Ethiopia is situated in the horn of Africa and currently has a population of about 79 Million people. It is a country of great contrasts, often stunning, sometimes surprising, and full of ancient culture and a deep religious feeling.

Ethiopia was one of the very first countries to adopt Christianity as a state religion (305 A.D.). Its civilization dates back millennia. The dominant type of Christianity in Ethiopia is Eastern Orthodox with a large Muslim minority. Until 1974, the year of the communist revolution, Ethiopia was ruled by the longest serving Imperial dynasty in the world. In ancient times, Ethiopia with the source of the Blue Nile in the centre of its territory was an important trading partner and actually an extension of Pharaonic Upper Egypt.
In modern times, Ethiopia has had the misfortune of being torn apart twice by brutal foreign power, first by Fascist Italy and then by the Soviet Union. In both cases, acts of genocide were committed by the aggressors, and the economy was torn apart from within, to the benefit of the foreign invaders.
Today, 25 years after the period known as "red terror" when internal wars were fostered, soviet armaments were sold in outrageous quantities and ordinary farmers were recruited to fight and die, Ethiopia is the victim of a generation gap.
This ensued the tragic famines of the '80s and beyond. Furthermore from 1961 to 1991, neighboring Eritrea fought a long war of independence against Ethiopia, which ultimately led to a referendum and peaceful separation in 1993. Through this war, Ethiopia lost access to the strategic and commercially important port of Massawa on the Red Sea.

Another Ertitrean-Ethiopian war took place from 1998 to 2000, forming one of the most dramatic conflicts in the Horn of Africa in the last decades. The two countries - although very poor - spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the war and suffered the loss of tens of thousands of their citizens who were killed or wounded as a direct consequence of the conflict The only result was minor border changes.

Today, Ethiopia is a politically stable country under a Democratic Republic constitution. The current government is positive towards economic regeneration, and sees commerce as a key route to achieve it.

But the situation is still extremely serious:
• "It was said that an estimated three million Ethiopians have been exposed to the disease (HIV/AIDS), with over 600,000 children made orphans and one third of Ethiopia's hospital beds used by carriers of the virus." -Situation Report for Ethiopia April 1999. UN Country Team Ethiopia.
•Malaria is prevalent in 75 per cent of the country, putting over 50 million people at risk. During an average year an estimated 80,000 Ethiopian children die from malaria. During the last major epidemic in 2003 an estimated extra 40,000 people died from malaria. There were also up to 16 million cases of malaria - 6 million more than in an average year.
•The 2006 Horn of Africa food crisis is an acute shortage of food affecting four Horn of Africa countries: Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia. The United Nations's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated on January 6, 2006, that more than 11 million people in these countries may be affected by an impending widespread famine, largely attributed to a severe drought, and exacerbated by military conflicts in the region.





Demographics Source

Population (2005) 77.4 million World Health Organization
Different ethnic groups (2006) 83 USAID
Annual growth rate of population (2006) 2 million Population Action International
Population under 18, in 2004 (2006) 39 million UNICEF
Population in rural areas (2006) 85% USAID
Population in sub-Saharan Africa (2005) Second most populous country World Bank
Population internally displaced by conflict (2005) 168,000 World Health Organization
Average life expectancy (2005) 42 World Bank

Economic Status Source
Rank of development (2006) 99 out of 203 on UNDP Human Poverty Index
Per capita income (2006) Under $100 World Health Organization
Population subsisting below $2/day (2006) Close to 80% World Health Organization
Population below basic needs poverty line (2002) 44% Ethiopian Economic Association, in Haile
Population subsisting food insecure (2005) Over 50% World Bank
Population affected by 2003 drought (2005) 14 million World Bank


Reproductive Health Source

Average births per woman (2004) 6.14 United Nations Population Division
Average number of children, rural areas (2005) 6.4 World Bank
Females giving birth before age 19 (2003) Over 40% Network of Ethiopian Women's Association (NEWA) and Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association
Females using contraceptives (2004) 13% World Bank
Males using contraceptives (2004) 17% World Bank
Rural population using modern contraceptives (2004) 4% World Bank
Women approving family planning (2005) 60% World Bank
Husbands approving family planning (2005) 34% World Bank
Adults wanting family planning services to space or limit childbearing, if available (2001) Over 45% Central Statistical Authority and ORC Macro
Women with access to prenatal care, in 2000 (2005) 27% World Health Organization
Births attended by skilled personnel, from 1996-2004 (2006) 6% UNICEF
Births in health facilities (2005) 5% World Bank
Deaths during childbirth (2006) 850 per 100,00 live births World Health Organization
Deaths from pregnancy-related causes (2000) 1 in 14 women World Health Organization
Deaths from pregnancy & abortion-related causes (2006) 1 in 7 women Population Action Intl.
Deaths from unsafe abortions (2004) 90 per 100,000 live births World Health Organization
Percentage of females seeking abortions who are under age 18 Over 50% PPGG


Primary Health Source

Population with use of adequate sanitation facilities (2005) 15% World Bank
Rural population with use of adequate sanitation facilities, in 2002 (2006) 4% UNICEF
Population with use of improved drinking water sources (2005) 24% World Bank
Population with access to public health facilities (2006) 61.3% USAID
Population more than 10 km (6 miles) from nearest health facility (2006) Over 50% World Health Organization
Physicians per 100,000 people (2006) 3 World Health Organization
Population moderately to severely underweight (2006) 38% World Health Organization
Population stunted (2006) 47% World Health Organization
Population at-risk for malaria (2006) 3.1 million World Health Organization
Women dying from tuberculosis (2006) 96 per 100,000 World Health Organization


HIV/AIDS Source

Country rank of HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa (2005) 5th World Bank
Percentage of HIV/AIDS cases in the world (2005) 7% World Bank
Overall HIV prevalence, adults 15-49, in 2003 (2006) 4.4% of population, or 3 million people WHO
Adults infected weekly (2006) 5,000 World Health Organization
Age group with highest rate of infection 15-24 years; female prevalence 3 times greater than among males USAID in PPGG Fact Sheet
Women living with HIV, 15-49, in 2003 (2006) 770,000 UNICEF
Mother-to-child HIV transmission 2nd highest number of new infections/year USAID in PPGG Fact Sheet
Children dying from AIDS (2005) 1 in 16 World Health Organization
Children orphaned by AIDS, aged 0-17, 2003 estimate (2006) 720,000 UNICEF


FGM Source

Women aged 15-49 with FGM, from 1998-2004 (2006) 80% UNICEF
Girls undergoing FGM Up to 90% United Nations


Women's Status Source

Women marrying before age 18 57% National Committee of Traditional Practices of Ethiopia
Women experiencing rape, in total population (2004) 25% World Bank


Children's Status Source

Newborns dying before age 1, from 1995-2000 (2005) 1 in 10 World Bank
Children dying before age 5, often from preventable diseases, from 1995-2000 (2005) 1 in 6 World Bank
Main causes of early childhood deaths (2005) Diarrhea and pneumonia World Bank
Orphans, 2003 estimate (2006) 4 million UNICEF
Children under age 5 stunted from lack of nutrition (2006) Over 50% USAID


Education Source

Literacy, adults (2005) 41% World Bank
Literacy, women (2006) 26.4% USAID
Primary school attendance, females (2002) 50% Ethiopian Economic Association
Primary school attendance, males (2002) 72% Ethiopian Economic Association
High school attendance, females (2002) 8.5% Ethiopian Economic Association
High school attendance, males (2002) 12% Ethiopian Economic Association

Mekelle city is one of the ancient and most pleasant places to visit in Ethiopia. It is located between altitudes of 2000-2200 meters above sea level and has a moderate climatic condition.The average annual rainfall ranges from 50-250mm and the average mean temperature is 19 degree celsius. It has a total population of 200,000 out of which 91.3 are followers of Orthodox Christianity.

The people are nice,the streets are wide and good for walking. As a visitor, one of the most pleasant things about visiting Mekelle is the lack of hassle from the people - there are no crowds following you, no calling out of 'you, you' or 'money, money'. People very pleasantly leave you alone. Mekelle is one of the safest places in Ethiopia, Africa and the rest of the world.

Within 80 kilometers of Mekelle there are over 120 rock hewn churches, which makes Mekelle a stop off point or central resting place. She is the seat of a historical palace called Atse Yohannes IV Palace named after the famous King who ruled Ethiopia from 1872-1889. Nowadays the Palace is serving as a museum and the fantastic throne of Atse Yohannnes IV made by the Italian engineer Giacomo Nareri in 1874 is the eye catching centerpiece of the museum.

Mekelle has also a quite imposing and impressive castle called Dejatch Abraha's Castle built around 1906.Located at the heart of the city it is very much similar to a medival castle of England or other parts of Europe.Nowadays the castle is serving as a Hotel.

A perfect place to stay at Mekelle include Axum Hotel,Hil Top Hotel,Milano Hotel,Abrha Castle Hotel,Atse Yohannes Hotel,Alula Aba Nega Hotel and Seti Hotel.

The shared development vision of Mekelle is" Seeing our city being a center of industry and commerce,education and culture,wherein poverty would be reduced and effective governance promoted and prevailed."

For further information please contact Tigray Tourism Commission by Phone:+251-34-440 07 69

Location:

The Tigray people live in the northern highlands of Ethiopia´s Tigray regional state. The term Tigray is used in Ethiopia for both the people and their region. The Tigray people are one of more than 100 ethnic groups in Ethiopia.The term Tigrinya is used for the language they speak.

History:

The Tigray (also referred to as Tigrean) people are descendants of early Semitic peoples who originally settled in the Horn of Africa about 1000 BC. It seems they are related to or descended from the Sabaean (Sheban) people. According to their traditions they trace their roots to Menelik I, the child born of the queen of Sheba and King Solomon. It is thought that the Sabaean (Sheban) people began to settle on the west coast of the Red Sea, from their home in southern Arabia, about 1000 BC.

Menelik I was the first of the Solomonic line of rulers of Ethiopia that ended only with the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. By about 1500 BC their civilization became the Axum Empire, based on a mixture of the early Sabaean culture and the prior Cushitic culture. The ruins of the ancient city of Axum can still be seen in Tigray Region.

The Sabaeans are referred to in the Quran along with Christians and Jews as "People of the Book." The Tigray people were associated with the Amhara in the ancient kingdom of Abyssinia, called in the Tigrinya language Etiopia, the source of the modern name of Ethiopia. The area where they live in the mountains was the center of the ancient Cushite empire of Axum. The name Abyssinia comes from an early name--Habashat--of an early group of the Sabaean settlers who became the Tigrean.

Identity:

Like the rest of Ethiopia, the majority of the Tigray people are subsistence farmers. They are generally considered very beautiful people. Among Ethiopians, they are some of the most industrious and determined people. During the 1985 famine, when Ethiopia filled the American news and volunteers from Live Aid and Southern Baptist missionaries were feeding millions of people, it was a film about famine-stricken Tigray that raised international consciousness. Tigray received almost no aid. The military government was trying to break the will of the independent Tigray, so they kept aid workers out of the region.

For the Tigray people, the average life expectancy is around 46, compared to 76 in the U.S.A. The Tigray people have one doctor per 28,000 patients and one nurse per 8,393 patients. For every 1,000 live births among the Tigray people 123 children die in infancy compared to 9.1 in the U.S.A. A total of 203 will die during childhood. Among the Tigray people, only about 25% of adults can read.

Most of the people are in rural areas. They cultivate mostly cereal crops. The main food is a crepe-like bread made from tef (Tigrinya t´af or Amharic tyeff), an indigenous grain.

Language:

The name of the language is Tigrinya, which means "the language of the Tigray people." Tigrinya is descended from an ancient Semitic language called Ge´ez. The Coptic Church officially uses the Bible in Ge´ez today, although even most priests do not understand it.

Political Situation:

The Tigray people started a movement called Tigray People Libration Front(TPLF) after the communist Derg overthrew the feudal monarchy of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. The communist government punished Tigray by denying them aid during the worst drought in modern history. To make matters worse, the government planes bombed a caravan of people emigrating to Sudan to find food. They killed 2500 unarmed men, women and children.

The result was 17 years of bitter, determined struggle. The Tigray people--mostly young farmers--took on a Soviet-equipped army and won. The Tigray people now hold the reins of government in Ethiopia, and for the first time in over 50 years, development workers have access to Tigray.

Customs:

The way of life evokes images of Bible times. Camels, donkeys, and sheep are everywhere. Fields are plowed using oxen. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is a large part of the culture. The church buildings are built on hills. Major celebrations during the year are held around the church, where people gather from villages all around to sing, play games and observe the unique mass of the church, which includes a procession through the church grounds and environs.

Coffee is a very important ceremonial drink. The "coffee ceremony" is common to the Tigray and the Amhara people. Beans are roasted on the spot, ground and served thick and rich in tiny ceramic cups with no handles. When the beans are roasted to smoking, they are passed around the table, where the smoke becomes a blessing on the diners.

The highlands receive little rainfall--most of it falling during the summer months. The countryside is sparsely covered with cactus and other dry climate foliage. Being a highland farmer is very hard work. The soil has been depleted by many centuries of cultivation; water is scarce. Using methods that are thousands of years old, farmers plow their fields with oxen, sow seeds and harvest by hand. The harvest is threshed by the feet of animals. In the home, women use the dried dung of farm animals for cooking, nothing is wasted. Women often work from 12 to 16 hours daily doing domestic duties as well as cultivating the fields.

Each family--some with eight or more children--must provide all of its own food. The women perform all work necessary to prepare the meals from grinding the grain to roasting the coffee beans. Children carry water in clay pots or jerry cans on their backs. Marriages are monogamous and arranged by contract, involving a dowry given by the bride´s family to the couple.

The new couple spends some time in each family´s household, before establishing their own home at a location of their choice. Inheritance follows both family lines. Inheritance is determined following a funeral commemoration a year after the death, which may consume most of the deceased´s estate.

The country houses are built mostly from rock, dirt, and a few timber poles. The houses blend in easily with the natural surroundings. Many times the nearest water source is more than a kilometer away from their house. In addition, they must search for fuel for the fire throughout the surrounding area.

The Tigray people have a rich heritage of music and dance, using drums and stringed instruments tuned to their 5-tone scale. It is similar to Arabic or Indian music. Arts and crafts and secular music are performed by mostly pariah artisan castes. Sacred music and iconic art is performed by monastically trained men.

Religion:

About 8-10% of the Tigraya people are Muslim, while about 90-92% are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox (Coptic) faith. Sources estimate that about 1% of the Tigray people are Evangelical Christians.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church was founded in the fourth century by Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian church have had strong ties with the Egyptian Coptic church, the Egyptian Church appointing the archbishop for the Ethiopian Church. They gained independence from the Coptic church in the 1950´s.

Over 4 million of this people are Orthodox, with one priest for every 92 members--the highest concentration in Ethiopia. The remainder are Muslims. There are many Muslims in Tigray region, but they generally belong to other people groups. The Tigray people are reported to have fewer than 500 evangelical believers.

The faith of the Orthodox Church is very intimately woven into the culture of the Tigray people and is central to their way of life. It is loosely defined as a Christian church, but a major icon in the church is the Ark of the Covenant. The people accept the Bible as true, but the Orthodox canon includes some books unique to their tradition. With 34% literacy and only 22% functional literacy, most can´t read the Bible.

Church services are conducted in Ge´ez, the ancient language of Ethiopia. It is considered the holy church language, just as Latin once was in the Roman Catholic Church. Unlike Latin, however, Ge´ez is taught to only a few educated scholars. Even the average priest only memorizes his part of the service.

Much has been added to Christianity. The Church grounds, like the Biblical temple, are filled with beggars and people selling religious paraphernalia such as candles and pictures of Mary and the Saints. Orthodox beliefs are law-oriented with emphasis on the rigid observance of worship rituals such as church attendance, fasting, prescribed prayers, and devotion to saints and angels. A child is never left alone until baptism and cleansing rituals are performed. Boys are baptized forty days after birth. Girls wait until eighty days.

Defrocked priests and deacons commonly function as diviners, who are the main healers. Spirit possession is common, affecting primarily women. Women are also the normal spirit mediums.

Christianity:

World Vision conducts development projects and Mekane Yesus (Lutheran) has some development projects and a school in Adwa. Kale Heywet (started by SIM) has sent four evangelists into the region since the first of the year.

Meserete Christos (originally Mennonite) is believed to have recently begun a work, and Mulu Wengel (an Ethiopian charismatic church) started its first church in 1995. The number of evangelical workers, both expatriate and Ethiopian, seems to be below fifty. According to some born-again Orthodox monks in Addis Ababa, there may be as many as 2,000 people involved in Tehadiso Mehabers (Renewal Associations) in Tigray.

Recently, the Bible has been translated into the Tigray people´s heart language, but low literacy and limited availability of Bibles prohibits many from being able to read the Holy Book for themselves.

PEOPLE GROUP DESCRIPTION

LANGUAGE /LINGUISTICS/LITERACY INFORMATION

Primary Language: Tigrinya
Ethnologue Code: tir (formerly TGN)
Alternate Names: Tigray, Tigre
Attitude towards mother tongue: Positive

Second Languages: Amharic, English
Linguistically related: Tigre, Amharic
Neighbor Languages: Tigre, Amharic, Saho, Afar
Adult Literacy: 24% (12% functional)
Literacy Attitude: Positive
Publications in MT: Numerous, religions and otherwise

ECONOMICS

Subsistence type: Pastoral
Occupations: Farmers, Herders, Woodwork

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STATUS

Health Care Quality: Poor
Health Care: Poorly Accessible
Life Expectancy Rate: The average life expectancy is around 46

SOCIETY

Family Structures: Nuclear family, with close extended relations
Cultural Change Pace: Slow
Self Image: Prestigious
Art Forms: Metal filligree work, especially in designs of the cross; other iconic art; music and dance.
Attitude to Outsiders: somewhat receptive


Primary Religion: Ethiopian Orthodox Church

Religious Practices/Ceremonies: Procession of the Ark of the Covenant; Mass, Procession of the Ark and community activities at hilltop churches on religious holidays, such as Saints´ days.

HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN GROUP

Year Began: approx. 400 A.D.; Western contacts 1603, late 1800´s.
By whom: 400AD--Syrian; 1603--Portuguese Jesuit; 1800s--Roman Catholic and Protestant

CURRENT NEEDS

The toll of the many years of struggle has caused many areas of need. Every facet of society is being rebuilt. Human needs were the first to be dealt with. Foreign aid has provided some relief, such as food aid and crop test sites. Crop farmers are still dealing with low production and are in need of seeds, fertilizers, implements, and reliable water sources.

The few orphanages and medical clinics are overcrowded, ill-equipped, and constantly in need of repairs. Villages throughout the religion are busy reconstructing homes, businesses, and schools that were destroyed during the war.

In the past, only 30% of children went to school. Now the number has increased to 98%, causing a tremendous demand for teachers, books, and school rooms. People are realizing their need for educators and technicians in all areas of the infrastructure.