Damot Gale
Encyclopedia
Damot Gale is one of the 77 woreda
s in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia
. Part of the Wolayita Zone
, Damot Gale is bordered on the south by Sodo Zuria
, on the west by Boloso Sore
, on the north by the Hadiya Zone
, and on the east by Damot Weyde
. The administrative center of Damot Gale is Boditi
.
Damot Gale has 29 kilometers of asphalt roads, 1 kilometer of all-weather road and 57 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 209 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
In March 1996, Damot Gale suffered a hailstorm
that destroyed not only an estimated 625 hectares of crop land but the roofs of 266 houses. The number of households affected was 1,956, whom the local Committee for Disaster Prevention and Preparation provided with tents and plastic sheets, and to whom the NGO Redd Barna handed out crop seeds.
With the assistance of a € 76,200 loan from the Greek
government, construction is underway to build the Damte earthen dam
, a pilot project which will provide a reliable source of drinkable water
for the inhabitants of this woreda. The Ethiopian government hopes to use this project as an example in other areas of the country that faces a water shortage.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 311,561, of whom 158,017 were men and 153,544 were women; 24,281 or 7.79% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 429.07 square kilometers, Damot Gale has an estimated population density of 726.1 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 156.5.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 217,336 of whom 107,201 were men and 110,135 were women; 13,400 or 6.17% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Damot Gale were the Welayta
(94.68%), the Hadiya (2.78%), the Amhara
(0.78%), and the Mareqo or Libido (0.77%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.99% of the population. Welayta
is spoken as a first language by 96.39%, 1.62% Hadiya
, 0.77% Amharic
, and 0.61% speak Libido
; the remaining 0.61% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning religious beliefs, the 1994 census reported that 42.33% of the population said they were Protestants
, 34.1% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 19.94% were Roman Catholic
.
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 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...
, Damot Gale is bordered on the south by Sodo Zuria
Sodo Zuria
Sodo Zuria is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Wolayita Zone, Sodo Zuria is bordered on the southwest by Offa, on the west by Kindo Koysha, on the north by Boloso Sore, on the northeast by Damot Gale, and on the east by Damot...
, on the west by Boloso Sore
Boloso Sore
Boloso Sore is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Wolayita Zone, Boloso Sore is bordered on the south by Sodo Zuria, on the southwest by Kindo Koysha, on the west by the Dawro Zone, on the north by the Kembata Tembaro Zone, on...
, on the north by the Hadiya Zone
Hadiya Zone
Hadiya is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . This zone is named after the Hadiya of the Hadiya kingdom, whose homeland covers part of the administrative division...
, and on the east by Damot Weyde
Damot Weyde
Damot Weyde is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Wolayita Zone located in the Great Rift Valley, Damot Weyde is bordered on the south by Humbo, on the west by Sodo Zuria, on the northwest by Damot Gale, on the north by the...
. The administrative center of Damot Gale is Boditi
Boditi
Boditi is a town in southern Ethiopia. Located in the Wolaita Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2050 meters above sea level. It the administrative center of Damot Gale woreda. permanent postal service is...
.
Damot Gale has 29 kilometers of asphalt roads, 1 kilometer of all-weather road and 57 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 209 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
History
A megalithic site with four steles has been found within Damot Gale.In March 1996, Damot Gale suffered a hailstorm
Hailstorm
Hailstorm may refer to:* Hail, a type of precipitation* Hailstorm , a fictional character* Hailstorm , 2010* Hailstorm , a 1994 album by Barathrum-See also:* Halestorm, an American rock band...
that destroyed not only an estimated 625 hectares of crop land but the roofs of 266 houses. The number of households affected was 1,956, whom the local Committee for Disaster Prevention and Preparation provided with tents and plastic sheets, and to whom the NGO Redd Barna handed out crop seeds.
With the assistance of a € 76,200 loan from the Greek
Ethiopian-Greek relations
Ethiopian-Greek relations are the international relations between Ethiopia and Greece. Although the first Greek diplomatic mission in Ethiopia dates to 1917 with the creation of a Greek Consulate, immigrants from Greece have been present in Ethiopia in the service of the Emperor or nobility since...
government, construction is underway to build the Damte earthen dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
, a pilot project which will provide a reliable source of 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...
for the inhabitants of this woreda. The Ethiopian government hopes to use this project as an example in other areas of the country that faces a water shortage.
Demographics
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 311,561, of whom 158,017 were men and 153,544 were women; 24,281 or 7.79% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 429.07 square kilometers, Damot Gale has an estimated population density of 726.1 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 156.5.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 217,336 of whom 107,201 were men and 110,135 were women; 13,400 or 6.17% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Damot Gale were 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...
(94.68%), the Hadiya (2.78%), 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...
(0.78%), and the Mareqo or Libido (0.77%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.99% of the population. 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...
is spoken as a first language by 96.39%, 1.62% Hadiya
Hadiya language
Hadiyya is the Afro-Asiatic language of the Hadiya people of Ethiopia. Most speakers live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in the Hadiya Zone around the town Hosaena....
, 0.77% 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 0.61% speak Libido
Libido language
Libido is an Afro-Asiatic language of Ethiopia, which is spoken in the Gurage Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region, north-east of Hosaena....
; the remaining 0.61% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning religious beliefs, the 1994 census reported that 42.33% 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...
, 34.1% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 19.94% were Roman 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...
.