large-eared roundleaf bat), ''
Hipposideros tephrus'', and ''Rhinolophus blasii'' (
Blasius's horseshoe bat).
[The Zeyi Cave Geosite in Northern Ethiopia](_blank)
/ref>
Birds
With its numerous exclosure
An exclosure, in an area being used extensively for grazing, is a limited area from which unwanted browsing animals, such as domestic cattle or wildlife such as deer, are excluded by fencing or other means.
Environmental protection
Most commonl ...
s, forest fragments and church forest A corporate forest is a forest or woodland area owned by a corporate body rather than a state or individual.
For example, in Germany, a corporate forest (german: Körperschaftswald) is, in accordance with Section 3, Paragraph 2, of the Federal Fore ...
s, Tigray is a birdwatcher
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
's paradise. Detailed inventories list at least 170 bird species, including numerous endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
species.
Species belonging to the Afrotropical Highland Biome occur in the dry evergreen montane forests of the highland plateau but can also occupy other habitats. Wattled Ibis can be found feeding in wet grassland and open woodland. Black-winged Lovebird
The black-winged lovebird (''Agapornis taranta'') also known as Abyssinian lovebird is a mainly green bird of the parrot family. At about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) long, it is the largest of the lovebird genus, a group of small parrots. The ...
, Banded Barbet, Golden-mantled or Abyssinian Woodpecker
The Abyssinian woodpecker (''Dendropicos abyssinicus''), also known as the golden-backed woodpecker or the golden-mantled woodpecker, is a species of bird in the woodpecker family, Picidae. It is native to Africa, where it occurs in Eritrea and E ...
, Montane White-eye, Rüppell's Robin-chat
Rüppell's robin-chat (''Cossypha semirufa'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae, that is native to the Afrotropics. It is named for the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell.
Description
It is a smaller version of the White-browed robin ...
, Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher and Tacazze Sunbird are found in evergreen forest, mountain woodlands and areas with scattered trees including fig trees, ''Euphorbia abyssinica
''Euphorbia abyssinica'', commonly known as the desert candle or candelabra spurge, is a species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. ''E. abyssinica'' is endemic to Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea. It was first described in 1791, by the G ...
'' and ''Juniperus procera
''Juniperus procera'' (known by the common English names African juniper, African pencil-cedar, East African juniper, East African-cedar, and Kenya-cedar) is a coniferous tree native to mountainous areas in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is ...
''. Erckel's spurfowl, Dusky Turtle Dove, Swainson's or Grey-headed Sparrow, Baglafecht Weaver
The baglafecht weaver (''Ploceus baglafecht'') is a species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as t ...
, African Citril, Brown-rumped Seedeater and Streaky Seedeater
The streaky seedeater (''Crithagra striolata'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Phylogeny
T ...
are common Afrotropical breeding residents of woodland edges, scrubland and forest edges. White-billed Starling
The white-billed starling (''Onychognathus albirostris'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Habitat
In the Degua Tembien district it was found on steep cliffs.
References
Onychognath ...
and Little Rock Thrush can be found on steep cliffs; Speckled or African rock pigeon and White-collared Pigeon in gorges and rocky places but also in towns and villages.
Species belonging to the Somali-Masai Biome. Hemprich's Hornbill and White-rumped Babbler are found in bushland, scrubland and dense secondary forest, often near cliffs, gorges or water. Chestnut-Winged or Somali Starling
The Somali starling (''Onychognathus blythii'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen.
Habitat
In the Degua Tembien district of north Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, It ...
and Rüppell's Weaver are found in bushy and shrubby areas. Black-billed wood hoopoe
The black-billed wood hoopoe (''Phoeniculus somaliensis'') is a species of bird in the family Phoeniculidae. It is native to eastern Africa where it is found in wooded and scrubby areas.
Description
The black-billed wood hoopoe is very similar ...
s have some red at the base of the bill or an entirely red bill in this area.
Species belonging to the Sudan-Guinea Savanna Biome: Green-backed eremomela
The green-backed eremomela (''Eremomela canescens'') is a member of the Cisticolidae. This bird is a common resident breeder in tropical Africa from Kenya and Ethiopia to Cameroon.
This tiny passerine
A passerine () is any bird of the order ...
and Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver.
Species that are neither endemic nor biome-restricted but that have restricted ranges or that can be more easily seen in Ethiopia than elsewhere in their range: Abyssinian Roller is an Ethiopian relative of Lilac-breasted Roller
The lilac-breasted roller (''Coracias caudatus'') is an African bird of the roller family, Coraciidae. It is widely distributed in Southern and Eastern Africa, and is a vagrant to the southern Arabian Peninsula. It prefers open woodland and savan ...
, which is an intra-tropical breeding migrant of south and east Africa, and of European Roller
The European roller (''Coracias garrulus'') is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and the Maghreb.
The European roller is found in a wide variety of hab ...
, an uncommon Palearctic passage migrant. Black-billed Barbet
The black-billed barbet (''Lybius guifsobalito'') is a species of bird in the Lybiidae family.
Distribution
This species has an extremely large range in the Afrotropical realm. It is present in Cameroon, northeastern Democratic Republic of the ...
, Yellow-breasted Barbet and Grey-headed Batis are species from the Sahel and Northern Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
but also occur in Acacia woodlands in the area.
The most regularly observed raptor birds in crop fields in Tigray are Augur buzzard
The augur buzzard (''Buteo augur'') is a fairly large African bird of prey. This species is distinct in typical adult plumage for its blackish back, whitish underside and orange-red tail, however a dark morph is known while juvenile augur buzzar ...
(''Buteo augur''), Common Buzzard (''Buteo buteo''), Steppe Eagle
The steppe eagle (''Aquila nipalensis'') is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The steppe eagle's well-feathered legs illustrate it to be a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as the "booted ...
(''Aquila nipalensis''), Lanner falcon
The lanner falcon (''Falco biarmicus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It prefers open habitat and is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season. A l ...
(''Falco biarmicus''), Black kite
The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...
(''Milvus migrans''), Yellow-billed kite
The yellow-billed kite (''Milvus aegyptius'') is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (''Milvus migrans''), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly ...
(''Milvus aegyptius'') and Barn owl (''Tyto alba'').
Birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
can be done particularly in exclosures and forests. Eighteen bird-watching sites have been inventoried in Enderta and Degua Tembien and mapped.
Administrative zones and districts
Like other Regions in Ethiopia, Tigray is subdivided into administrative zones, and further into '' woredas'' or districts. Up to January 2020, these were the ''woredas'' of Tigray:
* Central Tigray
** Abergele
** Abiy Addi Town
** Adwa
** Adwa Town
** Aksum Town
** Dogu'a Tembien
Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien) is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Nowadays, the mountainous district is part of the Southeastern Tigray ...
** Enticho
** Kola Tembien
** La'ilay Maychew
** Mereb Lehe
Mereb Lehe () is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Maekelay Zone, it is bordered on the south by La'ilay Maychew, on the southwest by Tahtay Maychew, on the west by the Semien Mi'irabawi (North Western) Zone, on the north by the ...
** Naeder Adet
** Tahtay Maychew
** Werie Lehe
* East Tigray
** Adigrat Town
** Atsbi Wenberta
** Ganta Afeshum
** Gulomahda
** Hawzen
Hawzen ( Ge'ez: ሓውዜን) is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi (Eastern) Zone of the Tigray Region (or ''kilil''), this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2105 meters above sea level. Its market da ...
** Irob
** Kilte Awulaelo
** Saesi Tsaedaemba
Saesi Tsaedaemba () is one of the Districts of Ethiopia, or ''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 Kilte Awulaelo, o ...
** Wukro Town
* North West Tigray
** Asigede Tsimbela
** La'ilay Adiyabo
** Medebay Zana
** Tahtay Adiyabo
** Tahtay Koraro
** Tselemti
** Shiraro Town
** Shire Town
* South Tigray (Disputed)
** Alaje
** Alamata
** Alamata Town
** Endamehoni
Endamekoni () (also transliterated as Enda Mohoni) is one of the Districts of Ethiopia, or ''woredas'', in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Endamehoni is bordered on the south by Ofla, on the west by the Amhara Region, on ...
** Korem Town
** Maychew Town
** Ofla
Ofla () is one of the Districts of Ethiopia, or ''woredas'', in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Ofla is bordered on the south by Alamata, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the north by Endamehoni, and on the east by ...
** Raya Azebo
* South East Tigray
** Enderta
** Hintalo Wajirat
** Samre
* West Tigray (Disputed)
** Kafta Humera
Kafta Humera () is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Located in the Western zone of Tigray, Kafta Humera is bordered on the south by Tsegede, on the west by Sudan, by the Tekezé River which separates Kafta Humera from Eritrea on the north, on ...
** Humera Town
** Wolqayt
Welkait (also spelled Wolkait or Wolqayt; is a woreda which was historically part of the northern Amhara region of Gonder in Ethiopia. Following the fall of the communist Derg regime and ascension to power of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front ...
** Tsegede
Tsegede () is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named after the historic province of Tsegede. Located in the Western Zone of Tigray, Tsegede is bordered on the south and west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Kafta Humera, and ...
* Mekelle (special zone)
In 2018 and 2019, after multiple village discussions that were often vigorous in the more remote areas, 21 independent urban administrations were added and other boundaries re-drawn, resulting in an increase from 35 to 88 ''woredas'' in January 2020:
* Central Tigray
** Abergele
** Adet
Adet (Amharic: አዴት) ,also known as Adet Medhanialem is a town in northwestern Ethiopia. Located south of Bahir Dar in the Mirab Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Region (or ''kilil''), this town has a latitude and longitude of with an altitude of ...
** Abiy Addi Town
** Adwa
** Adwa Town
** Ahlerorn
** Ahsea
** Aksum Town
** Chila
** Egada Arbi
** Egela
** Emba Seneyti
** Endaleiasi
** Enticho Town
** Hahayle
** Kayeh Tekli
** Kola Temben
** Laelay Maychew
** Naeder
** Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
** Tahtay Maychew
** Tanqwa Melash
* East Tigray
** Adigrat Town
** Agulae
** Atsbi
** Atsbi Town
** Bizet
** Edaga Hamus Town
** Erob
** Freweyni Town
** Ganta Afeshum
** Geralta
** Hawzen
Hawzen ( Ge'ez: ሓውዜን) is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi (Eastern) Zone of the Tigray Region (or ''kilil''), this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2105 meters above sea level. Its market da ...
** Hawzen Town
** Irob
** Kelete Awelallo
** Saesie
** Tsaeda Emba
** Wukro Town
** Zala Anbesa Town
* North West Tigray
** Adi Daero
** Adi Hageray Adi or ADI may refer to:
Names and titles
* Adi (mythology), an Asura in Hindu faith who appears in the Matsya Purāṇa
* Adi (name), a given name in Hebrew and a nickname in other languages
* Adi (title), a Fijian title used by females of chie ...
** Asgede
** Dima
** Endabaguna Town
** Indasilassie
** Laelay Adiabo
** May Tsebri Town
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days.
May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May ...
** Selekleka
** Seyemti Adyabo
** Sheraro Town
** Tahtay Adiyabo
** Tahtay Koraro
** Tselemti
** Tsimbia
** Zena
* South Tigray
** Alamata Town
** Bora
** Chercher
** Emba Alaje
** Endamehoni
Endamekoni () (also transliterated as Enda Mohoni) is one of the Districts of Ethiopia, or ''woredas'', in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Endamehoni is bordered on the south by Ofla, on the west by the Amhara Region, on ...
** Korem Town
** Maichew Town
** Mekhoni Town
** Neqsage
** Ofla
Ofla () is one of the Districts of Ethiopia, or ''woredas'', in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Ofla is bordered on the south by Alamata, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the north by Endamehoni, and on the east by ...
** Raya Alamata
** Raya Azebo
** Selewa
** Zata
* South East Tigray
** Adigudom
** Dogua Temberi
** Enderta
** Hagere Setam Town
** Hintalo
** Saharti
** Samre
** Wajirat
* West Tigray
** Awora
** Dansha Town
** Kafta Humera
Kafta Humera () is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Located in the Western zone of Tigray, Kafta Humera is bordered on the south by Tsegede, on the west by Sudan, by the Tekezé River which separates Kafta Humera from Eritrea on the north, on ...
** Korant
Kurentovanje is Slovenia's most popular and ethnologically significant carnival event first organised in 1960 by Drago Hasl. This 11-day rite of spring and fertility highlight event is celebrated on Shrove Sunday in Ptuj, the oldest documented ci ...
** May Gaba
** May Kadra
** Setit Hemera
** Tsegede
Tsegede () is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named after the historic province of Tsegede. Located in the Western Zone of Tigray, Tsegede is bordered on the south and west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Kafta Humera, and ...
** Welkalt
* Mekelle (special zone)
Major cities
Mekelle, home to Mekelle University, Mekelle Institute of Technology
Mekelle Institute of Technology (MIT) is an educational institute created in Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, in 2002,Gregorian 2002 mostly overlaps with 1995 E.C. aiming to teach and do research in engineering, science and ...
, Microlink College, Nile College, and Mekelle College of Teacher Education is the capital of Tigray, near the geographic center of the state.
Other Tigray cities functioning as centers of Ethiopian metropolitan areas include:
:* Adigrat
Adigrat (, ''ʿaddigrat'', also called ʿAddi Grat) is a city and separate woreda in Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is located in the Misraqawi Zone at longitude and latitude , with an elevation of above sea level and below a high ridge to the we ...
(home of Adigrat University, Debre Damo monastery and Addis Pharmaceuticals)
:* Adwa (home of Adwa Pan African University,)
:* Axum (home of Aksum University
Aksum University (AKU) is a teaching university in Aksum in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It offers teaching programs and research projects which lead toward undergraduate and master's degrees. It was established in February 2007 with the objective of ...
,)
:* Maychew (home of Raya University)
Of the 10 largest cities in Tigray, Maychew has the highest elevation at 2479 meter above sea level. Plenty of smaller towns, like Atsbi and Edaga Hamus are located at even higher elevations. Of the large cities, Humera
Humera (; ) is a town in the Kafta Humera woreda in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Western Zone the town has an elevation of above sea level. The Tekezé river borders the town to the north. Humera is a very important regional ...
is located at the lowest altitude (585 m).
Government and politics
Executive branch
The executive branch is headed by the Chief Administrator of Tigray. The current president is Debretsion Gebremichael, a TPLF member, elected in 2018 and again in 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
. A Vice President of Tigray succeeds the president in the event of any removal from office, and performs any duties assigned by the president. The current vice president is Dr. Addis Alem Balema. The other elected constitutional offices in the executive branch are the Regional Health Bureau (''Ato'' Hagos Godefy), Educational Bureau (''Ato'' Gebre'egziabher), Auditor General (''Ato'' Alemseged Kebedew), and 12 other officials.
Judicial branch
There are three levels of the Tigray state judiciary. The lowest level is the court of common pleas: each woreda maintains its own constitutionally mandated court of common pleas, which maintain jurisdiction over all justiciable matters. The intermediate-level court system is the district court system. Four courts of appeals exist, each retaining jurisdiction over appeals from common pleas, municipal, and county courts in an administrative zone. A case heard in this system is decided by a three-judge panel, and each judge is elected.
The highest-ranking court, the Tigray Supreme Court, is Tigray's "court of last resort". A seven-justice panel composes the court, which, by its own discretion, hears appeals from the courts of appeals, and retains original jurisdiction over limited matters. The chief judge is called the President of Tigray Supreme Court (''W/ro'' Hirity Miheretab).
Legislative branch
The State Council, which is the highest administrative body of the state, is made up of 152 members.
National politics
Tigray is represented by 38 representatives in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia House of Peoples' Representatives. But currently after the illegitimate postponement of the national election of Ethiopia Tigray has pulled it representative from the House of House of Peoples' Representatives and has no representation in the Federal parliamen
Demographics
Based on the 2007 census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency (Ethiopia), Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the Tigray Region has a population of 4,316,988, of whom 2,126,465 are men and 2,190,523 women; urban inhabitants number 844,040 or 19.55% of the population. With an estimated area of 84,722 km2, the region had an estimated density of 51 people per km2. In the entire region 992,635 households were counted, for an average of 4.4 people per household, with urban households having on average 3.4 and rural households 4.6.
In the previous census, conducted in 1994, the region's population was 3,136,267, of whom 1,542,165 were men and 1,594,102 women; urban inhabitants numbered 621,210, or 14% of the population.
According to the CSA, , 53.99% of the total population had access to safe drinking water, of whom 42.68% were rural inhabitants and 97.28% were urban. Values for other reported common indicators of the standard of living for Tigray include: 31.6% of the inhabitants fall into the lowest wealth quintile; adult literacy for men is 67.5% and for women 33.7%; and the infant mortality rate is 67 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, less than the national average of 77; at least half of these deaths occurred in the infants' first month of life.
The predominant religion in Tigray is Orthodox Christianity["Census 2007"](_blank)
first draft, Tables 1, 4, 5, 6
Ethnicity
With 96.55% of the local population, the region is predominantly inhabited by the Tigrinya
(; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions.
History and literatur ...
-speaking Tigrayan people. The Tigrinya language belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family of languages. Most other residents hail from other Afro-Asiatic-speaking communities, including the Amhara, Irob, Afar, Agaw and Oromo. Partly assimilated Oromo live in remoter villages in Raya Azebo and Alamata (woreda), whereas there are Agaw in Abergele (woreda). There are also Nilo-Saharan-speaking Kunama as well.
Languages
The working language is Tigrinya
(; also spelled Tigrigna) is an Ethio-Semitic language commonly spoken Eritrea and in northern Ethiopia's Tigray Region by the Tigrinya and Tigrayan peoples. It is also spoken by the global diaspora of these regions.
History and literatur ...
. Saho and Kunama are also spoken, and people in urban areas are also able to speak Amharic.
Notable people
* Mehari Taddele Maru, author, professor at European university Institute
*Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ( ti, ቴዎድሮስ አድሓኖም ገብረኢየሱስ, sometimes spelt ti, ቴድሮስ ኣድሓኖም ገብረየሱስ, label=none; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, and ...
, Director General, World Health Organization WHO
*Meles Zenawi Asres
Meles Zenawi Asres (Tigrinya and ; , born Legesse Zenawi Asres; 9 May 1955 – 20 August 2012) was an Ethiopian soldier and politician who served as President of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995 and then Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 until his ...
, Prime Minister, Ethiopia 1995–2012
* Zeresenay Alemseged, Anthropologist, known for his discovery of Selam, also referred to as "Lucy
Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Lu ...
’s child", the almost-complete fossilized remains of a 3.3 million-year-old child of the species '' Australopithecus afarensis''.
Agriculture
Cropping
Terracing and dam construction
An important aspect of the agricultural work in Tigray after the end of the 1991 civil war was to minimize the problems of drought. In the past, Tigray was covered with forests and had a micro-climate that favoured the rains. Subsequently, the forests were cut down, usually to impoverish the population during the wars. Consequently, Tigray achieved a fair amount of rainfall during the rainy season, from August to September, but quickly lost these waters downstream. In the process the fertile soil of the fields eroded. After a few weeks of rain, the country again dried up.
The government undertook two projects in Tigray. The first was the construction of terraces which, with the agreement and help of local communities, go up to the tops of the mountains at 2,500 metres. The goal was to prevent the rainfall flowing away immediately so that it could be conserved for the agricultural season. On the highest terraces were planted trees, mainly eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as e ...
, the dominant tree in Ethiopia and native to Australia. These plants created a new microclimate. The terracing method was very simple but required good organization. Long stretches of the fields were terraced by the villagers using stone walls from stones that erosion had exposed. The rains eroding the still non-terraced ground formed mudslides that were held by the topmost walls, which permitted construction of a new terrace field and another wall with uncovered stones, creating new ground terraced farmland every year.
Another endeavour involved the construction of small reservoirs for local irrigation. As rains last only for a couple of months per year, reservoirs of different sizes allow harvesting runoff from the rainy season for further use in the dry season. The dams needed to create these basins are typically an embankment of a few hundreds of meters, closing off one part of a valley, with a maximum height of 20 metres. Each took months of work, in which people carried earth on their back, and with assistance of donkeys. Generally 2,000–3,000 people — men, women and children — carried the earth in simple baskets.
The small reservoirs in Tigray include:
* Addi Abagiè
Addi Abagiè is a reservoir located in the Sa’isi Tsa’ida Imba ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1993.
Dam characteristics
Dam crest length: 176 metres. Exceptionally, ...
* Addi Akhor
* Addi Amharay
Addi Amharay is a reservoir located in the Inderta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1997 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 14.7 metres
* Dam crest length: 128 metres
...
* May Leiba
May Leiba is a reservoir located in the Dogu’a Tembien ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. It is named after the May Leiba River. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by the Relief Society of Tigray.
Dam char ...
* Hiza'iti Wedi Cheber
Hiza’iti Wedi Cheber is a reservoir located in the Inderta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1997 by the Tigray Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Dam characteristic ...
* Addi Asme'e
* Chini
* Addi Gela
Addi Gela is a reservoir located in the Hintalo Wajirat ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 22 metres
* Dam crest length: 424 metre ...
* Addi Hilo
Addi Hilo is a reservoir located in the Inderta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 11.4 metres
* Dam crest length: 171 metres
* S ...
* Addi Qenafiz
Addi Qenafiz is a reservoir located in the Hintalo Wajirat ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 15.5 metres
* Dam crest length: 514 ...
* Addi Shihu
Addi Shihu is a reservoir located in the Atsbi Wenberta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1997 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 10.8 metres
* Dam crest length: 301 met ...
* Aqushela
Aqushela is a typical over-dimensioned reservoir located in the Tanqwa-Abergele ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1999 by the Relief Society of Tigray.
Dam characteristics
* Dam ...
* Arato
Arato is a reservoir located in the Inderta woreda of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1997 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 20 metres
* Dam crest length: 443 metres
* Spillway wi ...
* Belesat
* Betqua
* Chichat
* Dibdibo
Dibdibo is a reservoir named after the homonymous village, located in the Inticho ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1999 by the Relief Society of Tigray.
Dam characteristics
* Da ...
* Dur Anbesa
* Imbagedo
* Inda Zib'i
* Era (reservoir)
* Era Quhila
Era Quhila is a reservoir located in the Inderta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1997 by the Tigray Bureau of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Dam characteristics
* Dam cres ...
* Gereb Mihiz
Gereb Mihiz is a reservoir located in the Hintalo Wajirat ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 17.5 metres
* Dam crest length: ...
* Filiglig
Filiglig is a reservoir located in the Hintalo Wajirat ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 14 metres
* Dam crest length: 325&nb ...
* Gereb May Zib'i
* Gereb Bi'ati
* Gereb Awso
Gereb Awso is a reservoir located in the Inderta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 10.5 metres
* Dam crest length: 196 ...
* Felaga
Felaga is a reservoir located in the Atsbi Wenberta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1996 by Tigray Bureau of Agriculture.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 11.9 metres ...
* Gereb Segen (Hintalo)
Gereb Segen is a reservoir located in the Hintalo Wajirat ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 2000 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 14.86 metres
* Dam crest length: ...
* Gereb Segen (May Gabat)
Gereb Segen is a reservoir located in the Inderta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 2016 by the Tigray Water Bureau, with the main aim of providing Mekelle with water.
Challenges ...
* Gereb Shegal
Gereb Shegal is a reservoir located in the Inderta ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 1998 by SAERT.
Dam characteristics
* Dam height: 20 metres
* Dam crest length: 363 ...
* Ginda'i
* Godew
Overall, these reservoirs suffer from rapid siltation
Siltation, is water pollution caused by particulate Terrestrial ecoregion, terrestrial Clastic rock, clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments and to the ...
. Part of the water that could be used for irrigation is lost through seepage
Soil mechanics is a branch of soil physics and applied mechanics that describes the behavior of soils. It differs from fluid mechanics and solid mechanics in the sense that soils consist of a heterogeneous mixture of fluids (usually air and wat ...
; the positive side-effect is that this contributes to groundwater recharge
Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. This process usually occurs ...
.
Vegetation and enclosures
Tigray holds numerous exclosure
An exclosure, in an area being used extensively for grazing, is a limited area from which unwanted browsing animals, such as domestic cattle or wildlife such as deer, are excluded by fencing or other means.
Environmental protection
Most commonl ...
s, areas that are set aside for regreening. Logging and livestock grazing are not allowed there. Besides effects on biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
, water infiltration
Infiltration is the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil. It is commonly used in both hydrology and soil sciences. The infiltration capacity is defined as the maximum rate of infiltration. It is most often measured in meter ...
, protection from flooding, sediment
Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sa ...
deposition, carbon sequestration, people commonly have economic benefits from these exclosures through grass harvesting, beekeeping and other non-timber forest product
Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are useful foods, substances, materials and/or commodities obtained from forests other than timber. Harvest ranges from wild collection to farming. They typically include game animals, fur-bearers, nuts, see ...
s. The local inhabitants also consider it as "land set aside for future generations". In Dogu'a Tembien
Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien) is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Nowadays, the mountainous district is part of the Southeastern Tigray ...
, several exclosures are managed by the EthioTrees
The EthioTrees Ecosystem Restoration Association, in short EthioTrees, established in 2016, is a project for environmental rehabilitation and woodland restoration in Dogu’a Tembien (Ethiopia).
Context
Since many years, there has been severe ...
project. They have as an additional benefit that the villagers receive carbon credit
A carbon credit is a generic term for any tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit a set amount of carbon dioxide or the equivalent amount of a different greenhouse gas (tCO2e).
Carbon credits and carbon markets are a compo ...
s for the sequestered CO2, as part of a carbon offset
A carbon offset is a reduction or removal of emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. Offsets are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One ton of carb ...
programme.[EthioTrees on Plan Vivo website](_blank)
/ref> The revenues are then reinvested in the villages, according to the priorities of the communities;[EthioTrees on Davines website](_blank)
/ref> it may be for an additional class in the village school, a water pond, conservation in the exclosures, or a store for incense.
Livestock
The CSA estimated in 2005 that farmers in Tigray had a total of 2,713,750 cattle (representing 7.0% of Ethiopia's total cattle), 72,640 sheep (0.42%), 208,970 goats (1.61%), 1,200 horses (less than 0.1%), 9,190 mules (6.24%), 386,600 asses (15.43%), 32,650 camels (7.15%), 3,180,240 poultry of all species (10.3%), and 20,480 beehives (0.47%). Cattle are an essential component in the dominant grain-plough agricultural system. In the rainy season, a large part of the cattle herds are in transhumance.
Mainly used for draught, there are several cattle landraces in Tigray:
* Arado cattle, the dominant variety
* Raya cattle, long horned, especially raised in Southern Tigray and traded widely as plough oxen
* Irob cattle Irob (ኢሮብ) may refer to:
*Irob people, an ethnic group of Ethiopia
*Irob (woreda), a district in Ethiopia named after the people
*Rob (TV series)
''Rob'' (stylized as ''¡Rob!'') is an American sitcom television series that premiered on C ...
, particularly in the Irob woreda
* Abergele cattle
The Abergele cattle are the smallest breed of cattle in north Ethiopia. They are reared in the Abergele lowlands and at the southwestern lower slopes of Dogu'a Tembien district. Abergele cattle are part of the Zenga breed group. The Abergele br ...
, particularly in Abergele (woreda) and on the southwestern slopes of Dogu’a Tembien
* Begayt cattle, in western Tigray
The Western Zone () is a zone in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is subdivided into three woredas (districts); from north to south they are Kafta Humera, Welkait and Tsegede. The largest town is Humera. The Western Zone is bordered on the east ...
. They are known for better milk production
* In small towns: Cross-bred Arado x Begayt, and Arado x Holstein-Friesian milk cows
Landmarks
A distinctive feature of Tigray are its rock-hewn churches. Similar in design to those of Lalibela in the Amhara Region
The Amhara Region ( am, አማራ ክልል, Åmara Kilil), officially the Amhara National Regional State (), is a regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara people. Its capital is Bahir Dar which is the seat of the Re ...
, these churches are found in four or five clusters – Gheralta, Teka-Tesfay, Atsbi and Tembien – with Wukro sometimes included. Some of the churches are considered earlier than those of Lalibela, perhaps dating from the eighth century. Mostly monolithic, with designs partly inspired by classical architecture, they are often located at the top of cliffs or steep hills, for security. For example, Tigray's ancient Debre Damo
Debre Damo (), also spelled Debre Dammo, Dabra Dāmmo or Däbrä Dammo), is the name of a flat-topped mountain, or amba, and a 6th-century monastery in Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The mountain is a steeply rising plateau of trapezoidal shape, abou ...
monastery is accessible only by climbing a rope 25 metres up a sheer cliff.
Looting has become a major issue in the Tigray Region, as archaeological sites have become sources for construction materials and ancient artifacts used for everyday purposes by local populations.
The area is famous for a single rock sculptured 23 meter long obelisk in Axum as well as for other fallen obelisks. The Axum treasure site of ancient Tigrayan history is a major landmark. Yeha
Yeha ( gez, ይሐ ''yiḥa'', older ESA 𐩥𐩢 ''ḤW''; Old South Arabian: 𐩺𐩢𐩱 ''Yḥʾ'') is a town in the Maekelay Zone of the northern Tigray Region in Ethiopia. It likely served as the capital of the pre-Aksumite kingdom of D'm ...
is another important local landmark that is little-known outside the region.
Transport
Ground travel
A major north–south road corridor goes through Tigray. This is facilitated by Highway 2 which goes from Adigrat to Addis Ababa and Highway 3 which goes from Shire to Addis Ababa.
Air travel
Tigray has one international airport and four commercial airports. The international airport is Alula Aba Nega Airport (MQX) near Mekelle. The region's four other commercial airports are Shire Airport
Shire Airport, also known as Shire Inda Selassie Airport or Indaselassie Airport, is an airport serving Shire, a city in the Tigray National Regional State of Ethiopia. The airport is just south of the city.
Shire Airport was constructed by Eth ...
(SHC), Humera Airport
Humera Airport is an airport serving Humera, a town in the northwestern Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The name of the city and airport may also be transliterated as Himera or Himora.
Humera Airport is located at , which is southeast of Humera () ...
(HUE), Dansha Airport, and Emperor Yohannes IV Airport (AXU), which serves Axum.
Sports
Mekelle 70 Enderta F.C. (Tigrinya: ጋንታ መቐለ 70 እንደርታ) is an Ethiopian football club based in the capital, Mekelle. They are a member of the Ethiopian Football Federation and currently play in the top division of Ethiopian football, the Ethiopian Premier League. They are known by the nickname the ''Lion of Judah'' (ምዓም ኣንበሳ /ምዓም አናብስት/ኣናብስቶቹ). The club won its first Ethiopian Premier League title in the 2018–2019 Ethiopian Premier League Season.
Shire Indasillasie F.C. (Tigrinya: ጋንታ ስሑል ሽረ, also known as Sihul Shire FC) is an Ethiopian football club based in Shire. They are a member of the Ethiopian Football Federation and play in the Ethiopian Premier League, the first division of football in Ethiopia.
Mekele City, Suhul Shire, and Adigrat University football clubs were Tigray-based clubs among the 14 clubs to participate in the Ethiopian Premier League in 2020/2021. However, due to the war, they were replaced by other clubs from the League one rank below the Ethiopian Premier League.
Tigrayans are known for their good performance in circus and road cycling. For many years cyclists from this region have been dominant in Ethiopian cycle championships. Tsgabu Gebremaryam Grmay is one of the best Ethiopian cyclists and the first Ethiopian to participate in the Tour de France.
Education
At the regional level, the Tigray Education Bureau governs primary and secondary educational institutions. At the municipal level, there are approximately 300 school districts region-wide.
Colleges and universities
* Adigrat University
* Axum University
* Adwa Pan-African University
* Ethio-lmage College
* Greenwich College
* Hashenge College
* Mars Engineering College
* Mekelle University
* Mekelle Institute of Technology
Mekelle Institute of Technology (MIT) is an educational institute created in Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, in 2002,Gregorian 2002 mostly overlaps with 1995 E.C. aiming to teach and do research in engineering, science and ...
* New Millennium College
* Nile College
* Raya University
* Sehba Info Tech & Business College
* Signal College
* St. Mary's University College
* Winner college Axum
Libraries
Tigray is home to Ethiopia's most extensive church libraries that are found in the eastern and central zones of the region. There are several ongoing digitization projects to preserve previous historical texts.
* Axum Heritage Foundation
* Romanat Qeddus Mika'el Church
* Gunda Gunde Monastery
* Agwaza Monastery
* Debre Damo Monastery
Non-governmental organisations
Major NGOs, involved in development activities are:
* Relief Society of Tigray
*Tigrai Development Association
The Tigray Region, officially the Tigray National Regional State, is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle. Tigray i ...
Tegaru Disaster Relief Fund (TDRF)
Notes
References
External links
Tigray Region Web Portal
Tigray Revenue Development Authority
Map of Tigray Region at DPPA of Ethiopia
Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray website
* ttp://www.ethiopiantreasures.co.uk/pages/mekele.htm Ethiopian Treasures – Emperor Yohannes IV Castle – Mekele
Future Observatory
– Dam Building in Tigray by David Mercer
"Tigrayans want end to border row"
by Elizabeth Blunt, ''BBC News'', 20 December 2007
Tigray: Then and Now
– the son of Mohamed Amin covers sustainable agriculture in Tigray following the Horn of Africa drought in 2011.
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Regions of Ethiopia