Dale (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Dale is one of the 77 woreda
s in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia
. Part of the Sidama Zone
located in the Great Rift Valley
, Dale is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region
, on the southwest by Lake Abaya
, on the west by the Wolayita Zone
, on the north by Shebedino
, on the east by Arbegona
and Hula
, and on the southeast by Aleta Wendo
; part of its western boundary is defined by the Bilate River
. The major town in Dale is Irgalem
.
, barley
, haricot beans, local varieties of cabbage
, and sweet potato
es. Coffee
is also an important cash crop in Dale, with 15.38 square kilometers planted with this crop, which produced a total of 9.3 million kilograms of beans in 2002/03 (5.7 million kilograms in 2003/04).
Industry in this woreda includes 57 coffee pulper
s. Two micro-finance institutions operate in Dale: the Sidama Microfinance Institution SC (SMFI), established in 1998; and the Omo Microfinance Institution SC (OMFI), established in 1997. While OMFI is a regional organization, SMFI operates only in the Sidama Zone; SMFI has 2,365 active clients and has loaned 5.5 million Birr
to woreda inhabitants, while OMFI has 1,547 active clients and has made about 4.1 million Birr in loans. There are 15 multipurpose cooperatives in Dale, of which 12 are organized and registered in accordance with the new cooperatives law, with about 29,295 members or nearly 50% of the rural population; all of them are members of the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. The remaining 3 cooperatives are in the process of complying with the new law. According to a 2004 report, Dale had 27 kilometers of asphalt roads, 166 kilometers of all-weather roads and 28 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 167 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 441,263, of whom 215,677 are men and 225,586 are women; 43,815 or 9.93% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 8.9%. With an estimated area of 1,326.41 square kilometers, Dale has an estimated population density of 332.7 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 430.03.
In the 1994 Census this woreda had a population of 306,329, of whom 156,772 were men and 149,557 women; 24,183 or 7.89% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Dale were the Sidama
(91.29%), the Amhara
(3.98%), the Oromo
(1.16%), and the Welayta
(1.01%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.56% of the population. Sidamo
is spoken as a first language by 92.57% of the inhabitants, 5.93% speak Amharic
, 0.46% Welayta
, and 0.33% Oromiffa
; the remaining 0.71% spoke all other primary languages reported. 58.02% of the population said they were Protestants
, 14.54% observed traditional religions, 9.05% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 7.59% were Muslim
.
According to the 2004 survey, only 22% of the inhabitants have access to drinkable water
.
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 Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region 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...
. Part of the Sidama Zone
Sidama Zone
Sidama is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . It is named for the Sidama people, whose homeland is located in this zone...
located in the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
, Dale 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 Lake Abaya
Lake Abaya
Lake Abaya is a lake in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. It was named Lake Margherita by the Italian explorer Vittorio Bottego, the first European commonly thought to visit the lake, to honor the wife of king Umberto I of Italy, Queen Margherita...
, on the west by the Wolayita Zone
Wolayita Zone
Wolayita is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . it is named for the Welayta people, whose homeland lies in this Zone...
, on the north by Shebedino
Shebedino
Shebedino is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Sidama Zone located in the Great Rift Valley, Shebedino is bordered on the south by Dale, on the west by the Bilate River which separates it from the Semien Omo Zone, on the...
, on the east by Arbegona
Arbegona (woreda)
Arbegona is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Sidama Zone, Arbegona is bordered on the southwest by Hula, on the west by Dale, on the northwest by Shebedino, on the north by the Oromia Region, and on the east by Bensa...
and Hula
Hula (woreda)
Hula is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Sidama Zone, Hula is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the southwest by Dara, on the west by Aleta Wendo, on the northwest by Dale, on the north by Shebedino, on the...
, and on the southeast by Aleta Wendo
Aleta Wendo (woreda)
Aleta Wendo is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Sidama Zone, Aleta Wendo is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west and north by Dale, on the east by Hula, and on the southeast by Dara...
; part of its western boundary is defined by the Bilate River
Bilate River
The Bilate is a river of south-central Ethiopia. It rises on the southwestern slopes of Mount Gurage near , flowing south along the western side of the Great Rift Valley, to empty into Lake Abaya at...
. The major town in Dale is Irgalem
Irgalem, SNNPR
Irgalem is a town in southern Ethiopia...
.
Overview
The elevation of this woreda varies from about 1200 meters above sea level along the shores of Lake Abaya to about 3200 meters at its westernmost point. Rivers include the Gidabo. A 2004 survey of the land in Dale shows that 81.9% is arable or cultivable, none used for pasture, 2.7% forest, and the remaining 15.5% is considered swampy, degraded or otherwise unusable. The same survey reported important cash crops for Dale include cornMaize
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...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, haricot beans, local varieties of cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
, and sweet potato
Sweet potato
The sweet potato is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are an important root vegetable. The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens. Of the approximately 50 genera and more than 1,000 species of...
es. Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
is also an important cash crop in Dale, with 15.38 square kilometers planted with this crop, which produced a total of 9.3 million kilograms of beans in 2002/03 (5.7 million kilograms in 2003/04).
Industry in this woreda includes 57 coffee pulper
Pulper
In agriculture, a pulper is a machine designed to remove pulp i.e. the soft flesh from agricultural produce. For example, in coffee growing the ripe, red cherries are picked from the coffee bushes and prior to fermentation and later drying the soft pulp needs to be removed...
s. Two micro-finance institutions operate in Dale: the Sidama Microfinance Institution SC (SMFI), established in 1998; and the Omo Microfinance Institution SC (OMFI), established in 1997. While OMFI is a regional organization, SMFI operates only in the Sidama Zone; SMFI has 2,365 active clients and has loaned 5.5 million Birr
Ethiopian birr
The birr is the unit of currency in Ethiopia. Before 1976, dollar was the official English translation of birr. Today, it is officially birr in English as well....
to woreda inhabitants, while OMFI has 1,547 active clients and has made about 4.1 million Birr in loans. There are 15 multipurpose cooperatives in Dale, of which 12 are organized and registered in accordance with the new cooperatives law, with about 29,295 members or nearly 50% of the rural population; all of them are members of the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union. The remaining 3 cooperatives are in the process of complying with the new law. According to a 2004 report, Dale had 27 kilometers of asphalt roads, 166 kilometers of all-weather roads and 28 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 167 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
Population
Based on figures published by 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 woreda has an estimated total population of 441,263, of whom 215,677 are men and 225,586 are women; 43,815 or 9.93% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 8.9%. With an estimated area of 1,326.41 square kilometers, Dale has an estimated population density of 332.7 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 430.03.
In the 1994 Census this woreda had a population of 306,329, of whom 156,772 were men and 149,557 women; 24,183 or 7.89% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Dale were the Sidama
Sidama people
The Sidama people of southern Ethiopia are an ethnic group whose homeland is in the Sidama Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. They number 2,966,474 of whom 149,480 are urban inhabitants, the fifth most populous nation in Ethiopia...
(91.29%), 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...
(3.98%), 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...
(1.16%), and the 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...
(1.01%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.56% of the population. Sidamo
Sidamo language
Sidamo is an Afro-Asiatic language, belonging to the Cushitic branch, part of the Highland East Cushitic group. It is spoken in parts of southern Ethiopia....
is spoken as a first language by 92.57% of the inhabitants, 5.93% speak 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...
, 0.46% Welayta
Welayta language
Wolaytta is an Omotic language spoken in the Wolaita Zone and some parts of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region of Ethiopia. The number of speakers of this language is estimated at 2,000,000 ; it is the native language of the Welayta people...
, and 0.33% 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...
; the remaining 0.71% spoke all other primary languages reported. 58.02% of the population said they were Protestants
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...
, 14.54% observed traditional religions, 9.05% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 7.59% 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...
.
According to the 2004 survey, only 22% of the inhabitants have access to drinkable water
Water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia
Access to water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia is amongst the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa and the entire world. While access has increased substantially with funding from external aid, much still remains to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the share of people...
.