Dizi (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Dizi is one of the 77 woreda
s in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia
. It is named after the Dizi people
, whose homeland lies in the northern part of this district; a different ethnic group, the Surma
, inhabit the southern part. Part of the Bench Maji Zone
, Dizi is bordered on the south by the Kibish River
which separates it from Sudan
, on the west by Surma
, on the north by Meinit
, and on the east by the Omo River
which separates it from the Debub Omo Zone
. Towns in Dizi include Tum and Maji
.
Rivers in this woreda include the Netube and the Mui
. High points include Mount Tiyaki and Mount Siski. A major portion of Dizi is included in the Omo National Park
. Dizi suffers from a lack of roads and means of transport; remote locations are accessible only by air.
In May 2009, a Malaysian investor with over 3.7 billion Birr
in capital was granted a lease to over 31,000 hectares of land to develop palm oil tree plantation on. The Zonal authorities also granted him an additional 10,000 hectares to cultivate rubber trees on.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 33,218, of whom 17,270 were males and 15,948 were females; 7,820 or 23.54% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.1%. With an estimated area of 5,775.31 square kilometers, Dizi has an estimated population density of 5.8 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 20.
In the 1994 national census Dizi had a population of 22,346, of whom 10,738 were men and 11,608 women; 4,316 or 19.31% of its population were urban dwellers. The three largest ethnic groups reported in this woreda were the Dizi (84.89%), the Amhara
(9.41%), and the Oromo
(3.07%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.63% of the population. Dizin
was spoken as a first language by 83.42% of the inhabitants, and 15.3% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 1.28% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning education
, 24.74% of the population were considered literate; 15.67% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 7.85% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 5.41% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 57% of the urban and 14% of the total had toilet facilities.
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...
. It is named after the Dizi people
Dizi people
Dizi is the name of an ethnic group living in southern Ethiopia. They share a number of somatic similarities with certain culturally related peoples of south-western Ethiopia, which include the Sheko and Nao, the Gimira , the Tsara, the Dime, the Aari and certain sub-groups of the Basketo people....
, whose homeland lies in the northern part of this district; a different ethnic group, the Surma
Surma people
Surma is a panethnicity residing in South Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia. It includes the Nilo-Saharan-speaking Suri, Mursi and Me'en.-Overview:...
, inhabit the southern part. Part of the Bench Maji Zone
Bench Maji Zone
Bench Maji is one of the 13 Zones of the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . Bench Maji is bordered on the south by the Ilemi Triangle, on the west by Sudan, on the northwest by the Gambela Region, on the north by Keficho Shekicho and on the east by Debub Omo...
, Dizi is bordered on the south by the Kibish River
Kibish River
Kibish River is a river of southern Ethiopia, which defines part of that country's border with South Sudan. It flows towards Lake Turkana, although some years it does not have enough volume to reach it, as C.W. Gwynn discovered in 1908....
which separates it from Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, on the west by Surma
Surma (woreda)
Surma is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is named for the Surma people, whose homeland lies in the southern part of the woreda. Part of the Bench Maji Zone, Surma is bordered on the south and west by Sudan, on the north by the Akobo...
, on the north by Meinit
Meinit
Meinit is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bench Maji Zone, Meinit is bordered on the south by Dizi, on the west by Sheko, on the north by Bench, on the east by the Keficho Shekicho Zone, and on the southeast by the Omo River...
, and on the east by the Omo River
Omo River
The Omo River is an important river of southern Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into Lake Turkana on the border with Kenya...
which separates it from the Debub Omo Zone
Debub Omo Zone
Debub Omo is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . Debub Omo is bordered on the south by Kenya, on the southwest by the Ilemi Triangle, on the west by Bench Maji, on the northwest by Keficho Shekicho, on the north by Semien Omo, on the northeast by the...
. Towns in Dizi include Tum and Maji
Maji
Maji is a town in southern Ethiopia. It is located on the Boma Plateau, lying in the Bench Maji Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, and has a longitude and latitude of with an elevation variously given as 2104, 2258 and 2430 meters above sea level...
.
Rivers in this woreda include the Netube and the Mui
Mui River
The Mui is a river of southern Ethiopia. Located inside Omo National Park, it is a tributary of the Omo River on the right side, merging with the larger stream at ....
. High points include Mount Tiyaki and Mount Siski. A major portion of Dizi is included in the Omo National Park
Omo National Park
Omo National Park is one of the National Parks of Ethiopia. Located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region on the west bank of the Omo River, the park covers approximately 4,068 square kilometers, about 870 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa; across the Omo is the Mago National...
. Dizi suffers from a lack of roads and means of transport; remote locations are accessible only by air.
In May 2009, a Malaysian investor with over 3.7 billion 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....
in capital was granted a lease to over 31,000 hectares of land to develop palm oil tree plantation on. The Zonal authorities also granted him an additional 10,000 hectares to cultivate rubber trees on.
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 33,218, of whom 17,270 were males and 15,948 were females; 7,820 or 23.54% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.1%. With an estimated area of 5,775.31 square kilometers, Dizi has an estimated population density of 5.8 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 20.
In the 1994 national census Dizi had a population of 22,346, of whom 10,738 were men and 11,608 women; 4,316 or 19.31% of its population were urban dwellers. The three largest ethnic groups reported in this woreda were the Dizi (84.89%), 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...
(9.41%), and 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...
(3.07%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.63% of the population. Dizin
Dizin language
Dizin is an Omotic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken in the Dizi woreda of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, located in southwestern Ethiopia...
was spoken as a first language by 83.42% of the inhabitants, and 15.3% spoke 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...
; the remaining 1.28% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning education
Education in Ethiopia
Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the provision of schools and...
, 24.74% of the population were considered literate; 15.67% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 7.85% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 5.41% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
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...
, about 57% of the urban and 14% of the total had toilet facilities.