Wag Hemra (Amharic: ዋግ ኽምራ) is a zone in the north of Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, with its administrative centre at Sekota. It covers 9,039.04 square kilometres of dry, broken highland between the Tekeze River and the Lasta massif, and holds six woredas plus the Sekota town administration. The 2007 census counted 426,213 residents; the Ethiopian Statistics Service projects 542,610 for 2022.
The name joins the historic province of Wag with the Hemra, the Kamyr-speaking Agaw who are the largest group in the zone.
| Administrative centre | Sekota |
|---|---|
| Woredas | 6 plus Sekota town |
| Area | 9,039.04 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 426,213 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 542,610 |
| Main languages | Amharic, Kamyr (Xamtanga) |
Woredas (Districts)
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Abergele | 43,191 | 51,791 |
| Dehana | 109,725 | 135,987 |
| Gazgibla | 70,854 | 84,969 |
| Sehala | 23,688 | 28,404 |
| Sekota | 112,396 | 134,790 |
| Sekota town | 22,346 | 50,316 |
| Ziquala | 44,013 | 56,353 |
Major Towns
| Town | Woreda | Population (2022 proj.) |
|---|---|---|
| Sekota | Town administration | 50,300 |
Sekota, at 2,266 metres, is the only town of any size. The other woredas are administered from small market centres, and just 7 per cent of the zone’s population was urban at the last census, the lowest share in the Amhara Region.
Geography
Wag Hemra borders North Wollo to the south, South Gondar to the south-west, North Gondar to the west, and Tigray Region to the north and east.
The zone is a landscape of flat-topped ambas separated by deep, hot valleys. The Tekeze River and its tributaries cut the northern and western margins, dropping to below 1,000 metres in Abergele and Sehala, while the southern woredas rise above 3,000 metres towards Mount Abuna Yosef in neighbouring Lasta. Rainfall is low and unreliable, and the whole zone is classified as exposed to malaria in the lower valleys.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 426,213 people, 213,845 men and 212,368 women, in 102,098 households. That was 54.64 per cent above the 1994 count of 275,615, the sharpest increase of any Amhara zone.
The Kamyr Agaw were 52.92 per cent of the population, the Amhara 45.45 per cent and Tigrayans 1.39 per cent. Amharic was the first language of 56.27 per cent, Kamyr, also called Xamtanga, of 41.82 per cent, and Tigrinya of 1.67 per cent. Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity was reported by 99.62 per cent, the highest share in the region. The 2022 figure of 542,610 is a projection, not a count.
Economy & Local Life
Wag Hemra is the driest and poorest zone in the Amhara Region, and it carries the highest drought-risk rating of any of them. Households average about 0.9 hectares but on thin, eroded soils. Sorghum, barley, teff and pulses are grown where rainfall allows, and goats and cattle are kept on the valley rangelands. Only 8 per cent of the population worked outside farming at the last detailed survey.
Sekota is the market and administrative centre, with a hospital and the zonal offices. Wag was the seat of the Zagwe rulers before the dynasty moved south to Lasta, and the hereditary title of Wagshum survived there into the twentieth century. Rock-hewn churches of the same tradition as Lalibela stand in several woredas, notably around Sekota and Dehana.
Getting There
Sekota is reached from the south on the road from Weldiya through Lalibela, about 100 kilometres beyond Lalibela, and from the north on the route to Abiy Adi and Mekelle in Tigray. Roads are gravel for much of the way and slow in the summer rains. The nearest airport is Lalibela, with flights to Addis Ababa; Weldiya is about 250 kilometres to the south.
This zone lay on the front lines of the 2020 to 2022 Tigray war, and travel across the Amhara Region has been disrupted since 2023 by fighting between federal forces and Fano militias. Roads have closed at short notice. Check conditions before travelling.
FAQ
Where is Wag Hemra Zone?
In the north of the Amhara Region, between North Wollo and the Tigray Region, along the Tekeze River valley.
What is the capital of Wag Hemra Zone?
Sekota, also spelled Soqota, a town of about 50,000 at 2,266 metres.
How many woredas are in Wag Hemra Zone?
Six: Abergele, Dehana, Gazgibla, Sehala, Sekota and Ziquala, plus the Sekota town administration.
What language is spoken in Wag Hemra?
Amharic and Kamyr, the Agaw language also called Xamtanga. The 2007 census recorded 56.27 per cent Amharic speakers and 41.82 per cent Kamyr speakers.
What is the population of Wag Hemra Zone?
426,213 at the 2007 census, projected at 542,610 for 2022.
Is Lalibela in Wag Hemra?
No. Lalibela is in Lasta woreda in North Wollo Zone, immediately south of Wag Hemra, and is the usual road approach to Sekota.