Werie Lehe
Encyclopedia
Werie Lehe is one of the 36 woreda
s in the Tigray Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone
, Werie Lehe is bordered on the south by the Wari River
which separates it from Kola Tembien
, on the southwest by Naeder Adet
, on the west by La'ilay Maychew
, on the north by Adwa
, on the northeast by Enticho
, and on the east by the Misraqawi (Eastern) Zone
. The administrative center of this woreda is Edaga Arbi; other towns in Werie Lehe include Maykinetal, and Nebelet.
Local landmarks in this woreda include several monolithic church
es, which include Wkro Mariyam
, Wkro Giyorgis and Abba Ghenzay near Nebelet.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 146,104, an increase of 32.06% over the 1994 census, of whom 71,659 are men and 74,445 women; 16,525 or 11.31% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,360.17 square kilometers, Werie Lehe has a population density of 61.90, which is greater than the Zone average of 56.29 persons per square kilometer. A total of 32,591 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.48 persons to a household, and 31,090 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 110,636, of whom 54,207 were men and 56,429 were women; 4,538 or 4.1% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Werie Lehe was the Tigrayan
(99.9%). Tigrinya
was spoken as a first language by 99.93%. 98.49% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.44% were Muslim
. Concerning education
, 15.14% of the population were considered literate, which is more than the Zone average of 14.21%; 14.97% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 0.1% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.12% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 83% of the urban houses and 13% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 2% of the urban and 2% of the total had toilet facilities.
, and 2.97% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 73.22% was planted in cereals, 7.2% in pulses, 1.16% in oilseeds, and 0.09% in vegetables. The area planted in fruit trees was 38 hectares; the area planted in gesho is missing. 79.85% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 18.6% only grew crops and 1.55% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 83.24% owning their land, 12.24% renting, and 4.52% in other forms of tenure.
The Ethiopian News Agency
announced 31 July 2009 that for the year farmers in the woreda harvested 113,044 quintals of various vegetables and fruits grown on 1,685 hectares of land, a 30% increase over the previous year.
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...
, Werie Lehe is bordered on the south by the Wari River
Wari River
Wari River is a river of northern Ethiopia and a tributary of the Tekezé River. It rises in the Gar'alta and flows to the southwest into the Tekezé at . Tributaries of the Wari include the Assam, Chemit, Meseuma, and Tsedia rivers...
which separates it from Kola Tembien
Kola Tembien
Kola Tembien is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien...
, on the southwest by Naeder Adet
Naeder Adet
Naeder Adet is one of the 36 woredas in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mehakelegnaw Zone, Naeder Adet is bordered on the south by the Wari River which separates it from Kola Tembien, on the west by Mi'irabawi Zone, on the northwest by Tahtay Maychew, on the northeast by La'ilay...
, on the west 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 north 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...
, on the northeast 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 east by the Misraqawi (Eastern) 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...
. The administrative center of this woreda is Edaga Arbi; other towns in Werie Lehe include Maykinetal, and Nebelet.
Local landmarks in this woreda include several 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, which include Wkro Mariyam
Wkro Mariyam
Wkro Mariyam is a monolithic church in northern Ethiopia. It is one of several churches located, in a remote region known as Amba Senneyti outside of the town of Nebelet, which is in the Mehakelegnaw Zone of the Tigray Region. It was first mentioned by the Catholic historian Manoel Barradas, whose...
, Wkro Giyorgis and Abba Ghenzay near Nebelet.
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 146,104, an increase of 32.06% over the 1994 census, of whom 71,659 are men and 74,445 women; 16,525 or 11.31% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 2,360.17 square kilometers, Werie Lehe has a population density of 61.90, which is greater than the Zone average of 56.29 persons per square kilometer. A total of 32,591 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.48 persons to a household, and 31,090 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 110,636, of whom 54,207 were men and 56,429 were women; 4,538 or 4.1% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Werie 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...
(99.9%). 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 99.93%. 98.49% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.44% 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...
, 15.14% of the population were considered literate, which is more than the Zone average of 14.21%; 14.97% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 0.1% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.12% 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 13% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; about 2% of the urban and 2% of the total had toilet facilities.
Agriculture
A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 27,199 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 1.09 hectares of land. Of the 29,738 hectares of private land surveyed, 82.1% was in cultivation, 0.85% pasture, 13.84% fallow, 0.22% 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 2.97% was devoted to other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 73.22% was planted in cereals, 7.2% in pulses, 1.16% in oilseeds, and 0.09% in vegetables. The area planted in fruit trees was 38 hectares; the area planted in gesho is missing. 79.85% of the farmers both raised crops and livestock, while 18.6% only grew crops and 1.55% only raised livestock. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed amongst 83.24% owning their land, 12.24% renting, and 4.52% in other forms of tenure.
The Ethiopian News Agency
Ethiopian News Agency
The Ethiopian News Agency is the official news agency of the Government of Ethiopia. It is the oldest news organization in Ethiopia...
announced 31 July 2009 that for the year farmers in the woreda harvested 113,044 quintals of various vegetables and fruits grown on 1,685 hectares of land, a 30% increase over the previous year.