Alamata

For the woreda, see Alamata (woreda).

Alamata ኣላማጣ
Town
Alamata Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates: 12°25′N39°33′E / 12.417°N 39.550°E / 12.417; 39.550
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Tigray
Zone	Debubawi (Southern)
Woreda	Alamata
Elevation	1,520 m (4,990 ft)
Population  (2007)
• Total	33,214
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)

Alamata (Tigrinya: ኣላማጣ ) is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Debubawi (Southern) zone of Tigray it has a latitude and longitude of 12°25′N39°33′E / 12.417°N 39.550°E / 12.417; 39.550 and an elevation of 1,520 metres (4,990 ft) above sea level and is located along Ethiopian Highway 2. It is surrounded by Alamata woreda.

History

19th century

On 14 December 1895, Emperor Menilek's passed through Alamata on their way northwards against the Italians. Arbegnoch under British leadership, liberated the town from Italian control during the Second World War on 5 May 1941; it was at the southern edge of the Woyane rebellion of 1943. ^[1] On 14 December 1895, Emperor Menilek's passed through Alamata on their way northwards against the Italians.^{[ citation needed ]}

20th century

Arbegnoch under British leadership, liberated the town from Italian control during the Second World War on 5 May 1941; it was at the southern edge of the Woyane rebellion of 1943.^{[ citation needed ]}

The first reports of crop failure in Wollo, were made in October 1971 by the chief municipal officer of Alamata; this report was handled very indifferently by his superiors who did not respond until July 1972, when they asked for a revised report.^{[ citation needed ]}

Alamata was garrisoned by the Derg during the Ethiopian Civil War. The Tigray People's Liberation Front captured the town in 1988.^{[ citation needed ]}

Demographics

Based on the 2007 national census, Alamata has a total population of 33,214, of whom 16,140 are men and 17,074 women. 82.35% of the population said they were Orthodox Christians, and 16.96% were Muslim. ^[2]

The 1994 census reported this town had a total population of 26,179 of whom 12,094 were males and 14,085 were females.

Geography

Location

Alamata is located in the southern zone of Tigray. It is situated 600 kilometres (370 mi) north of Addis Ababa and about 180 kilometres (110 mi) south of the Tigray Regional capital city, Mekelle.

Topography

Topographically, Alamata is divided into western highland and eastern lowland. The western part (Tsetsera and Merewa) is categorized under the northern highlands of Ethiopia, having an altitude range of 2,000–3,000 metres (6,600–9,800 ft). It is characterized by steep slopes, gorges and undulating terrain having scattered flat lands used for grazing livestock and farming. It covers 25% of the woreda. The topography of the area dominated by steep slopes has induced erosion. The eastern lowland with its eight tabias is generally plain in topography with an altitude ranging from 1,450–1,750 metres (4,760–5,740 ft). The plain landscape of this area makes the area suitable for agriculture and it covers 75% of the woreda. ^[3]

Alamata is located in the endoreic basin of the Afar Triangle. The streams near Alamata do not reach the ocean.

Road from Alamata to Mekelle.

Climate

Climate data for Alamata (1971–2000)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	27.3 (81.1)	27.1 (80.8)	29.5 (85.1)	29.7 (85.5)	32.6 (90.7)	35.0 (95.0)	31.5 (88.7)	29.7 (85.5)	30.9 (87.6)	29.9 (85.8)	28.6 (83.5)	27.1 (80.8)	29.9 (85.8)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	11.5 (52.7)	12.8 (55.0)	13.5 (56.3)	13.9 (57.0)	15.3 (59.5)	15.9 (60.6)	15.6 (60.1)	15.0 (59.0)	14.4 (57.9)	13.2 (55.8)	12.1 (53.8)	11.4 (52.5)	13.7 (56.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	32.0 (1.26)	42.0 (1.65)	195.0 (7.68)	85.0 (3.35)	37.0 (1.46)	8.0 (0.31)	159.0 (6.26)	180.0 (7.09)	37.0 (1.46)	17.0 (0.67)	18.0 (0.71)	31.0 (1.22)	841 (33.12)
Average relative humidity (%)	59	58	55	54	46	47	72	78	60	55	53	55	58
Source: FAO [4]

Economy

Agriculture

A mixed farming system with the predominant of crop production is practiced in the district. The major food crops grown in the area are cereals (sorghum, teff, and maize), pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and root crops. ^[5]

Electricity

A 458 kilometres (285 mi) high voltage transmission line was constructed to transport electricity from Alamata to Legetafo in central Ethiopia. ^[6]

Transportation

The Weldiya–Mekelle Railway will have a station in Alamata. ^[7]

Notes

1. "Local History in Ethiopia" Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 6 September 2007)
2. Census 2007 Tables: Tigray Region Archived 2010-11-14 at the Wayback Machine , Tables 2.1, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4.
3. Mebrahtu, Tirhas (2009). Understanding Local Forest Management Institutions and their Role in Conserving Woody Species Biodiversity. Mekelle: Mekelle University.
4. "CLIMWAT climatic database". Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
5. TARI, 2004
6. Liangyu, ed. (6 July 2018). "Ethiopia inaugurates Chinese-built electricity transmission line". Xinhua. Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
7. China Communications Construction Company (2015). Weldiya/Hara Gebeya – Mekele Railway Project Basic Design / Route. Beijing: China Communications Construction Company.