Gamo Gofa Zone

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Map of the regions and zones of Ethiopia

Gaamo Zone is a zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is named for whose homelands lie in this Zone and identifacation of strength,respect. Gamo is bordered on the south by the Dirashe special woreda, on the southwest by Debub (South) Omo and the Basketo special woreda, on the northwest by Konta special woreda, on the north by Dawro and Wolayita, on the northeast by the Lake Abaya which separates it from the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by the Amaro special woreda. The administrative center of Gamo is Arba Minch.

Contents

Gamo has 431 kilometers of all-weather roads and 122 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 45 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. [1] The highest point in this Zone is Mount Gughe (4,207 meters above sea level). The Lake Chamo is located at the southeastern part of Gamo just south of Lake Abaya. The Nechisar National Park is located between these two lakes.

Originally Gamo was part of the Semien (North) Omo Zone, and the 1994 national census counted its inhabitants as part of that Zone. However friction between the various ethnic groups in Semien Omo, which was often blamed on the Welayta for "ethnic chauvinism" and despite the efforts of the ruling party to emphasize the need to co-ordinate, consolidate, and unify the smaller ethnic units to achieve the "efficient use of scarce government resources", eventually led to the division of the Zone in 2000, resulting with the creation of not only the Gamo Gofa, but also the Dawro and Wolayita Zones and two special woredas. [2]

Demographics

Zala town main road Zada town main road.jpg
Zala town main road

Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 1659310 of whom 779332 are men and 879782 women; with an area of 18,010.99 square kilometers, Gamo Gofa has a population density of 144.68. While 157,446 or 9.88% are urban inhabitants, a further 480 or 0.03% are pastoralists. A total of 337,199 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.72 persons to a household, and 324,919 housing units. The largest ethnic groups reported in this Zone included the Gamo (64.61%), the Gofa (22.08%), the Oyda (2.35%), the Amhara (2.32%), the Welayta (1.91%), and the Basketo (1.38%); all other ethnic groups made up 5.35% of the population. Gamo is spoken as a first language by 63.75% of the inhabitants, 22.01% Gofa, 3.47% Amharic, 2.31% Basketo, 1.83% Oyda, and 1.74% Welayta; the remaining 4.89% spoke all other primary languages reported. 53.41% of the population said they were Protestants, 31.54% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 11.13% observed traditional religions. [3]

Woredas

Current woredas are: [4]

Former woredas are:

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Gofa Zone was one of the 17 Zones in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Gofa Zone was bordered on the south by Kamba and Daramalo woredas, on the southwest by the Debub (South) Omo Zone, on the west by the Basketo special woreda, on the northwest by Dawro Zone, on the north by the Dawro Zone, and on the east by Kucha. The administrative center of Gofa Zone is Sawla; other towns included Bulki. Gofa Zone was separated for Demba Gofa Woreda, Geze Gofa Woreda, Zala Woreda, Malo Koza Woreda, Gada Woreda, Uba Debretsehay Woreda, Oyda Woreda and the two town Administrations Sawla town and Bulki town.

Humbo Woreda in Ethiopia

Humbo is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Wolayita Zone located in the Great Rift Valley, Humbo is bordered on the southeast by Lake Abaya which separates it from the Oromia Region, on the south by the Gamo Gofa Zone, on the west by Offa, on the northwest by Sodo Zuria, on the northeast by Damot Weyde, and on the east by the Bilate River which separates it from the Sidama Zone. The administrative center of Humbo is Tebela.

Boreda Abaya was one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Semien Omo Zone, Boreda Abaya was bordered on the south by Arba Minch Zuria, on the southwest by Chencha, on the west by Kucha, on the north by Humbo, and on the east by Lake Abaya which separates it from the Oromia Region. Aruro Island, the largest island in Lake Abaya, was administratively part of this woreda. Towns in Boreda Abaya included Birbir and Zefene. Boreda Abaya was separated for Boreda and Mirab Abaya woredas.

Chencha is a woreda in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Zone, Chencha is bordered on the south by Arba Minch Zuria, on the west by Dita,&Gofa on the north by Kucha and Boreda, and on the east by Mirab Abaya. Towns in Chencha include Chencha, Dorze, Dokko and Ezo.

Zala Ubamale was one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Zala Ubamale was bordered on the south and west by the Debub Omo Zone, on the northwest by Gofa Zuria, on the northeast by Kucha, on the east by Dita Dermalo and on the southeast by Kemba. Towns in Zala Ubamale included Beto and Meleante. Zala Ubamale was divided for Uba Debretsehay and Zala woredas.

Bonke is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Bonke is bordered on the south by the Dirashe special woreda, on the west by the Weito River which separates it from Kemba, on the northwest by Deramalo, on the north by Dita, and on the east by Arba Minch Zuria. The major town in Bonke is Gerese.

Arba Minch Zuria is a woreda in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia. A part of the Gamo Gofa Zone located in the Great Rift Valley, Arba Minch Zuria is bordered on the south by the Dirashe special woreda, on the west by Bonke, on the north by Dita and Chencha, on the northeast by Mirab Abaya, on the east by the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by the Amaro special woreda. This woreda also includes portions of two lakes and their islands, Abaya and Chamo. Nechisar National Park is located between these lakes. City of Arba Minch is surrounded by Arba Minch Zuria.

Melokoza is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Melokoza is bordered on the south by Basketo special woreda, on the southwest by the Debub (South) Omo Zone, on the northwest by the Konta special woreda, on the north by the Dawro Zone, and on the east by Demba Gofa and Geze Gofa; the Omo River defines its northwestern boundary separating the woreda from Konta and the Dawro Zone. The major town in Melokoza is Leha.

Dawro Zone

Dawro is a zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR). It is located at about 500km southwest of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and 319 km of Hawassa, the capital of the SNNPR. Dawuro is bordered on the south by Gamo Gofa Zone, on the west by the Konta special woreda, on the north by the Gojeb River which defines its boundary with the Oromia Region,Jimma zone, on the northeast by Hadiya and Kembata Tembaro Zones, and on the east by Wolayita Zone; the Omo River defines its eastern and southern boundaries. The administrative center of Dawuro was Waka before it was transferred to Tarcha.

Wolayita Zone Zone in SNNPR, Ethiopia

Wolayita or Wolaita is an administrative zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. It is named for the Welayta people, whose homeland is in the zone. Wolayita is bordered on the south by Gamo Gofa, on the west by the Omo River which separates it from Dawro, on the northwest by Kembata Tembaro, on the north by Hadiya, on the northeast by the Oromia Region, on the east by the Bilate River which separates it from Sidama Region, and on the south east by the Lake Abaya which separates it from Oromia Region. The administrative centre of Wolayita is Sodo. Other major towns are Bedessa, Areka, Dimtu, Bele, Gununo, Tebela, Gesuba and Boditi.

Mirab Abaya is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Mirab Abaya is bordered on the east and south by Lake Abaya which separates it from the Oromia Region on the east and Arba Minch Zuria on the south, on the west by Chencha, on the northwest by Borena, and on the north by the Wolayita Zone. Towns in Mirab Abaya include Birbir. Mirab Abaya was part of former Boreda Abaya woreda.

Dita is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Dita is bordered on the south by Arba Minch Zuria and Bonke, on the west by Deramalo, on the north by Kucha, and on the east by Chencha. Towns in Dita include Zeda. Dita was part of former Dita Dermalo woreda.

Oyda is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. It is named after Oyda people living in this woreda. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Oyda is bordered on the south by Uba Debretsehay, on the west by the Debub Omo Zone, on the north by Geze Gofa, and on the northeast by Demba Gofa. Oyda was part of former Gofa Zuria woreda.

References

  1. "Detailed statistics on roads" Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , SNNPR Bureau of Finance and Economic Development website (accessed 3 September 2009)
  2. Sarah Vaughan, "Ethnicity and Power in Ethiopia" Archived August 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (University of Edinburgh: Ph.D. Thesis, 2003), pp. 251 - 260
  3. Census 2007 Tables: Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region Archived November 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , Tables 2.1, 2.4, 2.5, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4.
  4. Schröder, Günter (2017). Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Administrative Divisions: Regions (kilil), Zones, Districts (wereda) (Report). Frankfurt.

Coordinates: 6°15′N37°0′E / 6.250°N 37.000°E / 6.250; 37.000