Afambo is one of the 29 woreda

Woreda

Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...

s in the Afar Region

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...

. It is named after Lake Afambo

Lake Afambo

Lake Afambo is one of a chain of lakes into which the Awash River empties its waters. It is located at the eastern end of the Afar Region of Ethiopia, at .-Overview:...

, located at the border of this woreda with Asayita

Asayita (woreda)

Asayita is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 1, Asayita is bordered on the south by Afambo, on the west by Dubti, then on the north by the Awash River which separates it from Elidar, and on the east by Djibouti...

, near the international border with Djibouti

Djibouti

Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...

. Part of the 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...

, Afambo is bordered on the south 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...

, on the west by Dubti

Dubti (woreda)

Dubti is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 1, Dubti is bordered on the south by the Somali Region, on the southwest by Mille, on the west by Chifra, on the northwest by Administrative Zone 4, on the north by the Administrative Zone 2, on the...

, on the north by Asayita, and on the east by Djibouti. The largest town in this woreda is Afambo.

The average elevation in this woreda is 404 meters above sea level; the highest peak is Mount Dama Ali (1069 meters). The only perennial river is 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...

, which passes through Lake Afambo, and a chain of lakes south and east of it: Laitali, Gummare

Lake Gummare

Lake Gummare is one of a chain of lakes into which the Awash River empties its waters. It is located at the eastern end of the Afar Region of Ethiopia, at .-Overview:...

, Bario

Lake Bario

Lake Bario is one of a chain of lakes into which the Awash River empties its waters. It is located at the eastern end of the Afar Region of Ethiopia, at ....

, and Lake Abbe

Lake Abbe

Lake Abbe or Lake Abhe Bad is a salt lake, lying on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border. It is one of a chain of six connected lakes, which also includes lakes Gargori, Laitali, Gummare, Bario and Afambo.-Overview:...

. As of 2008, Afambo has 79 kilometers of all-weather gravel road; about 22.33% of the total population has access to drinking water.

Demographics

Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency

Central 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...

 of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 24,153, of whom 13,312 are men and 10,841 women; with an area of 1,258.97 square kilometers, Afambo has a population density of 19.18. While 822 or 3.40% are urban inhabitants, a further 6,529 or 27.03% are pastoralists. A total of 4,251 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 5.7 persons to a household, and 4,322 housing units.

Agriculture

A sample enumeration performed by the CSA in 2001 interviewed 894 farmers in this woreda, who held an average of 4.61 hectares of land. Of the 4.125 square kilometers of private land surveyed, 58.71% was under cultivation, 4.44% pasture, 33.92% fallow, and 6.42% was devoted to all other uses. For the land under cultivation in this woreda, 43.95% was planted in cereals like maize

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...

 and sorghum

Sorghum

Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...

; the amount of land planted in pulses and vegetables is missing, but 40 hectares was planted in fruit trees, 0.09 hectares in banana

Banana

Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....

s and 0.51 in guava

Guava

Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...

s. The CSA reports that 19.46% of the farmers only grow crops and 81.54% only raise livestock; the returns for those who raise both are missing. Land tenure in this woreda is distributed between 84.78% own their land, 1.13% rent, and the remaining 13.75% are held under other forms.