Gewane
Encyclopedia
Gewane is a town in northeastern Ethiopia
. Located in Administrative Zone 3
of the Afar Region
, it has an elevation of 618 meters above sea level. Gewane is locally known as New Gewane, 2 kilometers east of the original settlement known as Old Gewane; the town was relocated astride the main, all-weather highway. It is the administrative center of Gewane
woreda
.
Philip Briggs has described Gewane as "a somewhat unremarkable urban sprawl, distinguished only by the imposing presence of Mount Azelu
, an isolated peak of volcanic origin which rises almost 1,000m above the surrounding plains east of the town." The headquarters of the Yangudi Rassa National Park
are located in Gewane.
The British explorer L.M. Nesbitt, who travelled through the area in 1928, described his stay of a couple of days in a village in Gewane, entertained by the local chief Abdul Momi, whom he described as "the Falstaff of Gewani". The Afar National Liberation Movement (ANLM), run by young intellectuals who had split from the Afar Liberation Front
(ALF), met in Gewane with the Derg
in April 1976 at an Afar congress. Afterwards a number of ANLM members were appointed to local administrative positions, which weakened both the ALF's military activity and political influence amongst the Afar. The weekly newspaper Tobiya reported in January 1996 that three high ranking employees of the Water Resource and Development Authority had been killed near the town.
in 2005, this town has an estimated total population of 11,032, of whom 6,304 are men and 4,728 are women. According to the 1996 national census this town had a population of 8,600.
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...
. Located in Administrative Zone 3
Administrative Zone 3 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 3 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the southwest by the Amhara Region, on the west by the Argobba special woreda and Administrative Zone 5, on the north by Administrative Zone 1, and on the east by...
of the Afar Region
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
, it has an elevation of 618 meters above sea level. Gewane is locally known as New Gewane, 2 kilometers east of the original settlement known as Old Gewane; the town was relocated astride the main, all-weather highway. It is the administrative center of Gewane
Gewane (woreda)
Gewane is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 3, Gewane is bordered on the south by Amibara, on the west by Bure Mudaytu, on the northwest by Administrative Zone 5, on the north by the Administrative Zone 1, on the east by the Somali Region, and on...
woreda
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...
.
Philip Briggs has described Gewane as "a somewhat unremarkable urban sprawl, distinguished only by the imposing presence of Mount Azelu
Mount Ayalu
Mount Ayalu is an isolated, rhyolitic stratovolcano in eastern Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 3 of the Afar Region, near the eastern bank of the Awash River, this mountain has a latitude and longitude of and an altitude of 2145 meters.The Argobba have a tradition that after landing...
, an isolated peak of volcanic origin which rises almost 1,000m above the surrounding plains east of the town." The headquarters of the Yangudi Rassa National Park
Yangudi Rassa National Park
Yangudi Rassa National Park is one of the National Parks of Ethiopia. Located in the Afar Region, its 4730 square kilometers of territory include Mount Yangudi near the southern border and the surrounding Rassa Plains, with altitudes from 400 to 1459 meters above sea level. Sandy semi-desert and...
are located in Gewane.
The British explorer L.M. Nesbitt, who travelled through the area in 1928, described his stay of a couple of days in a village in Gewane, entertained by the local chief Abdul Momi, whom he described as "the Falstaff of Gewani". The Afar National Liberation Movement (ANLM), run by young intellectuals who had split from the Afar Liberation Front
Afar Liberation Front
The Afar Liberation Front is a political party in Ethiopia, commonly considered to be the most important organization dedicated to promoting the interests of the Afar people...
(ALF), met in Gewane with the Derg
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
in April 1976 at an Afar congress. Afterwards a number of ANLM members were appointed to local administrative positions, which weakened both the ALF's military activity and political influence amongst the Afar. The weekly newspaper Tobiya reported in January 1996 that three high ranking employees of the Water Resource and Development Authority had been killed near the town.
Demographics
Based on figures from 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 town has an estimated total population of 11,032, of whom 6,304 are men and 4,728 are women. According to the 1996 national census this town had a population of 8,600.