Ganta Afeshum
Encyclopedia
Ganta Afeshum is one of the 36 woreda
s in the Tigray Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Misraqawi Zone
, Ganta Afeshum is bordered on the south by Hawzen
, on the west by the Mehakelegnaw (Central) Zone
, on the north by Gulomahda
, and on the east by Saesi Tsaedaemba
. The administrative center of this woreda is Adigrat
; other towns in Ganta Afeshum include Bizet.
There are several local monolithic church
es in this woreda, which include Mariyam Si'it and Samuel Mayaba (abandoned as of 1970). High points in Genta Afeshum include Mount Alequa (3290 meters) and Mount Undale, part of the Harat Mountains.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 88,644, an increase of 3.79% over the 1994 census, of whom 42,096 are men and 46,548 women; 3,636 or 4.10% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,636.36 square kilometers, Ganta Afeshum has a population density of 54.17, which is less than the Zone average of 56.93 persons per square kilometer. A total of 19,301 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.59 persons to a household, and 18,855 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 122,827 of whom 58,398 were men and 64,429 were women; 39,561 or 32.21% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Ganta Afeshum was the Tigrayan
(98.07%), and Tigrinya
was spoken as a first language by 98.56%. The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 97.28% reporting that as their religion, while 1.66% were Muslim
. Concerning education
, 29.77% of the population were considered literate, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.01%; 47.64% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 8.41% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school; and 10.59% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 83% of the urban houses and 37% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 22% of the urban and about 9% of the total had toilet facilities.
, and 6.86% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 64% was planted in cereals, 8.9% in pulses, 0.61% in oilseeds, and 13 hectares in vegetables. The total area planted in fruit trees was 646 hectares, while 78 were planted in gesho. 72.00% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 25.63% only grew crops and 2.37% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 94.88% owning their land, 3.39% renting, and 1.74% holding their land under other forms of tenure.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Tigray Region
Tigray Region
Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine ethnic regions of Ethiopia containing the homeland of the Tigray people. It was formerly known as Region 1...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Part of the Misraqawi Zone
Misraqawi Zone
Misraqawi is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Misraqawi is bordered on the east by the Afar Region, on the south by Debubawi , on the west by Mehakelegnaw and on the north by Eritrea. Its highest point is Mount Asimba...
, Ganta Afeshum is bordered on the south by Hawzen
Hawzen (woreda)
Hawzen is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraqawi Zone, Hawzen is bordered on the south by Wukro, on the west by the Mehakelegnaw Zone, on the north by Ganta Afeshum, and on the east by Saesi Tsaedaemba...
, on the west by the Mehakelegnaw (Central) Zone
Mehakelegnaw Zone
Mehakelegnaw is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Mehakelegnaw is bordered on the east by Misraqawi , on the south by Debubawi , on the west by Mirabawi and on the north by Eritrea...
, on the north by Gulomahda
Gulomahda
Gulomakeda is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Its name partly comes from the legendary Queen Makeda, also known as the Queen of Sheba. Part of the Misraqawi Zone, Gulomakeda is bordered on the south by Ganta Afeshum, on the west by the Mehakelegnaw Zone, on the north by...
, and on the east by Saesi Tsaedaemba
Saesi Tsaedaemba
Saesi Tsaedaemba is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi Zone at the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands, Saesi Tsaedaemba is bordered on the south by Wukro, on the southwest by Hawzen, on the west by Ganta Afeshum, on the northwest by Gulomahda, on...
. The administrative center of this woreda is Adigrat
Adigrat
Adigrat is a city in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi Zone at longitude and latitude with an elevation of 2457 meters above sea level, below a high ridge to the west, Adigrat is the last important Ethiopian city south of the border with Eritrea, and is considered to be a...
; other towns in Ganta Afeshum include Bizet.
There are several local monolithic church
Monolithic church
A monolithic church or rock-hewn church is a church made from a single block of stone. They are one of the most basic forms of monolithic architecture....
es in this woreda, which include Mariyam Si'it and Samuel Mayaba (abandoned as of 1970). High points in Genta Afeshum include Mount Alequa (3290 meters) and Mount Undale, part of the Harat Mountains.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 national census conducted by the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 88,644, an increase of 3.79% over the 1994 census, of whom 42,096 are men and 46,548 women; 3,636 or 4.10% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 1,636.36 square kilometers, Ganta Afeshum has a population density of 54.17, which is less than the Zone average of 56.93 persons per square kilometer. A total of 19,301 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.59 persons to a household, and 18,855 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 122,827 of whom 58,398 were men and 64,429 were women; 39,561 or 32.21% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Ganta Afeshum was the Tigrayan
Tigray-Tigrinya people
Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in the southern, central and northern parts of Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopia's Tigray province. They also live in Ethiopia's former provinces of Begemder and Wollo, which are today mostly part of Amhara Region, though a few regions...
(98.07%), and Tigrinya
Tigrinya language
Tigrinya , also spelled Tigrigna, Tigrnia, Tigrina, Tigriña, less commonly Tigrinian, Tigrinyan, is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigrinya people in central Eritrea , where it is one of the two main languages of Eritrea, and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia , where it...
was spoken as a first language by 98.56%. The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 97.28% reporting that as their religion, while 1.66% were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
. Concerning education
Education in Ethiopia
Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the provision of schools and...
, 29.77% of the population were considered literate, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.01%; 47.64% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 8.41% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school; and 10.59% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
Water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia
Access to water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia is amongst the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa and the entire world. While access has increased substantially with funding from external aid, much still remains to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the share of people...
, about 83% of the urban houses and 37% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 22% of the urban and about 9% of the total had toilet facilities.
Agriculture
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 20,704 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 0.37 hectares of land. Of the 7,710 hectares of private land surveyed, 83.38% was under cultivation, 2.67% pasture, 5.15% fallow, 1.95% in woodlandForestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and 6.86% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 64% was planted in cereals, 8.9% in pulses, 0.61% in oilseeds, and 13 hectares in vegetables. The total area planted in fruit trees was 646 hectares, while 78 were planted in gesho. 72.00% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 25.63% only grew crops and 2.37% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 94.88% owning their land, 3.39% renting, and 1.74% holding their land under other forms of tenure.