CHAPTER SEVEN

POPULATION OF
ETHIOPIA AND THE HORN
7.1. Introduction
Human beings are producers and
consumers of wealth from
natural resources. In their
Interaction with nature for a
living, humans both develop and
destroy their environment.
Human population can be
considered as a point of
reference from which all the
other
Elements are observed, and from
which they all, derive their
significance and meaning.
Many disciplines like Geography,
Demography, Economics,
Epidemiology, Sociology and
Many more study human
population. Their differences lie
in the methodologies they
employ
And the aspects they emphasize.
Since Geography is basically the
study of regional/areal
Differences in the distribution of
natural and cultural phenomena,
the study of population in
Geography aims at showing and
explaining regional/spatial
differences on population
Distribution and densities,
population numbers, human-
environment interactions,
population
Dynamics (fertility, mortality and
migration), as well as population
characteristics and
Qualities (age, sex, education
and health composition etc.).
Population numbers, dynamics,
densities, characteristics and
qualities vary in space. These
Variations can be studied at
different levels: district,
provincial, regional, national,
Continental and global. The
concern, in our case, is to study
the densities, characteristics and
Some qualities of the population
of Ethiopia and some
neighboring Horn
countries.
Population data and uses
and sources
Population data is a collection of
information about a group of
people who share a
characteristic or set of
characteristics. It can include
information about a population’s
size, density, age structure, sex
ratio, mortality, and fecundity.
The key source of population
data are
1. Population Census 2.
Registration 3. Sample
Surveys.

1. Population Census
The most important source of
demographic data is the census.
The word “census” is derived
from the Latin word censere
which means “to assess”.
The New International Webster’s
Dictionary defines it thus – “An
official count of the people of a
country or district including age,
sex, employment, etc.” A United
Nations Study defines the
population census as the “total
process of collecting, compiling
and publishing demographic,
economic and social data
pertaining, at a specified time or
times to all persons in a country
or delimited territory.”
Thus a population census is an
official enumeration of the
inhabitants of a country with
statistics relating to their
location, age, sex, marital
status, literacy status, language,
educational level, economic
activity, number of children,
migration, etc.
Population census is a regular
feature of all progressive
countries, whatever be their size
and political set up. It is
conducted at regular intervals,
usually every 10 years, for
fulfilling well-defined objectives.
Salient Features of Census:
A census has the following
features:
1. A census is usually conducted
after an interval of 10 years.
2. The census covers the entire
country or a part of it.
3. The census operations are
completed within specified
dates.
4. It is organised and conducted
by the Government through the
Census Commission of the
country.
5. For conducting the census a
reference period is determined
by the Census Commission at
that point of time.
6. A household or family is
treated as a unit. However in
large census operations, migrant
individuals and homeless
persons are also enumerated at
night at their places of rest or
sleep.
7. Before starting the census
operations, some preliminary
steps are taken by the Census
Commission such as preparation
of schedules, lists of households
in each area, training of
enumerators, etc.
8. The filled up census schedules
are collected, examined and
analysed statistically by the
Census Commission.
9. The census data are published
for circulation.
10. The census operations
involve collection of information
from households from door to
door by enumerators. In some
countries, schedules are sent by
post and the required
information is collected.
11. A census is a process
whereby information is collected
relating to age, sex, marital
status, occupation, education
etc. from people residing in a
country.
12. Every country is legally
bound to undertake a census
after an interval of 10 years and
people are bound to cooperate
and provide the required
information.
There are two procedures for
collecting census data: dejure
and defacto approaches
 Dejure approach: it involves
counting people according to
their usual place of
Residence (where he/she lives
most of the time). This system
gives a picture of the
Total permanent population of an
area thereby making it suitable
for planning and
Administrative purposes.
 Defacto approach: Under this
approach each individual is
recorded at the place
Where he/she was found at the
time of the census. The defacto
enumeration may give
Enlarged totals to holiday
resorts.
Uses of Census:
Population census is very useful
for researchers, administrators,
social organisations, etc.
We highlight its uses as under:
1. It provides primary population
data relating to age, sex, marital
status, economic activities,
occupations, migration, literacy,
etc.
2. Population data throw light on
the socio-economic problems of
the country such as the status of
women, male-female sex ratio,
population density, literacy level,
urbanisation, living standards,
etc.
3. These data help researchers,
administrators, planners and
social organisations to suggest
and adopt measures to solve the
various problems.
4. Census data are used for
constructing life tables by
insurance companies.
5. They are highly useful for
making population projections.
6. Census data are used for
carrying out sample surveys.
7. They are used by the Election
Commission of the country for
demarcation of constituencies
and allocation of seats for
municipal corporations, state
legislatures and parliament of
the country.
8. Population data are one of the
bases of allocation of resources
between the centre and states in
a federal country.
9. They guide the city planners
in planning measures for the
future growth of cities regarding
their future needs relating to
housing, transport, flyovers,
sanitation, pollution, water,
educational institutions, etc.
10. Population projections and
age-sex structure of the
population help the government
in estimating for the future
military personnel of the country.
Some Problems of Census:
Census operations are costly in
terms of men, materials and
money. They require huge
manpower, piles of forms
containing schedules and lot of
money on them and on
processing, preparing and
publishing population data. The
entire census work is also very
time consuming.
Besides, there are some other
problems listed below:
1. Census is not a continuous
process and is usually conducted
after 10 years. So this is an ad
hoc work which requires the
training of census staff before
each census. Thus experienced
staff is not available.
2. The enumerators often
interpret the terms used in the
schedules in their own way
despite the guidelines supplied
to them by the Census
Commission.
3. In the census operations, the
enumerators are required to go
from door to door to collect
information. This work is not only
time consuming but also
monotonous. Some enumerators
who shirk work and are
dishonest fill up the schedules
with cooked up figures sitting at
home.
4. Often many persons are
reluctant to provide correct
information for fear that it may
be used for some other
purposes. This happens if the
household is illiterate or the
enumerator is not able to
convince the former that the
entire information is kept secret
by law.
5. The household schedule
pertaining to the census does
not have any column about the
number of family members who
might have gone abroad.
6. In many developing countries,
the column in the household
schedule relating to age is based
on age groups 1-5, 6-10, etc.
thereby leaving a wide gap of 5
years. This creates a problem for
the enumerator to fill up the age
column which becomes a mere
guess work. This is a defective
method because age- specific
information cannot be collected.
In India and developed
countries, age at the last birth in
completed years is taken.
We may conclude with Barclay:
“In practice, some people are
always missing. It is
impracticable to include all cases
which belong to the universe.
Some cases which ought to be
covered according to rule are
always omitted. On the other
hand, some may be recorded
more than once.” 2.
Registration:
Another source of population
data is the registration of life or
vital statistics. Every person is
required by law to register with a
specified authority such
demographic events as birth,
death, marriage, divorce, etc.
Unlike the census, registration of
vital events is a continuous
process throughout the year.
It is an important source of
information about citizenship,
marital status, succession rights
and settlement of disputes
regarding birth and death.
Registration is a secondary
source of demographic data
which is available from four
sources:
(1) Vital Registration;
(2) Population Register;
(3) Other Records, and
(4) International Publications.
They are explained as under:

1. Vital Registration:
Recording of vital events (or vital
statistics) like births, deaths,
marriages, divorces, etc. is
obligatory on the part of every
citizen in a country. For instance,
the birth of a child has got to be
registered with the municipal
corporation of the town where
the child is born in India.
Similarly, the occurrence of a
death is required to be
registered.
Such registration involves the
filling up of a proforma with the
following columns in each case:
Birth Certificate:
Name, Father’s Name, Mother’s
Name, Age of Father, Age of
Mother and Legitimacy.
Death Certificate:
Name of the deceased, date of
death, sex, race/caste, age of
the deceased, place of death,
cause of death, occupation,
marital status, permanent
residence, etc.
In developed countries and in
many developing countries,
registration of marriage is also
compulsory. But it is not so in
India. Very few people want to
register marriages with the
Registrar of Marriages in
developing countries like India.
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka.
Similarly, in almost all the
developing countries where the
majority of people are illiterate
and reside in rural areas, births
and deaths are not reported to
the registration authorities. Thus
the registration records remain
incomplete and are imperfect
source of demographic data.
But this is not the case in
developed countries where
people are educated and record
births, deaths, marriages,
divorces, etc. with the
appropriate authorities.
2. Population Register:
This is another secondary source
of collecting population data. A
number of European and Asian
countries like Belgium, Sweden,
Korea, Israel, etc. maintain
permanent population register
for administrative and legal
purposes.
It contains the names,
addresses, age, sex, etc. of
every citizen, of those who
migrate to other countries and
who enter the country. The
population registers helps in
verifying the correctness of the
census figures for that year.
3. Other Records:
Besides the population register,
there are other records which
are secondary sources of
demographic data in developed
countries. They maintain
population records to meet
social security schemes like
unemployment insurance and
allowance, old age pension,
maternity allowance, etc.
In some countries, insurance
companies maintain life tables
relating to births and deaths and
population trends. Selective
demographic data are also
available from electoral lists,
income tax payers’ lists,
telephone subscribers’ lists, etc.
Though such administrative data
are limited, they are helpful in
providing for carrying out sample
surveys.
4. International Publications:
Other sources of demographic
data for the world and different
countries are the United Nations
Demographic Year Book and
Statistical Year Book. The World
Health Organisation (WHO)
publishes a monthly journal
Epidemiological and Vital
Records which gives data on
public health and mortality of
different countries.
The United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) in its Human
Development Report and the
World Bank in its World
Development Report publish
annually demographic data
relating to population growth,
projections, fertility, mortality,
health, etc. for countries of the
world.
2. Sample Surveys:
Sample survey is another source
of collecting population data. In
a sample survey, information is
collected from a sample of
individuals rather than from the
entire population. A sample
consists of only a fraction of the
total population. Several
different population samples can
be drawn on the basis of sample
surveys such as the number of
abortions, contraceptives used,
etc. for the study of fertility.
Some countries conduct national
sample surveys based on
Random Sampling or Stratified
Random Sampling. Whatever
method is adopted, care should
be taken to select a
representative sample of the
total population. The survey of
the sample requires a small
trained staff and small
questionnaires relating to one
aspect of the population. The
data so collected are tabulated,
analysed and published.
So this method takes less time
and is less costly. Sample survey
can be used to supplement the
census data and to carry out
further the trends in population
growth in between two census
operations. Sampling is also
used to check the accuracy of
the census data where there is
doubt in census results. This
method yields good results if the
sample is properly chosen.
Limitations:
The sampling method has
certain limitations.
1. It is highly subjective and it is
possible to arrive at different
data with different samples of
the same population.
2. There are bound to be errors
in coverage, classification and
sampling of population data.
3. As the survey requires many
surveyors who may not be
efficient and sincere, it is subject
to large errors.
4. If the informants in the
sample do not cooperate with
the surveyors, the survey will
not give accurate results.
To conclude with Stephen,
“Samples are like medicines.
They can be harmful when they
are taken carelessly or without
adequate knowledge of their
effects.”
Population data is used for many
purposes, including:
Government
Population data is used to
allocate political seats and
government resources. For
example, the number of elected
officials in a given area is
determined by the population
size of that area. Population data
is also used to determine the
amount of money a government
provides for development
efforts.
Planning
Population data is used by
planners to make decisions
about housing, transportation,
and other needs.
Health policy
Population data can be used to
monitor the distribution of health
workers and to develop health
policy options. For example,
population data can be used to
identify areas where there is an
imbalance in the distribution of
health workers.
Demographics
Demographers use population
data to create life tables and
estimate life expectancies,
fertility, and adult mortality
rates.
International migration
Population data can be used to
measure the flow of international
migration.
Business and industry
Population data is used in
business, industry, and labor.
Population data can include
information on age, sex, annual
income, occupation, language,
and more.