Eritrea 4,430,000 | ||
The Tigrinyas (also referred to as Biher Tigrinya, Kebessa, and Biher-Tigrinya) are an ethnic group inhabiting central Eritrea, an area spanning the Southern and Central, as well as the Northern Red Sea and Anseba Regions - mostly part of the Eritrean highlands (hence the name Kebessa meaning 'highland' in the local language). Ethnolinguistically, Tigrinyas are related to the Tigrayans of Ethiopia, both of whom speak Tigrinya, an Ethiopian Semitic language belonging to the Afroasiatic family. Most are followers of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. They make up roughly 55% of Eritrea's population numbering 3.4 million people. They are not to be confused with the Tigre people who speak Tigre, a closely related Afroasiatic language.
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Overview
Native Tigrinya speakers in Eritrea are known as Bihére-Tigrinya (or simply, Tigrinya), while in Ethiopia, they are called Tigrayans. Tigray-Tigrinyas of Muslim faith are commonly referred to as Jeberti. Historically, the people who live in the highlands found between Red Sea and Tekezé River were referred as Tigré people by foreign scholars who traveled in the region like James Bruce and Henry Salt (Egyptologist).
The explorer James Bruce reported in 1770 that the Medri Bahri kingdom centered in Eritrea was a distinct political entity from Abyssinia, noting that the two territories were frequently in conflict. The Bahre-Nagassi ("Kings of the Sea") alternately fought with or against the Abyssinians and the neighbouring Muslim Adal Sultanate depending on the geopolitical circumstances. Medri Bahri was thus part of the Christian resistance against Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi of Adal's forces, but later joined the Adalite states and the Ottoman Empire front against Abyssinia in 1572. That 16th century also marked the arrival of the Ottomans, who began making inroads in the Red Sea area. Bruce noted "They next passed the Mareb, which is the boundary between Tigre and the Baharnagash".
In his book published in 1805, he also reported that Hadawi, the seat of Baharanagash, was part of the Tigré province of Abyssinia which was ruled by Ras Mikael Sehul at the time of his travel. The officer in Hadawi watches over the Naybe of Masawa (province of Turk's Habesh Eyalet), and starve him into obedience by intercepting his provisions, whenever the governor of Tigré and the officer in Hadawi find it necessary. Bruce also located Tigré between Red Sea and the river Tekezé and stated many large governments, such as Enderta and Antalow, and the great part of Baharhagash were part of Tigré province.
Religion
Tigrinyas predominately belong to the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. However, a minority are members of the Catholic Church or go to P'ent'ay (Protestant) churches, the former having been introduced by the Italians near the end of the 19th century. There also is a Muslim minority.
Languages
The majority of Tigrinyas speak the northern dialect of Tigrinya as their first language. A minority in the Anseba and Northern Red Sea Regions speak Tigre as a second language.