 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(April 2021) |
Keffa or Kaffa, is a zone in the South West Region of Ethiopia. The administrative center is Bonga. [1]
| | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(April 2021) |
Keffa or Kaffa, is a zone in the South West Region of Ethiopia. The administrative center is Bonga. [1]
The Zone is named after the Kingdom of Kaffa. Kaffa was part of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) until 2021 when a referendum was held. The result was to create a new region called the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region and comprised the Kaffa Zone and five other nearby administrative areas of the SNNPR. [2]
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the CSA, this Zone has a total population of 2151,716, of whom 1411,778 are men and 739,938 women; 152,036 or 7.44% are urban inhabitants. The four largest ethnic groups reported in this Zone were the Kafficho (82.72%), the Bench (5.05%), the Amhara (3.67%), and the Oromo (3.5%); all other ethnic groups made up 5.09% of the population. Kafa is spoken as a first language by 82.49%, 4.18% speak Amharic, 5.13% Bench, and 3.43% speak Oromiffa; the remaining 4.77% spoke all other primary languages reported. 61.42% of the population said they practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 24.84% were Protestants, 6.2% were Muslim, 5.37% practiced traditional beliefs, and 1.73% embraced Catholicism. [3]
Southern Ethiopia, including Sidamo, Kaffa, Arsi and Harar is the original home of coffee which grows wild here in the mountain rain forests in countless varieties. All plants of the species Coffea arabica around the world are descendants of plants from southern Ethiopia. [4] [1]
Coffee has long been the main source of income, but due to the sharply declining world prices for coffee, the residents increasingly have to grow other crops. By turning rain forests into new agricultural land, the structure of the region is heavily damaged.
The rain forests that dominated the region of Kaffa earlier are reduced to only 3% of their original size, in the last 30 years 60% of the trees were lost.
For some years there is a large rain forest conservation project, which relies on the use of the last wild stocks of coffee growing in the rain forest. Currently, some 30 cooperatives are harvesting and marketing this specialty coffee and have helped over 40,000 people to get income.
In 2010, an area within the Kaffa province was recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve as part of the Man and the Biosphere Programme. Officially named the "Kafa Biosphere Reserve" it is one of the first two biosphere reserves in Ethiopia and aims to protect the natural environment and foster sustainable development in the region. [5] Lions were photographed in the reserve in 2012, the first documenting of that species in montane rainforest. [6]
Woredas of Keffa Zone include:
§ in 2011e.c added,
| Bench Sheko Zone | |
|---|---|
| Dawro Zone | |
| Keffa Zone | |
| Sheka Zone | |
| West Omo Zone | |
| Special woredas | |
The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (often abbreviated as SNNPR; is a regional state in southwestern Ethiopia. It was formed from the merger of five kililoch, called Regions 7 to 11, following the regional council elections on 21 June 1992. Its government is based in Hawassa.
Bonga is a town, woreda and capital of the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region in Ethiopia. Located in the Keffa Zone upon a hill in the upper Barta valley, it has a latitude and longitude of 7°16′N36°14′E with an elevation of 1,714 meters above sea level. Not confused with another town named "Bonga", near Gambela Region.
The Kingdom of Kaffa was a kingdom located in what is now Ethiopia from 1390 to 1897, with its first capital at Bonga. The Gojeb River formed its northern border, beyond which lay the Gibe kingdoms; to the east the territory of the Konta and Kullo peoples lay between Kaffa and the Omo River; to the south numerous subgroups of the Gimira people, and to the west lay the Majangir people. The native language, also known as Kaffa, is one of the Omotic group of languages.
Bench Sheko is a zone in the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Bench Sheko is bordered on the south and southeast by West Omo, on the west by the Gambela Region on the north by Sheka, and on the east by Keffa. The administrative center of Bench Sheko is Mizan Teferi.
Gurageland is a enclave region in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. The region is home for the Gurage people. Gurage is bordered on the southeast by Hadiya and Yem special woreda, on the west, north and east by the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by Silt'e. Its highest point is Mount Gurage. Welkite is the administrative centre of the Region; Butajira is the largest city in this zone and the former administrative centre. Other towns in Gurage include Endibir and Enseno.
Keficho Shekicho was a zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. A 1997 Situation Report by the United Nations Development Programme/Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia states that originally Kaffa and Sheka were separate zones, but were combined in early 1996. Keficho Shekicho was later separated for Keffa and Sheka Zones.
Chena is a district in the South West Region of Ethiopia. The name Chena comes from one of the provinces in the former Kingdom of Kaffa, whose administrative center had been at Wacha. Part of the Keffa Zone, Chena is bordered on the south by the Bench Maji Zone, on the west by Bita, on the north by Gewata, on the northeast by Ginbo, and on the east by Decha. Towns in Chena include Shishinda. Western kebeles of Chena were used to form Bita district.
Ginbo is a district in the South West Region of Ethiopia. The name Ginbo comes from one of the provinces in the former Kingdom of Kaffa. That province, as well as the Kafficho provinces Bonga and Manjo, became districts with the Ethiopian conquest in 1896, and these districts were later merged to form the modern district.
Menjiwo is a district in the South West Region of Ethiopia. The name Menjiwo is derived from the province Manjo of the Kingdom of Kaffa; however, the province of Manjo lay within the boundaries of neighboring Ginbo, while Menjiwo occupies the lands of the Gallo province of the former kingdom. Part of the Keffa Zone, Menjiwo is bordered on the south by Telo, on the southwest by Decha, on the west by Ginbo, on the north by the Gojeb River which separates it from the Oromia Region, and on the east by the Konta special district. The major town in Menjiwo is Adiya Kaka.
Yeki is a woreda in South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Sheka Zone, Yeki is bordered on the south by the Bench Maji Zone, on the west by the Gambela Region, on the north by Amderacha, and on the east by the Keffa Zone.The name 'Yeki' is named after the name of Sheko chief. The major town in Yeki is Tepi. Tepi is also named after the name of Majang man who live in the center of the current Tepi town.
Konta, previously called Ela, is a special woreda in the South West Region of Ethiopia. It is named after Konta people who speak the dialects called Kontatsuwa, Omotic languages. Because Konta is not part of any zone in the South West Region, it is considered a special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. This special woreda is bordered on the south by the Omo River which separates it from the Gamo Gofa Zone and Selamgto woreda, Debub Omo Zone, on the west by the Keffa Zone, on the north by the Gojeb River which separates it from the Oromia Region, and on the east by the Dawro Zone; the Denchya River defines the southern part of the boundary with the Keficho Shekicho Zone. The administrative center is Ameya; other towns include Chida.
Isara Tocha was one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Dawro Zone, Isara Tocha was bordered on the south by the Omo River which separates this woreda from the Gamo Gofa Zone, on the west by the Konta special woreda, on the north by the Gojeb River which separates it from the Oromia Region, on the east by Mareka Gena, and on the southeast by Loma Bosa. Towns in Isara Tocha included Bale and Tocha. Isara Tocha was separated to Isara and Tocha woredas.
Sheko is a woreda in South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region, Ethiopia. It is named for the Sheko people, whose homeland lies in this woreda. Part of the Bench Maji Zone, Sheko is bordered on the south by Debub Bench, on the west by Guraferda, on the northwest by the Gambela Region, on the north by the Sheka Zone, and on the east by Semien Bench. Towns in Sheko include Sheko. The western part of this woreda was added to Dimma woreda and central part of it was used to create Guraferda woreda.
Yayu is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Illubabor Zone, Yayu is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the west by Metu, on the north by Supena Sodo, on the east by Chora, and on the southeast by the Jimma Zone. Towns in Yayu include Elemo and Yayu. Doreni and Hurumu woredas were part of Yayu woreda.
Abaya is a woreda in the Oromia Region, Ethiopia. It is part of former Gelana Abaya woreda what was divided for Abaya and Gelana woredas. Part of the Borena Zone, Gelana Abaya was bordered on the south by Hagere Mariam, and on the west, north and east by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). Lake Abaya, on the western border, is divided between this woreda and the SNNPR. However, the Guji Oromo who live in Nechisar National Park are claimed to be administratively part of this woreda, in a kebele called "Irgansaa".
COCE is the name of a research project and stands for "Conservation and Use of Wild Populations of Coffea arabica in the Montane Rainforests of Ethiopia".
Anderaccha is a town in southwestern Ethiopia. Located in the Keffa Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, at the confluence of the Guma River with the Gichey, it is 1,629 meters (5,344 ft) above sea level. The Central Statistical Agency has not published an estimate for its 2005 population.
The Kafficho people are an ethnic group hailing from Ethiopia. As of 2007, they accounted for only 1.2% of Ethiopia's population. Most of the Kafficho live in Ethiopia's Kafa Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Regional States region. Their traditional language, Kafa or Kaffinono, is still spoken among much of the population. Coffee may derive its name from the Kafa zone, where it was first cultivated, though this is considered unlikely.
The Kafa Biosphere Reserve is located in the Kafa Zone of Ethiopia approximately 460 km southwest of Addis Ababa. The Bonga National Forest Priority Area partly forms the southern boundary of the Biosphere Reserve, whilst the eastern boundary follows the Adiyo Woreda with the Gojeb River and Gewata-Yeba (Boginda) National Forest Priority Area forming the northern boundary.
The South West Region, officially the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region is a regional state in southwestern Ethiopia. It was split off from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) on 23 November 2021 after a successful referendum.
