Kombolcha (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Kombolcha is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Misraq (East) Hararghe Zone
, Kombolcha is bordered on the south by the Harari Region
, on the southwest by Haro Maya
, on the northwest by Dire Dawa
, on the north by the Somali Region
, and on the east by Jarso
. The administrative center of the woreda is Melka Rafu.
, and the remaining 77.6% is considered builtup, degraded or otherwise unusable. Khat
, fruits and vegetables are important cash crops. Both Kombolcha and Haro Maya
are major producers of vegetables for Djibouti
.
Industry in the woreda includes 18 grain mills employing 51 people, as well as 266 registered businesses including wholesalers, retailers and service providers. There were 14 Farmers Associations with 17,216 members and 4 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 3950 members. Kombolcha has 23 kilometers of gravel and 20 kilometers of dry-weather, for an average road density of 97.5 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 19.5% of the urban and 4.7% of the rural population have access to drinking water
.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 116,022, of whom 56,697 are men and 59,325 are women; 9,823 or 8.47% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 6.9%. With an estimated area of 441.1 square kilometers, Kombolcha has an estimated population density of 263 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 102.6.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 82,801, of whom 42,511 were men and 40,290 women; 5,491 or 6.63% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. (This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of one rural kebele
, which was not counted; it was estimated to have 5,348 inhabitants, of whom 2,697 were men and 2,651 women.) The two largest ethnic groups reported in Kombolcha were the Oromo
(92.55%), and the Amhara
(7.2%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.25% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 92.5%, and 7.27% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.23% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 91.8% of the surveyed population having reported they practiced that belief, while 7.79% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.
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 Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
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 Misraq (East) Hararghe Zone
Misraq Hararghe Zone
Misraq Hararghe is one of the 17 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Misraq Hararge takes its name from the former province of Hararghe. Misraq Hararge is bordered on the southwest by the Shebelle River which separates it from Bale, on the west by Mirab Hararghe, on the north by Dire Dawa and...
, Kombolcha is bordered on the south by the Harari Region
Harari Region
Harari or officially, Harari People's National Regional State is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, covering the homeland of the Harari people...
, on the southwest by Haro Maya
Haro Maya (woreda)
Haro Maya is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the administrative center, Haro Maya. Part of the Misraq Hararghe Zone, Haro Maya is bordered on the south by Kurfa Chele, on the west by Kersa, on the north by Dire Dawa, on the east by Kombolcha, and on the...
, on the northwest by Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa is one of two chartered cities in Ethiopia . This chartered city is divided administratively into two woredas, the city proper and the non-urban woreda of Gurgura....
, on the north by the Somali Region
Somali Region
Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
, and on the east by Jarso
Jarso (Hararge)
Jarso is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Hararghe Zone, Jarso is bordered on the south by the Harari Region, on the west by Kombolcha, on the north by the city of Dire Dawa, on the east by the Somali Region, and on the southeast by Gursum...
. The administrative center of the woreda is Melka Rafu.
Overview
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1200 to 2460 meters above sea level; Were Mucha, Babo and Lalu are amongst the highest points. Rivers include the Yerer, and Fefra. A survey of the land in Kombolcha shows that 16.8% is arable or cultivable, 1.7% pasture, 3.9% forestForestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and the remaining 77.6% is considered builtup, degraded or otherwise unusable. Khat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
, fruits and vegetables are important cash crops. Both Kombolcha and Haro Maya
Haro Maya (woreda)
Haro Maya is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the administrative center, Haro Maya. Part of the Misraq Hararghe Zone, Haro Maya is bordered on the south by Kurfa Chele, on the west by Kersa, on the north by Dire Dawa, on the east by Kombolcha, and on the...
are major producers of vegetables for Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
.
Industry in the woreda includes 18 grain mills employing 51 people, as well as 266 registered businesses including wholesalers, retailers and service providers. There were 14 Farmers Associations with 17,216 members and 4 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 3950 members. Kombolcha has 23 kilometers of gravel and 20 kilometers of dry-weather, for an average road density of 97.5 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 19.5% of the urban and 4.7% of the rural population have access to drinking water
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...
.
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 116,022, of whom 56,697 are men and 59,325 are women; 9,823 or 8.47% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 6.9%. With an estimated area of 441.1 square kilometers, Kombolcha has an estimated population density of 263 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 102.6.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 82,801, of whom 42,511 were men and 40,290 women; 5,491 or 6.63% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. (This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of one 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...
, which was not counted; it was estimated to have 5,348 inhabitants, of whom 2,697 were men and 2,651 women.) The two largest ethnic groups reported in Kombolcha were 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...
(92.55%), 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...
(7.2%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.25% of the population. 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...
was spoken as a first language by 92.5%, and 7.27% 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 0.23% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants 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...
, with 91.8% of the surveyed population having reported they practiced that belief, while 7.79% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.