Aura is one of the 29 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 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...

. Part of 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...

, Aura is bordered on the southwest by Ewa

Ewa (woreda)

Ewa is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 4, Ewa is located near the base of the eastern escarpment of the...

, on the west by Gulina

Gulina

Gulina is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 4, Gulina is located near the base of the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian highlands, and bordered on the south by Ewa, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the north by Yalo, and on the east by Aura...

, on the north by Teru

Teru

Teru is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 4, Teru is bordered on the south by Aura, on the southwest by Gulina, on the west by Yalo, and on the north and east by the Administrative Zone 2...

, and on the east 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 Logiya River

Logiya River

The Logiya is a river of east-central Ethiopia. Having its source in the Ethiopian highlands, this stream flows eastwards to become a tributary of the Awash River near ....

 defines part of its southeastern boundary. The largest settlement in Aura is Derayitu.

Overview

The average elevation in this woreda is 459 meters above sea level. As of 2008, Aura has 65 kilometers of dry-weather road; about 29.02% of the total population has access to drinking water.

A notable landmark in Aura is the plain of Karbahi, the location of two recent fissure eruptions, one on 12 August, 2007 and more recently 29 June 2009. This is one incident in the separation of continental plates in 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...

. The eruptions at Karbahi are being studied by the Afar Rift Consortium, a joint project of geologists in Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 working with other scientists in U.S., France and New Zealand, and most importantly, Ethiopia.

Demographics

Based on the 2007 Census conducted 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...

of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 34,604, of whom 18,999 are men and 15,605 women; with an area of 2,317.86 square kilometers, Aura has a population density of 14.93. While 1,651 or 4.77% are urban inhabitants, a further 22,140 or 63.98% are pastoralists. A total of 6,394 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 5.4 persons to a household, and 6,507 housing units.