Administrative Zone 1 (Gambela)
Encyclopedia
Administrative Zone 1 is one of the three zones of the Ethiopia
n Region of Gambela
; none of the zones of Gambela have names. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 2
, on the west by Administrative Zone 3
and on the north and east by the Oromia Region
. Towns and cities in this zone include Itang
and Gambela.
The terrain is mostly flat; rivers include the Baro
, which is the only navigable river in Ethiopia, and the Alwero. A notable landmark is the Gambela National Park
, which covers a large part of the Zone south of the Baro.
in 2005, this zone has an estimated total population of 67,042, of which 33,939 were males and 33,103 were females; 34,883 or 52% of its population are urban dwellers. With an estimated area of 4,696.89 square kilometers, the zone has an estimated population density of 14.27 people per square kilometer.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 45,207 in 29,688 households, of whom 23,189 were men and 22,018 women; 20,369 or 45.06% of the population were urban inhabitants. The five largest ethnic groups of the region were the Anuak (47.47%), the Nuer (24.4%), the Oromo
(12.09%), the Amhara
(6.12%), and the Tigray
(2.79%); all other ethnic groups made up 7.13% of the population. Anuak
is spoken as a first language by 47.56%, 24.37% speak Nuer
, 12.14% Oromiffa
, 6.64% Amharic
, and 2.66% speak Tigrinya
; the remaining 6.63% spoke all other primary languages reported. The largest group of the inhabitants said they were Protestant
, with 36.76% of the population reporting they embraced that belief, while 31.3% professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 6.82% practiced traditional religions, 4.32% were Catholic
, and 2.75% were Muslim
.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n Region of Gambela
Gambela Region
Gambela is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. Previously known as "Region 12", its capital is Gambela. Lying between the Baro and Akobo Rivers, the western part of Gambela includes the Baro salient....
; none of the zones of Gambela have names. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 2
Administrative Zone 2 (Gambela)
Administrative Zone 2 is one of the three zones of the Ethiopian Region of Gambela; none of the zones of Gambela have names. This zone is bordered by South Sudan and the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region on the south, Administrative Zone 3 on the west, Administrative Zone 1 on the...
, on the west by Administrative Zone 3
Administrative Zone 3 (Gambela)
Administrative Zone 3 is a former administrative subdivision of the Ethiopian Region of Gambela. This zone was bordered by Sudan on the south, west and north, by Administrative Zone 1 on the east and Administrative Zone 2 on the southeast; the Pibor defines the border on the south and west, while...
and on the north and east by the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
. Towns and cities in this zone include Itang
Itang
Itang is a town in the Gambela Region in western Ethiopia. Located on the Baro River, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 480 meters above sea level....
and Gambela.
The terrain is mostly flat; rivers include the Baro
Baro River
The Baro River is a river in southwestern Ethiopia, which defines part of Ethiopia's border with South Sudan. From its source in the Ethiopian Highlands it flows west for to join the Pibor River...
, which is the only navigable river in Ethiopia, and the Alwero. A notable landmark is the Gambela National Park
Gambela National Park
Gambela National Park is a proposed National Park, but the steps needed to fully protect it by the government of Ethiopia have not been completed as of 2002...
, which covers a large part of the Zone south of the Baro.
Demographics
Based on figures from the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
in 2005, this zone has an estimated total population of 67,042, of which 33,939 were males and 33,103 were females; 34,883 or 52% of its population are urban dwellers. With an estimated area of 4,696.89 square kilometers, the zone has an estimated population density of 14.27 people per square kilometer.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 45,207 in 29,688 households, of whom 23,189 were men and 22,018 women; 20,369 or 45.06% of the population were urban inhabitants. The five largest ethnic groups of the region were the Anuak (47.47%), the Nuer (24.4%), the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
(12.09%), the Amhara
Amhara people
Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...
(6.12%), and the Tigray
Tigray-Tigrinya people
Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in the southern, central and northern parts of Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopia's Tigray province. They also live in Ethiopia's former provinces of Begemder and Wollo, which are today mostly part of Amhara Region, though a few regions...
(2.79%); all other ethnic groups made up 7.13% of the population. Anuak
Anuak language
Anuak or Anywa is a Nilotic language of the Nilo-Saharan language family. It is spoken primarily in the Western part of Ethiopia by the Anuak. Other names for this language include: Anyuak, Anywa, Yambo, Jambo, Yembo, Bar, Burjin, Miroy, Moojanga, Nuro.Anywa does not have phonemic fricatives.-...
is spoken as a first language by 47.56%, 24.37% speak Nuer
Nuer language
The Nuer language is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Western Nilotic group. It is spoken by the Nuer people of South Sudan and in western Ethiopia. Nuer is one of eastern and central Africa's most widely spoken languages. The Nuer nation is one of the largest in South Sudan.Nuer language has a...
, 12.14% Oromiffa
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
, 6.64% Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
, and 2.66% speak Tigrinya
Tigrinya language
Tigrinya , also spelled Tigrigna, Tigrnia, Tigrina, Tigriña, less commonly Tigrinian, Tigrinyan, is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigrinya people in central Eritrea , where it is one of the two main languages of Eritrea, and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia , where it...
; the remaining 6.63% spoke all other primary languages reported. The largest group of the inhabitants said they were Protestant
P'ent'ay
P'ent'ay or Pentay is a slang term widely used in modern Ethiopia, and among Ethiopians living abroad, to describe Ethiopian Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches...
, with 36.76% of the population reporting they embraced that belief, while 31.3% professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 6.82% practiced traditional religions, 4.32% were Catholic
Roman Catholicism in Ethiopia
The Catholic Church in Ethiopia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.The Ethiopian Catholic Church, the primary organization of Catholicism in the country, is especially close to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, whose doctrine and...
, and 2.75% were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
.