Kurfa Chele (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Kurfa Chele is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. It is named after its administrative center, Kurfa Chele. Part of the Misraq (East) Hararghe Zone
, Kurfa Chele is bordered on the south by Girawa
, on the west by Bedeno
, on the northwest by Kersa
, and on the northeast by Haro Maya
. Towns include Dawe.
, and the remaining 60.6% is considered built-up, degraded or otherwise unusable. Khat
and vegetables are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes 9 grain mills employing 29 people, as well as 68 registered businesses including wholesalers, retailers and service providers. There were 14 Farmers Associations with 8714 members and one Farmers Service Cooperatives with 627 members. Kurfa Chele has 96 kilometers of dry-weather and 55 of all-weather road, for an average road density of 581 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers, the highest in the Zone. About 23.4% rural and 4.2% of the urban population have access to drinking water
; normally urban areas in Ethiopia have a larger percentage with access to drinkable water than rural areas.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 54,127, of whom 26,500 were males and 27,627 were females; 4,940 or 9.13% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 6.9%. With an estimated area of 259.69 square kilometers, Kurfa Chele has an estimated population density of 208.4 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 102.6.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 38,559, of whom 19,726 were men and 18,833 women; 2,755 or 7.14% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. (This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of one rural kebele
, which was not counted; it was estimated to have 9,198 inhabitants, of whom 4,537 were men and 4,661 women.) The two largest ethnic groups reported in Kurfa Chele were the Oromo
(94.25%), and the Amhara
(5.69%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.06% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 94.16%, and 5.81% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.03% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 93.42% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 6.45% 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...
. It is named after its administrative center, Kurfa Chele. Part of the Misraq (East) Hararghe Zone
Misraq Hararghe Zone
Misraq Hararghe is one of the 17 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Misraq Hararge takes its name from the former province of Hararghe. Misraq Hararge is bordered on the southwest by the Shebelle River which separates it from Bale, on the west by Mirab Hararghe, on the north by Dire Dawa and...
, Kurfa Chele is bordered on the south by Girawa
Girawa (woreda)
Girawa is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Hararghe Zone, Girawa is bordered on the south by Gola Odana Meyumuluke, on the west by Bedeno, on the north by Kurfa Chele, and on the east by Fedis...
, on the west by Bedeno
Bedeno (woreda)
Bedeno is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the administrative center of the woreda, Bedeno. Part of the Misraq Hararghe Zone, Bedeno is bordered on the south by Gola Odana Meyumuluke, on the southwest by Malka Balo, on the west by Deder, on the northwest...
, on the northwest by Kersa
Kersa (Hararge)
Kersa is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after a river that flows through it, the Kersa. Part of the Misraq Hararghe Zone, Kersa is bordered on the south by Bedeno, on the west by Meta, on the north by Dire Dawa, on the northeast by Haro Maya, and on the...
, and on the northeast by Haro Maya
Haro Maya (woreda)
Haro Maya is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the administrative center, Haro Maya. Part of the Misraq Hararghe Zone, Haro Maya is bordered on the south by Kurfa Chele, on the west by Kersa, on the north by Dire Dawa, on the east by Kombolcha, and on the...
. Towns include Dawe.
Overview
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1400 to 3400 meters above sea level; Gara Muleta, Dedero and Gebiba are amongst the highest points. Rivers include the Dawe, Gefra Gelana and Gefra. A survey of the land in Kurfa Chele (released in 1995/96) shows that 23.3% is arable or cultivable, 1.4% pasture, 14.7% 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...
, and the remaining 60.6% is considered built-up, degraded or otherwise unusable. 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 vegetables are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes 9 grain mills employing 29 people, as well as 68 registered businesses including wholesalers, retailers and service providers. There were 14 Farmers Associations with 8714 members and one Farmers Service Cooperatives with 627 members. Kurfa Chele has 96 kilometers of dry-weather and 55 of all-weather road, for an average road density of 581 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers, the highest in the Zone. About 23.4% rural and 4.2% of the urban population have 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...
; normally urban areas in Ethiopia have a larger percentage with access to drinkable water than rural 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 54,127, of whom 26,500 were males and 27,627 were females; 4,940 or 9.13% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 6.9%. With an estimated area of 259.69 square kilometers, Kurfa Chele has an estimated population density of 208.4 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 102.6.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 38,559, of whom 19,726 were men and 18,833 women; 2,755 or 7.14% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. (This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of one rural kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
, which was not counted; it was estimated to have 9,198 inhabitants, of whom 4,537 were men and 4,661 women.) The two largest ethnic groups reported in Kurfa Chele 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...
(94.25%), 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...
(5.69%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.06% 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 94.16%, and 5.81% 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 0.03% 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 93.42% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 6.45% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.