Zala Ubamale is one of the 77 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...

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...

. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone

Gamo Gofa Zone

Gamo Gofa is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . It is named for the Gamo and Gofa peoples, whose homelands lie in this Zone...

, Zala Ubamale is bordered on the south and west by the Debub Omo Zone

Debub Omo Zone

Debub Omo is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . Debub Omo is bordered on the south by Kenya, on the southwest by the Ilemi Triangle, on the west by Bench Maji, on the northwest by Keficho Shekicho, on the north by Semien Omo, on the northeast by the...

, on the northwest by Gofa Zuria

Gofa Zuria

Gofa Zuria is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Gofa Zuria is bordered on the south by Zala Ubamale, on the southwest by the Debub Omo Zone, on the west by the Basketo special woreda, on the northwest by...

, on the northeast by Kucha

Kucha (woreda)

Kucha is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Kucha is bordered on the south by Dita Dermalo, on the southwest by Zala Ubamale, on the west by Gofa Zuria, on the northwest by the Dawro Zone, on the north by the...

, on the east by Dita Dermalo

Dita Dermalo

Dita Dermalo is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Dita Dermalo is bordered on the south by Bonke, on the southwest by Kemba, on the west by Zala Ubamale, on the north by Kucha, and on the east by Chencha. Towns...

 and on the southeast by Kemba

Kemba (woreda)

Kemba is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Kemba is bordered on the southwest by the Debub Omo Zone, on the west by Zala Ubamale, on the north by Dita Dermalo, on the east by Bonke, and on the southeast by the...

. Towns in Zala Ubamale include Beto and Meleante.

The highest point in this woreda is Mount Argun (3418 meters), which lies near the border with the Debub Omo Zone.

Demographics

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency

Central 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 109,064, of whom 53,437 are men and 55,627 are women; 5,500 or 5.04% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 1,301.72 square kilometers, Zala Ubamale has an estimated population density of 83.8 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 156.5.

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 76,555 of whom 39,073 were men and 37,482 were women; 3,036 or 3.97% of its population were urban dwellers. The five largest ethnic groups reported in Zala Ubamale were the Goffa (80.68%), the Aari (11.5%), the Male (2.64%), 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...

 (2.18%), and the Gamo

Gamo people

Gamo is the name of the Ethiopian ethnic group who speak the Gamo language. The name "Gamo" means a lion, which refers to their legacy; along with the Goffa, they gave their names to the former Gamo-Gofa province of Ethiopia. The 2007 Ethiopian national census reported that 1,107,163 people ...

 (0.72%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.28% of the population. Gofa is spoken as a first language by 73.51%, 12.13% Aari

Aari language

Aari is an Omotic language of Ethiopia. The speakers of this language have been known as Shankilla , a name which is considered derogatory...

, 8.01% Oyda

Oyda language

Oyda is an Afro-Asiatic language spoken in the Gamo Gofa Zone of Ethiopia.The 2007 Census of Ethiopia lists 45,120 individuals for the ethnic group.- External links :* , LL-Map website...

, 3.28% Male

Male language (Ethiopia)

Male , is an Omotic language spoken in the Omo Region of Ethiopia by the Male people. It is called in ISO 639-3 to distinguish it from .- References :* Van Aswegen, Jacobus. 2008...

, and 1.76% 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 1.76% spoke all other primary languages reported.