Surma (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Surma is one of the 77 woreda
s in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia
. It is named for the Surma people
, whose homeland lies in the southern part of the woreda. Part of the Bench Maji Zone
, Surma is bordered on the south and west by Sudan
, on the north by the Akobo River
which separates it from Sheko
, and on the east by Dizi
. Towns in this woreda include Bambu and Chela. A portion of the Omo National Park
extends into the southern part of this woreda.
On 29 September 2003, violence erupted between Surma and Anuak people following the killing of an Anuak woman by Surma men. The next day armed Anuak tribesmen shot and killed 20 Surma who were mining for gold in Naymei kebele
. It remained unclear at year's end whether the government made any response to these incidents.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 33,488, of whom 15,286 are men and 18,202 are women. With an estimated area of 4,883.13 square kilometers, Surma has an estimated population density of 6.9 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 20.
In the 1994 national census Surma had a population of 23,773, of whom 12,925 were men and 10,848 women; the census identified no urban inhabitants. (This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of 5 rural kebele
s, which were not counted; they were estimated to have 3,201 inhabitants, of whom 2,438 were men and 763 women.) The three largest ethnic groups reported in this woreda were the Surma people (93.79%), the Dizi
(3.09%), and the Amhara
(1.71%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.41% of the population. Suri
was spoken as a first language by 94.02% of the inhabitants, 2.9% spoke Dizin
, and 2.01% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 1.07% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning education
, 43.65% of the population were considered literate; 33.59% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 15.31% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 12.5% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 70% of the urban and 16% of the total had toilet facilities.
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 Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region 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 for the Surma people
Surma people
Surma is a panethnicity residing in South Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia. It includes the Nilo-Saharan-speaking Suri, Mursi and Me'en.-Overview:...
, whose homeland lies in the southern part of the woreda. Part of the Bench Maji Zone
Bench Maji Zone
Bench Maji is one of the 13 Zones of the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . Bench Maji is bordered on the south by the Ilemi Triangle, on the west by Sudan, on the northwest by the Gambela Region, on the north by Keficho Shekicho and on the east by Debub Omo...
, Surma is bordered on the south and west by Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, on the north by the Akobo River
Akobo River
The Akobo River is a river on the border between South Sudan and Ethiopia. From its source in the Ethiopian Highlands near Mizan Teferi is flows west for to join the Pibor River...
which separates it from Sheko
Sheko (woreda)
Sheko is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is named for the Sheko people, whose homeland lies in the eastern part of the woreda; a different ethnic group, the Me'en, dominate the southeastern part...
, and on the east by Dizi
Dizi (woreda)
Dizi is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the Dizi people, whose homeland lies in the northern part of this district; a different ethnic group, the Surma, inhabit the southern part...
. Towns in this woreda include Bambu and Chela. A portion of the Omo National Park
Omo National Park
Omo National Park is one of the National Parks of Ethiopia. Located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region on the west bank of the Omo River, the park covers approximately 4,068 square kilometers, about 870 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa; across the Omo is the Mago National...
extends into the southern part of this woreda.
Overview
The average elevation in this woreda is 2088 meters above sea level. Rivers include the Kaia River, a tributary of the Akobo, which has its origins in this woreda. High points include Mount Naita (2560 meters) on the Ethiopian-Sudanese border. According to a 2004 report, Surma had 26 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 5 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. This lack of roads means remote locations are accessible only by air. Moreover, there is no radio communication available in this woreda. , about 30% of the total population of Surma has access to drinking water.On 29 September 2003, violence erupted between Surma and Anuak people following the killing of an Anuak woman by Surma men. The next day armed Anuak tribesmen shot and killed 20 Surma who were mining for gold in Naymei kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
. It remained unclear at year's end whether the government made any response to these incidents.
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 33,488, of whom 15,286 are men and 18,202 are women. With an estimated area of 4,883.13 square kilometers, Surma has an estimated population density of 6.9 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 20.
In the 1994 national census Surma had a population of 23,773, of whom 12,925 were men and 10,848 women; the census identified no urban inhabitants. (This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of 5 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...
s, which were not counted; they were estimated to have 3,201 inhabitants, of whom 2,438 were men and 763 women.) The three largest ethnic groups reported in this woreda were the Surma people (93.79%), the Dizi
Dizi people
Dizi is the name of an ethnic group living in southern Ethiopia. They share a number of somatic similarities with certain culturally related peoples of south-western Ethiopia, which include the Sheko and Nao, the Gimira , the Tsara, the Dime, the Aari and certain sub-groups of the Basketo people....
(3.09%), 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...
(1.71%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.41% of the population. Suri
Suri language
Suri is a Nilo-Saharan Eastern Sudanic language spoken in the Bench Maji Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in Ethiopia, to the South Sudan border, and across the border in South Sudan by the Suri...
was spoken as a first language by 94.02% of the inhabitants, 2.9% spoke Dizin
Dizin language
Dizin is an Omotic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken in the Dizi woreda of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, located in southwestern Ethiopia...
, and 2.01% 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 1.07% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning education
Education in Ethiopia
Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the provision of schools and...
, 43.65% of the population were considered literate; 33.59% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 15.31% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 12.5% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
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...
, about 70% of the urban and 16% of the total had toilet facilities.