Administrative Zone 3 (Afar)
Encyclopedia
Administrative Zone 3 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region
of Ethiopia
. This zone is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region
, on the southwest by the Amhara Region
, on the west by the Argobba special woreda
and Administrative Zone 5
, on the north by Administrative Zone 1
, and on the east by the Somali Region
.
This Zone covers most of the territory of the former Gobaad sultanate. Towns include Awash
and Gewane
. Rivers include the Awash
and Germama
.
and Gewane
woredas, but a UNDP team dispatched to survey the area failed to find significant damage. However in August 1999, a planned release of waters from the Koka Reservoir
resulted in flooding by the Awash -- although an investigation afterwards showed the flooding was caused by dike failures and silting of the Awash, especially around Melka Were. Approximately 5,000 hectares of cropland in the Zone, and 12 rural kebele
s in Amibara
and 3 rural kebeles in Dulecha
woredas were affected. The Awash flooded again 16 August 2006, displacing 15,000 people and damaging 400 hectares planted in cotton
, corn
, onion
s and sesame
.
In June 2002, the Afar and the Issa
Somali
, as well as the Afar and the Ittu Oromo
, have engaged in armed clashes in Gewane, Amibara and Awash Fentale
woredas over grazing resources diminished due to a drought at that time. As a result the traditional division of work was ignored: women were no longer tending livestock and the men guarded their herds with weapons. Pastoral groups from this Zone concentrated in the Awash lowlands, which forced pastoral groups from Zone 5 to move west and compete with the Argobba
.
in 2005, this zone has an estimated total population of 194,635, of whom 106,531 are men and 88,104 are women; 54,172 or 27.8% of its population are urban dwellers. Information is not available for the area of this Zone, so the population density cannot be calculated.
The 1996 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 150,346, of whom 82,657 were men and 67,689 women; 36,929 or 24.56% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The major ethnic groupings in 1996 were 70.8% Afar
, 10.43% Amhara
, 6.43% Argobba
, 3.82% Oromo
, and 3.14% Welayta
. Of the school-age school-age children, 7.35% (8.22% male and 6.29% female) were currently attending school, which is higher than the Regional average; 19.84% of the total population over the age of 10 (22.75% male and 16.33% female) are reported to be literate.
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
of Ethiopia
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...
. This zone is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
, on the southwest by the Amhara Region
Amhara Region
Amhara is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, containing the homeland of the Amhara people. Previously known as Region 3, its capital is Bahir Dar....
, on the west by the Argobba special woreda
Argobba special woreda
Argobba is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Because Argobba is not part of any Zone in the Afar Region, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. This woreda is named for the Argobba people, whose homeland lies in...
and Administrative Zone 5
Administrative Zone 5 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 5 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Stretching along the eastern base of the Ethiopian highlands, this Zone is bordered on the south and east by Administrative Zone 3, on the west by the Amhara Region, and on the north by Administrative Zone 1...
, on the north by Administrative Zone 1
Administrative Zone 1 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 1 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 3, on the southwest by Administrative Zone 5, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Administrative Zones 4 and 2, on the north by Eritrea, and on the...
, and on the east by the Somali Region
Somali Region
Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
.
This Zone covers most of the territory of the former Gobaad sultanate. Towns include Awash
Awash
Awash is a market town in central Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 3 of the Afar Region, above a gorge on the Awash River, after which the town is named, the town lies on the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway, which crosses the gorge by a bridge there...
and Gewane
Gewane
Gewane is a town in northeastern Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 3 of the Afar Region, it has an elevation of 618 meters above sea level. Gewane is locally known as New Gewane, 2 kilometers east of the original settlement known as Old Gewane; the town was relocated astride the main,...
. Rivers include the Awash
Awash River
The Awash is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into a chain of interconnected lakes that begin with Lake Gargori and end with Lake Abbe on the border with Djibouti, some 100 kilometers from the head of the Gulf of Tadjoura...
and Germama
Germama River
The Germama River is a tributary of the Awash River in Ethiopia. The name Germama comes from the Amharic word which means "frolicking", "boisterous", or "frisky"....
.
History
The Awash River flows through the south and western parts of this Zone, periodically flooding during the June-to-September rainy season. During 1996, the river flooded parts of Bure MudaytuBure Mudaytu
Bure Mudaytu is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 3, Bure Mudaytu stretches along a narrow band covering the marshy lowlands along the Awash River, with the Administrative Zone 5 to the west and Gewane to the east...
and Gewane
Gewane (woreda)
Gewane is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 3, Gewane is bordered on the south by Amibara, on the west by Bure Mudaytu, on the northwest by Administrative Zone 5, on the north by the Administrative Zone 1, on the east by the Somali Region, and on...
woredas, but a UNDP team dispatched to survey the area failed to find significant damage. However in August 1999, a planned release of waters from the Koka Reservoir
Koka Reservoir
The Koka Reservoir is a reservoir) in south-central Ethiopia. It was created by the construction of the Koka Dam across the Awash River...
resulted in flooding by the Awash -- although an investigation afterwards showed the flooding was caused by dike failures and silting of the Awash, especially around Melka Were. Approximately 5,000 hectares of cropland in the Zone, and 12 rural kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
s in Amibara
Amibara
Amibara is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 3, Amibara is bordered on the south by Awash Fentale, on the west by the Awash River which separates it from Dulecha to the southwest then on the northwest by the Administrative Zone 5, on the north by...
and 3 rural kebeles in Dulecha
Dulecha (woreda)
Dulecha is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 3, Dulecha is bordered on the south by Awash Fentale, on the west by the Argobba special woreda, on the north by the Administrative Zone 5, and on the east by the Awash River which separates it from...
woredas were affected. The Awash flooded again 16 August 2006, displacing 15,000 people and damaging 400 hectares planted in cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s and sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
.
In June 2002, the Afar and the Issa
Issa (clan)
The Issa are a Somali clan, a sub-clan of the Dir. The Issa primarily reside in Djibouti, the extreme northwestern fringe in the Awdal district of Somaliland in northern Somalia, as well as the Shinile Zone located in the Somali Region of Ethiopia.-Lineage:...
Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
, as well as the Afar and the Ittu Oromo
Ittu Oromo
Ittu is one of the divisions of the Oromo people. This tribe lives dominantly in the present-day Mirab Hararghe Zone. The correct term for the land of Ittus is "Chercher" or "Ona Ituu" ....
, have engaged in armed clashes in Gewane, Amibara and Awash Fentale
Awash Fentale
Awash Fentale is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 3, Awash Fentale is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the north by Dulecha, and on the east by Amibara. Towns in Awash Fentale include Awash Sebat...
woredas over grazing resources diminished due to a drought at that time. As a result the traditional division of work was ignored: women were no longer tending livestock and the men guarded their herds with weapons. Pastoral groups from this Zone concentrated in the Awash lowlands, which forced pastoral groups from Zone 5 to move west and compete with the Argobba
Argobba people
The Argobba are a Muslim people group that is spread out through isolated village networks and towns in the northeast and east of Ethiopia. The Argobba have typically been astute traders and merchants, and have adjusted to the economic trends in their area...
.
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 194,635, of whom 106,531 are men and 88,104 are women; 54,172 or 27.8% of its population are urban dwellers. Information is not available for the area of this Zone, so the population density cannot be calculated.
The 1996 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 150,346, of whom 82,657 were men and 67,689 women; 36,929 or 24.56% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The major ethnic groupings in 1996 were 70.8% Afar
Afar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
, 10.43% 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...
, 6.43% Argobba
Argobba people
The Argobba are a Muslim people group that is spread out through isolated village networks and towns in the northeast and east of Ethiopia. The Argobba have typically been astute traders and merchants, and have adjusted to the economic trends in their area...
, 3.82% 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...
, and 3.14% Welayta
Welayta people
Wolayta is the name of an ethnic group and its former kingdom, located in southern Ethiopia. According to the most recent census , they number 1.7 million people or 2.31 percent of the country's population, of whom 289,707 are urban inhabitants...
. Of the school-age school-age children, 7.35% (8.22% male and 6.29% female) were currently attending school, which is higher than the Regional average; 19.84% of the total population over the age of 10 (22.75% male and 16.33% female) are reported to be literate.