Welcome
Ethiopia is a land of
wonder and enchantment, a country with one of the richest histories
on the African continent, a land of contrasts and surprise, of
remote and wild places, home to cultured and friendly people who
are descended from some of the world's oldest civilizations.
This is the land of the fabled Queen of Sheba, home of the Ark
of the Covenant, the birthplace of coffee. "Lucy', the world's
oldest known almost complete hominid skeleton, more than three
million years old, was discovered here.
Ethiopia has so much to offer visitors: the Historic Route, covering
the ancient town of Axum, with its amazing carved obelisks, Christian
festivals and relics, including the Ark of the Covenant; Gonder,
with its castles and palaces; Lalibela, with its remarkable rock-hewn
churches; and the walled Muslim city of Harar. At Dire Dawa you
can see cave paintings considered to be thousands of years old.
Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile, is one of a string of Great
Rift Valley lakes, many with national parks, home to a wealth
of bird and animal life. The high, rugged, Simen Mountains in
the north and the Bale mountains in the south are also home to
some unique wildlife, and are ideal for trekking whilst some of
Ethiopia's fast-flowing rivers are become famous for white-water
rafting.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's Capital City, has so much to offer, too,
with its first-class hotels and restaurants, museums and palaces,
and the Mercato-Africa's largest open-air market.
Tigrai,
the northern most state of Ethiopia, is endowed with many natural
resources and a rich cultural heritage. Unfortunately, however,
it has been impoverished by years of mismanagement, prolonged
war and drought. Tigrai's infrastructure facilities were severely
damaged, resulting in the social as well as economic suffering
of its people. Although faced with various struggles and setbacks,
the people of Tigrai have shown remarkable fortitude and determination,
joining hands and working together to rebuild their lives.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Location: Northern tip of Ethiopia between 120-150 north latitude
& 360:30'-
40:30 east longitude
Area: 53.638km2
Boundary: Afar region on the east, Amhara region on the south.
Sudan on the west, Eritrea on the north
Population: 3.8 million (out of which 51%are in the 15-64 age
range)
Language: Tigrigna is the official language of the region. Erobgna
, Kunamgna, Amaharic& English are also spoken
Economy: Predominantly agriculture
Attitude: 500-3934 meters above sea level
Agro ecology: 11.5% Dega(high land) 40.5% Woyna Dega (tempreate
zone) 48% Kola (low land)
Rainfall: The annual average rainfall is between 650-980mm.
INVESTMENT POTENTIALS
AGRICULTURE
The economy of the region, like the economy of the nation, is
based on agriculture. The region is suitable for crops such as
sorghum, sesame, cotton, barley, wheat, teff and the likes. A
considerable amount of incense and gum potential do exist in the
region. Reports indicate that there are 200,000 and, 1,000,000
hectares of land suitable for gum and incense plantation respectively.
The region has as well wide opportunities for the livestock development.
The estimated livestock population (BOANR-1997) of the region
is : 3,040,760 cattle ,935,349 Sheep, 1,465,741 Goats, 303,412
donkeys, 5,111 Horses, 13,661 Camel and 10,417 mules that account
11% of the countries total live stock population.
Dairy products, fattening and meat processing, leather and leather
products, animal feed processing, bee keeping and honey processing,
poultry, plantation of incense and resin, rental of agricultural
inputs are some areas of investment opportunities investors can
benefit from.
MINING
There is an attractive opportunities for investment in this sector.
Mineral exploration works so far conducted have indicated that:
Metallic minerals (such as Gold, Copper, zinc, Lead, Iron, Nickel)
Industrial minerals (such as Silica sand, Kaolin, Graphite, Limestone,
and Gypsum)
Deposit of dimension stones (such a Marble, Granite, Greenstone,
Limestone and Slate,)
Gemstones (such as Agate, Jasper, and Chalcedony) are abundantly
available in our region.
TOURISM
Tigrai is the heart of historic sites. It is the cradle of the
country's ancient civilization, Axumite civilization was one of
the greatest and earliest civilizations in the world.
Early Christianity had its first seeds here. Axum also played
a significant role in the transformation of Islam and takes pride
in being the first home of the two most important religions of
the world. Some of the most important remarkable architectural
land marks and fabulous works of art represent the dazzling history:
the obelisks at Axum, the rock hewn churches and monasteries,
murals, parchment paintings, unique alphabet, mosques (like Ahmed-Al-Negashi)
religious rituals etc.
Even the landscapes of Tigrai are by themselves tourist attractions:
the mountains of Adwa, Gheralta, Ambalage, Gira Kahsu, etc and
other similar ones are the objects of natural wonder. The people's
traditional song and dances, the religious ceremony and rituals
and life style of the indigenous peoples are also worth seeing.
In general giving the immense wealth of tourism; however the demand
for more services is far from being satisfied. Tigrai, being an
'open-air museum", needs more hotels, loges restaurants,
tour operators and catering institutions.
MANUFACTURING
The present state of industrials development in the region is
at low level but when we see the availability of raw materials
and market of industrial product, there are still ample opportunities
for investors to consider in the manufacturing sector. The office
of industry and trade has 85 project profiles to be given to private
investors upon request.
HEALTH
AND EDUCATION
It is know that the presence of health and education services
contributes to the stability of work force and improvement of
productivity. But in light of the expanding population of the
region, there is a gap in health and education services that could
be filled by the private sector.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
In addition to the above-mentioned opportunities investors can
participate in the following services:
Leasing of capital goods
Construction
Entertainment's
Gymnasium
Cinema halls
Waste disposal
Consultancy
