LOCATION
Tigray is located in in East Africa. Tigray shares common borders with Eritrea in the north, State of Afar in the east, Regional Sate of Amhara in the south, and the Republic of the Sudan in the west.
GOVERNMENT
The Head of Tigray is the president who is elected by the national council. Tigray is divided into six administrative zones, one city administration and 52 woredas (districts).
CAPITAL CITY
The capital city of Tigray is Mekelle, which lies in the southeastern part of Tigray. It is the economic, cultural, and political hub of Tigray.
AREA
Based on the political map drawn up in 2007 by the Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the total land size of Tigray is 4572.61 km2.
TOPOGRAPHY
The topography of the Tigray consists of high plateaus with an elevation ranging from 500 meters above sea level in the western end (Humera) to 3935 above sea level at the Tsibet Mountains in the southern zone. ‘Tigray is generally a land of plains, vast escarpments, midland plateaus, valley bottoms, rolling and undulating plains as well as hilly and steep slopes of mountainous landscapes.
POPULATION
Tigray has a total population of about 8 to 10 million, out of which the size of the population residing in the urban areas of the region is said to be 19.5% of the total population, while the ‘number of the rural population of the region is estimated to ‘be about 80.5% of the total.
LANGUAGE
Tigrigna is the official working language. Sahogna and Kunamigna are also spoken by the Irob and Kunama communities. English is principal medium of instruction in secondary schools and higher institutions. It is also widely used in business transactions, particularly in banking and insurance firms.
RELIGION AND BELIEF
The people of Tigray coexist together peacefully albeit holding different religion and beliefs, including Christianity, Islam and other beliefs.
RAINFALL
Tigray has a bimodal rainy season, and most of the rain falls during the period between June and August, however, the rainfall is normally modest and allows the visitors to enjoy the attractions of Tigray. The annual rainfall, averages between 650-980 millimeters.
TEMPERATURE
The climate in Tigray is generally tropical, but moderated by altitude. Days are mostly sunny, but rarely warmer than 28 – 30 °C, while between November and January there can be frost at night. The main rainy season is between June and September.
MAJOR ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Over 81% of the population of Tigray live in rural areas, and earn their livelihood from subsistence farming. The main agricultural crops include barely, teff, wheat, corn, peas, beans and various types of seeds.