Afdera
Encyclopedia
Afdera is one of the 29 woreda
s in the Afar Region
of Ethiopia
. It is named after the saline Lake Afdera, located in the southern part of the Afar Depression
. Part of the Administrative Zone 2
, Afdera is bordered on the southwest by the Administrative Zone 4
, on the west by Erebti
and Abala
, on the north by Berhale, on the northeast by Eritrea
, and on the southeast by Administrative Zone 1
. The largest towns of this woreda is Afdera.
(1875 meters); other mountains in this woreda
include Erta Ale
and Borawli
. Mining is the principal industry in this woreda. The best known resource extracted is salt
; according to the Afar Regional Mining and Energy Office, there are 300 active land grants around Lake Afdera, which the Office reports creates 1,800 permanent and over 40,000 part-time jobs.
An all-weather road constructed in the 1990s connects this woreda to the main Awash
- Asseb highway. About 90 kilometers of this gravel road, connecting Afdera to Sardo, was completed in late January 2009 at a cost of 387 million Birr. A spokesman for the Ethiopian Roads Authority stated that since it links with the port in Djibouti City, the upgraded road would have great significance for tourism and import-export trade exchange.
At the Tio waterhole, near the southeastern border with Administrative Zone 4, L.M. Nesbitt located the 1884 massacre of the Italian expedition led by Gustavo Bianchi and Giuseppe Maria Giulietti
. Nesbitt was prevented from erecting a cairn to mark the site by the Afars
, who believed this was part of a blood feud
.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 32,225, of whom 18,191 are men and 14,034 women; with an area of 7,435.45 square kilometers, Afdera has a population density of 4.33. While 3,578 or 11.10% are urban inhabitants, a further 4,402 or 13.66% are pastoralists. A total of 4,803 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 6.7 persons to a household, and 4,887 housing units.
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 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....
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 the saline Lake Afdera, located in the southern part of the Afar Depression
Afar Depression
The Afar Triangle is a geological depression that is caused by the Afar Triple Junction which is part of the Great Rift Valley. It overlaps Eritrea, Djibouti and the entire Afar Region of Ethiopia. The Afar Triangle includes the Danakil Depression and the lowest point in Africa, Lake Asal...
. Part of the Administrative Zone 2
Administrative Zone 2 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 2 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 4, on the southwest by Administrative Zone 1, on the west by the Amhara Region, and on the northeast by Eritrea. The administrative center of Zone 2 is Abala...
, Afdera is bordered on the southwest by the Administrative Zone 4
Administrative Zone 4 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 4 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south and east by Administrative Zone 1, on the west by the Amhara Region, and on the north by Administrative Zone 2...
, on the west by Erebti
Erebti
Erebti is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the Erebti River, a stream that flows east from the Ethiopian highlands into the Afar Depression, part of which lies in the eastern part of this woreda...
and Abala
Abala (woreda)
Abala is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 2, Abala is located at the base of the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian highlands, and bordered on the south by Megale, on the west by the Tigray Region, on the north by Berhale, on the northeast by...
, on the north by Berhale, on the northeast by Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, and on the southeast by Administrative Zone 1
Administrative Zone 1 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 1 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 3, on the southwest by Administrative Zone 5, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Administrative Zones 4 and 2, on the north by Eritrea, and on the...
. The largest towns of this woreda is Afdera.
Overview
The highest peak in Afdera is Mount MallahleMallahle
Mallahle is a stratovolcano on the border of Ethiopia and Eritrea, with a 6km wide caldera It is the highest peak in the Afdera region of Ethiopia. It is located in the Danakil Horst at the southern end of the Danakil Alps It makes up part of the Bidu volcanic complex ....
(1875 meters); other mountains in this 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...
include Erta Ale
Erta Ale
Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia, the most active volcano in Ethiopia. It is in the Afar Depression, a badlands desert area spanning the border with Eritrea, and the volcano itself is surrounded completely by an area below sea...
and Borawli
Borawli
Borawli is a stratovolcano with lava domes, located in Administrative Zone 2 of the Afar Region, Ethiopia. It lies above the eastern shore of Lake Afrera....
. Mining is the principal industry in this woreda. The best known resource extracted is salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
; according to the Afar Regional Mining and Energy Office, there are 300 active land grants around Lake Afdera, which the Office reports creates 1,800 permanent and over 40,000 part-time jobs.
An all-weather road constructed in the 1990s connects this woreda to the main Awash
Awash
Awash is a market town in central Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 3 of the Afar Region, above a gorge on the Awash River, after which the town is named, the town lies on the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway, which crosses the gorge by a bridge there...
- Asseb highway. About 90 kilometers of this gravel road, connecting Afdera to Sardo, was completed in late January 2009 at a cost of 387 million Birr. A spokesman for the Ethiopian Roads Authority stated that since it links with the port in Djibouti City, the upgraded road would have great significance for tourism and import-export trade exchange.
At the Tio waterhole, near the southeastern border with Administrative Zone 4, L.M. Nesbitt located the 1884 massacre of the Italian expedition led by Gustavo Bianchi and Giuseppe Maria Giulietti
Giuseppe Maria Giulietti
Giuseppe Maria Giulietti was an Italian soldier, geographer and explorer. He was born in a wealthy family in Casteggio, province of Pavia....
. Nesbitt was prevented from erecting a cairn to mark the site by the Afars
Afar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
, who believed this was part of a blood feud
Blood Feud
"Blood Feud" is the twenty-second and final episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on July 11, 1991. In the episode, Mr. Burns falls ill and desperately needs a blood transfusion. Homer discovers Bart has Burns' rare blood type and urges...
.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 Census conducted 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...
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 32,225, of whom 18,191 are men and 14,034 women; with an area of 7,435.45 square kilometers, Afdera has a population density of 4.33. While 3,578 or 11.10% are urban inhabitants, a further 4,402 or 13.66% are pastoralists. A total of 4,803 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 6.7 persons to a household, and 4,887 housing units.