Gambela (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Gambela is one of the 12 woreda
s in the Gambela Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Anuak Zone, Gambela is bordered on the south by Abobo
, on the west by Itang
, and on the north and east by the Oromia Region
. The major town in Gambela is Gambela
, which is the capital of the Region.
Elevations in Gambela range 400–600 meters above sea level; the high point is Mount Mesengo den Ch'aka. Rivers include the Baro
. According to the Atlas of the Ethiopian Rural Economy published by the Central Statistical Agency
(CSA), around 20% of the woreda is forest. A notable landmark is the Gambela National Park
, which covers the woreda south of the Baro and west of the Gambela - Fugnido road.
Although Gambela is the most economically developed woreda in the Region, its economy is predominantly agricultural
; however, there are no agricultural cooperatives. The estimated road density is reported to be between 20.1 and 30 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
; however between 2001 and 2007 the Zone was reorganized and Gambela became part of the Anguak Zone.
In early December 2003, the deaths of 8 people including three government officials and one policeman outside the town of Gambella led to further violence, causing the deaths of at least 70 people and possibly as many as 150. As a result World Food Programme
and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
withdrew their international staff out of concern for their security.
.
According to the 1994 national census, the woreda's population was reported to be 26,439 in 12,532 households, of whom 13,781 were men and 12,658 women; 18,263 or 69.08% of the population were urban inhabitants. The five largest ethnic groups of Gambela woreda were the Anuak (48.03%), the Oromo
(20.13%), the Amhara
(9.89%), the Nuer (7.83%), and the Tigray
(4.65%); all other ethnic groups made up 9.47% of the population. Anuak
is spoken as a first language by 48.15%, 20.21% speak Oromiffa
, 10.77% Amharic
, 7.78% Nuer
, and 4.42% speak Tigrinya
; the remaining 8.67% spoke all other primary languages reported. The largest group of the inhabitants said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 41.42% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 25.4% were Protestant
, 6.43% practiced traditional religions, 5.19% were Catholic
, and 4.285% were Muslim
.
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 Gambela Region
Gambela Region
Gambela is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. Previously known as "Region 12", its capital is Gambela. Lying between the Baro and Akobo Rivers, the western part of Gambela includes the Baro salient....
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 Anuak Zone, Gambela is bordered on the south by Abobo
Abobo (woreda)
Abobo is one of the 12 woredas in the Gambela Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Anuak Zone, Abobo is bordered on the southwest by the Mezhenger Zone, on the south by Gog, on the southwest by Jor, on the west by the Administrative Zone 3, on the northwest by Itang, on the north by Gambela, and on the...
, on the west by Itang
Itang (woreda)
Itang is one of the 12 woredas in the Gambela Region of Ethiopia. Because Itang is not part of any Zone in the Gambela Region, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area...
, and on the north and east by the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
. The major town in Gambela is Gambela
Gambela, Ethiopia
Gambela is a city in Ethiopia and the capital of the Gambela Region or kilil. Located in Administrative Zone 1, at the confluence of the Baro River and its tributary the Jajjaba, the city has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 526 meters....
, which is the capital of the Region.
Elevations in Gambela range 400–600 meters above sea level; the high point is Mount Mesengo den Ch'aka. Rivers include the Baro
Baro River
The Baro River is a river in southwestern Ethiopia, which defines part of Ethiopia's border with South Sudan. From its source in the Ethiopian Highlands it flows west for to join the Pibor River...
. According to the Atlas of the Ethiopian Rural Economy 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...
(CSA), around 20% of the woreda is forest. A notable landmark is the Gambela National Park
Gambela National Park
Gambela National Park is a proposed National Park, but the steps needed to fully protect it by the government of Ethiopia have not been completed as of 2002...
, which covers the woreda south of the Baro and west of the Gambela - Fugnido road.
Although Gambela is the most economically developed woreda in the Region, its economy is predominantly agricultural
Agriculture in Ethiopia
Agriculture in Ethiopia is the foundation of the country's economy, accounting for half of gross domestic product , 83.9% of exports, and 80% of total employment....
; however, there are no agricultural cooperatives. The estimated road density is reported to be between 20.1 and 30 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
History
At the start of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Gambela was part of the Administrative Zone 1Administrative Zone 1 (Gambela)
Administrative Zone 1 is one of the three zones of the Ethiopian Region of Gambela; none of the zones of Gambela have names. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 2, on the west by Administrative Zone 3 and on the north and east by the Oromia Region...
; however between 2001 and 2007 the Zone was reorganized and Gambela became part of the Anguak Zone.
In early December 2003, the deaths of 8 people including three government officials and one policeman outside the town of Gambella led to further violence, causing the deaths of at least 70 people and possibly as many as 150. As a result World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
withdrew their international staff out of concern for their security.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the CSA, this woreda has a total population of 10,590, of whom 5,069 are men and 5,521 women; with an area of 3,118.79 square kilometers, Gambela has a population density of 3.40, which is less than the Zone average of 4.83 persons per square kilometer. While 1,096 or 10.35% are urban inhabitants, a further 264 or 2.49% are pastoralists. A total of 2,595 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 4.1 persons to a household, and 2,528 housing units. There is also a refugee camp at Bonga, east of Gambella town, and the ethnic makeup of its inhabitants are 95% UdukUduk people
The Uduk are a Nilo-Saharan group from eastern Sudan. They call themselves Kwanim Pa and are culturally and linguistically related to neighboring communities, such as the Gumuz and the Kwama from the Sudan-Ethiopia borderland. Due to the recent war in southern Sudan they have been forced to...
.
According to the 1994 national census, the woreda's population was reported to be 26,439 in 12,532 households, of whom 13,781 were men and 12,658 women; 18,263 or 69.08% of the population were urban inhabitants. The five largest ethnic groups of Gambela woreda were the Anuak (48.03%), 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...
(20.13%), 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...
(9.89%), the Nuer (7.83%), 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...
(4.65%); all other ethnic groups made up 9.47% of the population. Anuak
Anuak language
Anuak or Anywa is a Nilotic language of the Nilo-Saharan language family. It is spoken primarily in the Western part of Ethiopia by the Anuak. Other names for this language include: Anyuak, Anywa, Yambo, Jambo, Yembo, Bar, Burjin, Miroy, Moojanga, Nuro.Anywa does not have phonemic fricatives.-...
is spoken as a first language by 48.15%, 20.21% speak 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...
, 10.77% 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...
, 7.78% Nuer
Nuer language
The Nuer language is a Nilo-Saharan language of the Western Nilotic group. It is spoken by the Nuer people of South Sudan and in western Ethiopia. Nuer is one of eastern and central Africa's most widely spoken languages. The Nuer nation is one of the largest in South Sudan.Nuer language has a...
, and 4.42% speak Tigrinya
Tigrinya language
Tigrinya , also spelled Tigrigna, Tigrnia, Tigrina, Tigriña, less commonly Tigrinian, Tigrinyan, is a Semitic language spoken by the Tigrinya people in central Eritrea , where it is one of the two main languages of Eritrea, and in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia , where it...
; the remaining 8.67% spoke all other primary languages reported. The largest group of the inhabitants said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 41.42% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 25.4% 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...
, 6.43% practiced traditional religions, 5.19% 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...
, and 4.285% 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...
.