Mereb Lehe
Encyclopedia
Mereb Lehe is one of the 36 woreda
s in the Tigray Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone
, It is bordered on the south by La'ilay Maychew
, on the southwest by Tahtay Maychew
, on the west by the Mi'irabawi (Western) Zone
, on the north by the Mareb River
(which separates it from Eritrea
), on the east by Enticho
, and on the southeast by Adwa
. The administrative center of this woreda is Rama
; other towns include La'ilay Merhisenay.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 107,218, an increase of 37.29% over the 1994 census, of whom 53,425 are men and 53,793 women; 7,911 or 7.38% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,521.70 square kilometers, Mereb Lehe has a population density of 42.52, which is less than the Zone average of 56.29 persons per square kilometer. A total of 23,370 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.59 persons to a household, and 22,531 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 78,094, of whom 38,906 were men and 39,188 were women; 5,098 or 6.53% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Mereb Lehe was the Tigrayan
(99.56%). Tigrinya
was spoken as a first language by 99.7%. 98.41% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.55% were Muslim
. Concerning education
, 9.64% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 14.21%; 10.62% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; a negligible number of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.14% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 25% of the urban houses and 6% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 6% of the urban and 2.5% of the total had toilet facilities.
, and 2.78% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 84.12% was planted in cereals, 1.11% in pulses, 0.41% in oilseeds, and 0.15% in vegetables. The area planted in fruit trees was four hectares and two hectares in gesho. 76.55% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 22.23% only grew crops and 1.22% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 82.52% owning their land, and 16.68% renting; the amount in other forms of tenure is missing.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Tigray Region
Tigray Region
Tigray Region is the northernmost of the nine ethnic regions of Ethiopia containing the homeland of the Tigray people. It was formerly known as Region 1...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone
Mehakelegnaw Zone
Mehakelegnaw is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. Mehakelegnaw is bordered on the east by Misraqawi , on the south by Debubawi , on the west by Mirabawi and on the north by Eritrea...
, It is bordered on the south by La'ilay Maychew
La'ilay Maychew
La'ilay Maychew is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, La'ilay Maychew is bordered on the south by Naeder Adet, on the west by Tahtay Maychew, on the north by Mereb Lehe, and on the east by Adwa...
, on the southwest by Tahtay Maychew
Tahtay Maychew
Tahtay Maychew is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Tahtay Maychew is bordered on the south by Naeder Adet, on the west by the Mi'irabawi Zone, on the north by Mereb Lehe, and on the east by La'ilay Maychew...
, on the west by the Mi'irabawi (Western) Zone
Mi'irabawi Zone
Mi'irabawi is one of four Zones in the Ethiopian Tigray Region. Mi'irabawi is bordered on the east by the Mehakelegnaw Zone, the south by the Amhara Region, the west by Sudan and on the north by Eritrea...
, on the north by the Mareb River
Mareb River
The Mareb River , is a river flowing out of central Eritrea. Its chief importance is defining part of the boundary between Eritrea and Ethiopia between the point where the Mai Ambassa enters the river at to the confluence of the Balasa with the Mareb at .According to the Statistical Abstract of...
(which separates it from Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
), on the east by Enticho
Enticho (woreda)
Enticho is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Enticho is bordered on the south by Werie Lehe, on the southwest by Adwa, on the west by Mereb Lehe, on the north by Eritrea, and on the east by the Misraqawi Zone...
, and on the southeast by Adwa
Adwa (woreda)
Adwa is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Adwa is bordered on the south by Werie Lehe, on the west by La'ilay Maychew, on the north by Mereb Lehe, and on the east by Enticho...
. The administrative center of this woreda is Rama
Rama, Ethiopia
Rama is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located 35 km north of the town of Adwa and 7 kilometers from the border with Eritrea, in the Mehakelegnaw Zone of the Tigray Region, this town occupies a fertile lowland area and has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1385 meters above sea level...
; other towns include La'ilay Merhisenay.
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 107,218, an increase of 37.29% over the 1994 census, of whom 53,425 are men and 53,793 women; 7,911 or 7.38% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,521.70 square kilometers, Mereb Lehe has a population density of 42.52, which is less than the Zone average of 56.29 persons per square kilometer. A total of 23,370 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.59 persons to a household, and 22,531 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 78,094, of whom 38,906 were men and 39,188 were women; 5,098 or 6.53% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Mereb Lehe was the Tigrayan
Tigray-Tigrinya people
Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in the southern, central and northern parts of Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopia's Tigray province. They also live in Ethiopia's former provinces of Begemder and Wollo, which are today mostly part of Amhara Region, though a few regions...
(99.56%). Tigrinya
Tigrinya language
Tigrinya , also spelled Tigrigna, Tigrnia, Tigrina, Tigriña, less commonly Tigrinian, Tigrinyan, is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigrinya people in central Eritrea , where it is one of the two main languages of Eritrea, and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia , where it...
was spoken as a first language by 99.7%. 98.41% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.55% were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
. Concerning education
Education in Ethiopia
Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the provision of schools and...
, 9.64% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 14.21%; 10.62% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; a negligible number of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.14% 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 25% of the urban houses and 6% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 6% of the urban and 2.5% of the total had toilet facilities.
Agriculture
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 18,660 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 0.85 hectares of land. Of the 15,776 hectares of private land surveyed, 85.92% was in cultivation, 1.19% pasture, 10.02% fallow, 0.08% woodlandForestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and 2.78% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 84.12% was planted in cereals, 1.11% in pulses, 0.41% in oilseeds, and 0.15% in vegetables. The area planted in fruit trees was four hectares and two hectares in gesho. 76.55% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 22.23% only grew crops and 1.22% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 82.52% owning their land, and 16.68% renting; the amount in other forms of tenure is missing.