Liben, Oromia (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Liben is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Guji Zone
, Liben is bordered on the south by the Dawa River
which separates it from the Borena Zone
, on the west by Odo Shakiso
, on the northwest by Adolana Wadera
, on the north by the Ganale Dorya River
which separates it from the Bale Zone
, and on the east by the Somali Region
. The map of the Oromia Region published by Disaster Prevention and Disaster Agency shows that this woreda is part of the Guji Zone, and that the eastern part has been transferred to the Somali Region to create the Liben
woreda of that region. The administrative center is Negele Boran
; other towns in Liben include Hare Kalo.
, and the remaining 0.87% is considered swampy, degraded or otherwise unusable. Cereals include corn
, wheat
, teff
, barley
and sorghum
; sugar cane, banana
and papaya
are other important crops.
Industry in the woreda includes 20 grain mills, 5 metal or wood works, and 2 brick or tube factories. There were 34 Farmers Associations and 8 Farmers Service Cooperatives. Liben has 51 kilometers of dry-weather and 198 all-weather road, for an average road density of 73 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 7.2% of the rural and 42.2% of the urban population has access to drinking water
.
In 1994, the Oromo Relief Association organized food-for-work activities in 17 kebele
s of Liben to lessen the effects of that year's drought; these activities included making improvements to traditional wells and ponds, road construction, and school maintenance.
This woreda was part of the Borena Zone until it, along with four other woredas, were split off in September 2003 to create the Guji Zone.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 163,869, of whom 80,653 were males and 83,216 were females; 44,831 or 27.36% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 11.6%. With an estimated area of 22,007.04 square kilometers, Liben has an estimated population density of 7.4 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 21.1.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 111,696, of whom 56,568 were men and 55,128 women; 25,046 or 22.42% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Liben were the Oromo
(71.98%), the Somali
(16.21%), the Amhara
(8.01%), and the Tigray
(0.98%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.82% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 69.37%, 16.08% spoke Somali
, and 12.99% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 1.56% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 60.22% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 14.75% of the population said they Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 13.35% professed practiced traditional beliefs, 7.94% were Protestant
, and 0.95% were Catholic
.
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 Guji Zone
Guji Zone
Guji is one of the 17 zones of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Guji is named after a tribe of the Oromo people. Guji is bordered on the south by Borena, on the west by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, on the north by the Ganale Dorya River which separates it from Bale and on...
, Liben is bordered on the south by the Dawa River
Dawa River
The Dawa River is a perennial river in southeastern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains east of Aleta Wendo, the Dawa flows south and east to join with the Ganale Dorya at the border with Somalia to become the Jubba. The river forms part of the Ethiopia–Kenya border and part of the Ethiopia–Somalia...
which separates it from the Borena Zone
Borena Zone
Borena is one of the 17 zones of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Borena is named after a tribe of the Oromo people. Borena is bordered on the south by Kenya, on the west by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, on the north by Guji and on the east by the Somali Region. The...
, on the west by Odo Shakiso
Odo Shakiso
Odo Shakiso is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Guji Zone, Odo Shakiso is bordered on the south by the Dawa River which separates it from Arero, on the west by Hagere Mariam, on the northeast by Uraga, on the north by Bore, on the northeast by Adolana Wadera, and...
, on the northwest by Adolana Wadera
Adolana Wadera
Adolana Wadera is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Borena Zone, Adolana Wadera is bordered on the south by Liben, on the southwest by Odo Shakiso, on the west by Bore, on the north by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, and on the east by...
, on the north by the Ganale Dorya River
Ganale Dorya River
The Ganale Dorya River is a perennial river in southeastern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains east of Aleta Wendo, the Dawa flows south and east to join with the Dawa at the border with Somalia to become the Jubba. Tributaries include the Welmel, Weyib , Dumale, Doya, Hawas and the Hambala...
which separates it from 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...
, and on the east by the Somali Region
Somali Region
Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
. The map of the Oromia Region published by Disaster Prevention and Disaster Agency shows that this woreda is part of the Guji Zone, and that the eastern part has been transferred to the Somali Region to create the Liben
Liben, Somali (woreda)
Liben is one of the 47 woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia...
woreda of that region. The administrative center is Negele Boran
Negele Boran
Negele Borana is a town in southern Ethiopia. Located in the Guji Zone of the Oromia Region on the road connecting Addis Ababa to Dolo Odo, it has a latitude and longitude of with an altitude of about 1,475 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Liben woreda...
; other towns in Liben include Hare Kalo.
Overview
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1120 to 1600 meters above sea level. Rivers include the Awata. State forests include the Genale, Dawa and Hara Kalo. A 2004 survey of the land in this woreda shows that 9.68% is arable or cultivable, 88.5% pasture, 0.93% 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 0.87% is considered swampy, degraded or otherwise unusable. Cereals 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...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, teff
Teff
Eragrostis tef, known as teff, taf , or khak shir , is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the northern Ethiopian Highlands of Northeast Africa....
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
and 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...
; sugar cane, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
and papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
are other important crops.
Industry in the woreda includes 20 grain mills, 5 metal or wood works, and 2 brick or tube factories. There were 34 Farmers Associations and 8 Farmers Service Cooperatives. Liben has 51 kilometers of dry-weather and 198 all-weather road, for an average road density of 73 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 7.2% of the rural and 42.2% of the urban 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...
.
In 1994, the Oromo Relief Association organized food-for-work activities in 17 kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
s of Liben to lessen the effects of that year's drought; these activities included making improvements to traditional wells and ponds, road construction, and school maintenance.
This woreda was part of the Borena Zone until it, along with four other woredas, were split off in September 2003 to create the Guji Zone.
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 163,869, of whom 80,653 were males and 83,216 were females; 44,831 or 27.36% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 11.6%. With an estimated area of 22,007.04 square kilometers, Liben has an estimated population density of 7.4 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 21.1.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 111,696, of whom 56,568 were men and 55,128 women; 25,046 or 22.42% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Liben 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...
(71.98%), the Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
(16.21%), 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...
(8.01%), and the Tigray
Tigray-Tigrinya people
Tigray-Tigrinya are an ethnic group who live in the southern, central and northern parts of Eritrea and the northern highlands of Ethiopia's Tigray province. They also live in Ethiopia's former provinces of Begemder and Wollo, which are today mostly part of Amhara Region, though a few regions...
(0.98%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.82% 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 69.37%, 16.08% spoke Somali
Somali language
The Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
, and 12.99% 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 1.56% 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 60.22% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 14.75% of the population said they Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 13.35% professed practiced traditional beliefs, 7.94% were 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...
, and 0.95% were Catholic
Roman Catholicism in Ethiopia
The Catholic Church in Ethiopia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.The Ethiopian Catholic Church, the primary organization of Catholicism in the country, is especially close to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, whose doctrine and...
.