Gawo Dale
Encyclopedia
Gawo Dale is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone
, Gawo Dale is bordered on the south by Hawa Welele
, on the west by Jimma Gidami
, on the northwest by Begi
, on the north by Jarso
, on the northeast by Ayra Guliso
, on the east by Dale Lalo
, and on the southeast by the Illubabor Zone
. The administrative center of this woreda is Kake; other towns in Gawo Dale include Chanka.
. It has been estimated that 281.15 square kilometers are arable. Important crops produced include corn
, sorghum
, finger millet
, sesame
, pepper, and haricot beans. Land is tilled using indigenous plough drawn by oxen. Coffee
is an important cash crop of this woreda; over 50 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
There are 65 primary schools in this woreda and 2 secondary education schools. Health services
are provided by one health center, 11 clinics, and 10 health posts; most of these facilities are located in urban areas.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 155,984, of whom 78,699 are men and 77,285 are women; 13,422 or 8.60% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 10.9%. With an estimated area of 1,949.85 square kilometers, Gawo Dale has an estimated population density of 80 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 91.7.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 111,251 in 20,345 households, of whom 55,276 were men and 55,975 were women; 7,495 or 6.74% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Gawo Dale were the Oromo
(93.1%), and the Amhara
(6.26%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.67% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 91.91%, and 7.41% Amharic
; the remaining 0.41% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 46.09% reporting that as their religion, while 28.77% were Muslim
, and 24.49% Protestant
.
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 Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone is named after the former province of Welega, whose western part lay in the area Mirab Misraq now occupies....
, Gawo Dale is bordered on the south by Hawa Welele
Hawa Welele
Hawa Welele is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Hawa Welele is bordered on the south by Sayo, on the west by Anfillo, on the northwest by Jimma Gidami, on the north and east by Gawo Dale, and on the southeast by the Illubabor Zone...
, on the west by Jimma Gidami
Jimma Gidami
Jimma Gidami is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Jimma Gidami is bordered on the south by Anfillo, on the west by South Sudan, on the northwest by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the north by Begi, on the east by Gawo Dale, and on the east by...
, on the northwest by Begi
Begi, Oromia (woreda)
Begi is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Begi is bordered on the south by Jimma Gidami, on the west and north by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the northeast by Mana Sibu, on the east by Jarso, and on the southeast by Gawo Dale...
, on the north by Jarso
Jarso (Welega)
Jarso is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Jarso is bordered on the south by Ayra Guliso, on the southwest by Gawo Dale, on the west by Begi, on the north by Mana Sibu, on the northeast by Nejo, and on the southeast by Boji...
, on the northeast by Ayra Guliso
Ayra Guliso
Ayra Guliso is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Ayra Guliso is bordered on the south by Dale Lalo, on the west by Gawo Dale, on the north by Jarso, on the northeast by Boji, and on the east by Lalo Asabi...
, on the east by Dale Lalo
Dale Lalo
Dale Lalo is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Dale Lalo is bordered on the south by the Illubabor Zone, on the west by Gawo Dale, on the north by Ayra Guliso, on the northeast by Yubdo, and on the east by Nole Kaba...
, and on the southeast by the Illubabor Zone
Illubabor Zone
Illubabor is one of the 17 zones of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Illubabor is named for the former province Illubabor. It is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the southwest by the Gambela Region, on the west by Misraq Welega, on the north by the...
. The administrative center of this woreda is Kake; other towns in Gawo Dale include Chanka.
Overview
Elevations in this woreda range from 1150 to 3330 meters above sea level; the highest point is Guri Maryam. Rivers include the Qeto. Natural vegetation covers 444.34 square kilometers of Gawo Dale and 172.18 square kilometers are covered by forestForestry 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...
. It has been estimated that 281.15 square kilometers are arable. Important crops produced include corn
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...
, 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...
, finger millet
Finger millet
Eleusine coracana, commonly Finger millet , also known as African millet or Ragi is an annual plant widely grown as a cereal in the arid areas of Africa and Asia. E...
, sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
, pepper, and haricot beans. Land is tilled using indigenous plough drawn by oxen. 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 an important cash crop of this woreda; over 50 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
There are 65 primary schools in this woreda and 2 secondary education schools. Health services
Health in Ethiopia
Metrics of health in Ethiopia are among the world's worst. According to the U.S. government, Ethiopia's health care system is wholly inadequate, even after recent improvements. The Ethiopian government has launched a campaign to improve the health care system....
are provided by one health center, 11 clinics, and 10 health posts; most of these facilities are located in urban areas.
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 155,984, of whom 78,699 are men and 77,285 are women; 13,422 or 8.60% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 10.9%. With an estimated area of 1,949.85 square kilometers, Gawo Dale has an estimated population density of 80 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 91.7.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 111,251 in 20,345 households, of whom 55,276 were men and 55,975 were women; 7,495 or 6.74% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Gawo Dale 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...
(93.1%), 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...
(6.26%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.67% 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 91.91%, and 7.41% 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 0.41% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 46.09% reporting that as their religion, while 28.77% 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...
, and 24.49% Protestant
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...
.