Gaserana Gololcha
Encyclopedia
Gaserana Gololcha is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Bale Zone
, Gaserana Gololcha is bordered on the south by Ginir
, on the southwest by Sinanana Dinsho
, on the west by Agarfa
, on the north by the Shebelle River
which separates it from the Arsi Zone
, on the northeast by Legehida
, and on the east by Seweyna
. The administrative center for the woreda is Jara; other towns in Gaderana Gololcha include Gasera.
and Gololcha River
s. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 31.7% is arable or cultivable, 28% pasture, 35.7% forest
, and the remaining 4.6% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Notable landmarks in this woreda include Dirre Shek Hussen with its 11th century mosque. Khat
and pepper
are important cash crops. Coffee
is also an important cash crop; between 2,000 and 5,000 hectares are planted with it.
Industry in the woreda includes 15 grain mills and 5 edible oil mills employing 47 people, as well as 66 wholesalers 179 retailers and 54 service providers. There were 39 Farmers Associations with 20,384 members and 9 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 3,264 members. Gaserana Gololcha has 153 kilometers of all-weather road, for an average of road density of 48.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 26.8% of the total population has access to drinking water
.
This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
in 2003 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement
for farmers from overpopulated areas. Together with Berbere
and Meda Welabu
, Gaserana Gololcha became the new home for a total of 5219 heads of households and 19,758 family members.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 166,795, of whom 83,748 are men and 83,047 are women; 11,269 or 6.76% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.5%. With an estimated area of 3,138.75 square kilometers, Gaserana Gololcha has an estimated population density of 53.1 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 27.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 119,499, of whom 59,757 were men and 59,742 women; 6,301 or 5.27% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Gaserana Gololcha were the Oromo
(91.36%), and the Amhara
(8.18%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.46% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 88.36%, and 9.29% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 2.35% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 69.79% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 30.02% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.
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 Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
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 Bale Zone
Bale Zone
Bale is one of the 17 zones in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Bale is named for the former kingdom of Bale, which was in approximately the same area...
, Gaserana Gololcha is bordered on the south by Ginir
Ginir (woreda)
Ginir is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the administrative center of the woreda, Ginir. Part of the Bale Zone, Ginir is bordered on the south by the Gestro River which separates it from Goro, on the west by Sinanana Dinsho, on the northwest by Gaserana...
, on the southwest by Sinanana Dinsho
Sinanana Dinsho
Sinanana Dinsho is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bale Zone, Sinanana Dinsho is bordered on the south by the Mena River which separates it from Goba, on the west by Adaba, on the northwest by Agarfa, on the northeast by Gaserana Gololcha, on the east by Ginir,...
, on the west by Agarfa
Agarfa (woreda)
Agarfa is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, named for its administrative center, Agarfa. Located in the northwestern corner of the Bale Zone, Agarfa is bordered on the south by Sinanana Dinsho, on the west by Adaba, on the north by the Shabelle River which separates it from...
, on the north by the Shebelle River
Shebelle River
The Shebelle River begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast. Below Mogadishu, the river becomes seasonal...
which separates it from the Arsi Zone
Arsi Zone
Arsi is one of the 12 zones of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. Arsi is also the name of a former province. Both the Zone and the former province are named after a subgroup of the Oromo, who inhabit both...
, on the northeast by Legehida
Legehida
Legehida is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bale Zone, Legehida is bordered on the south by Seweyna, on the southwest by Gaserana Gololcha, and all other sides by the Shebelle River which separates this woreda from the Mirab Hararghe Zone on the northwest, the...
, and on the east by Seweyna
Seweyna
Seweyna is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Located in the eastern part of the Bale Zone, Seweyna is bordered on the south by Raytu, on the southwest by Ginir, on the northwest by Gaserana Gololcha, on the north by Legehida, and on the east by the Somali Region...
. The administrative center for the woreda is Jara; other towns in Gaderana Gololcha include Gasera.
Overview
Mount Arab Lij is the highest point in this woreda; another notable peak is Mount Kubayu. Perennial rivers include the WeyibWeyib River
Weyib River is a river of eastern Ethiopia. It rises in the Bale Mountains east of Goba in the Oromia Region, flowing east to pass through the Sof Omar Caves, then to the southeast until it joins the Ganale Dorya River in the Somali Region....
and Gololcha River
Gololcha River
Gololcha River is a river of eastern Ethiopia....
s. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 31.7% is arable or cultivable, 28% pasture, 35.7% forest
Forestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and the remaining 4.6% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Notable landmarks in this woreda include Dirre Shek Hussen with its 11th century mosque. Khat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
and pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
are important cash crops. 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; between 2,000 and 5,000 hectares are planted with it.
Industry in the woreda includes 15 grain mills and 5 edible oil mills employing 47 people, as well as 66 wholesalers 179 retailers and 54 service providers. There were 39 Farmers Associations with 20,384 members and 9 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 3,264 members. Gaserana Gololcha has 153 kilometers of all-weather road, for an average of road density of 48.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 26.8% of the total population has access to drinking 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...
.
This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the Ethiopian government ministry which oversees the agricultural and rural development policies of Ethiopia on a Federal level...
in 2003 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement
Resettlement and villagization in Ethiopia
Resettlement and villagization in Ethiopia has been an issue since the late nineteenth century, due to the overcrowded population of the Ethiopian highlands...
for farmers from overpopulated areas. Together with Berbere
Berbere (woreda)
Berbere is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bale Zone, Berbere is bordered on the south by Mennana Harena Buluk, on the northwest by Goba, on the north by Sinanana Dinsho, on the northeast by Goro, and on the east by Guradamole; the Mena River separates it from...
and Meda Welabu
Meda Welabu
Meda Welabu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bale Zone, Meda Welabu is bordered on the south by the Ganale Dorya River which separates it from the Borena Zone, on the northwest by Nensebo, on the north by Mennana Harena Buluk, and on the northeast by Guradamole...
, Gaserana Gololcha became the new home for a total of 5219 heads of households and 19,758 family members.
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 166,795, of whom 83,748 are men and 83,047 are women; 11,269 or 6.76% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.5%. With an estimated area of 3,138.75 square kilometers, Gaserana Gololcha has an estimated population density of 53.1 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 27.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 119,499, of whom 59,757 were men and 59,742 women; 6,301 or 5.27% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Gaserana Gololcha were 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...
(91.36%), and 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...
(8.18%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.46% of the population. 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...
was spoken as a first language by 88.36%, and 9.29% 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 2.35% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants 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...
, with 69.79% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 30.02% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.