Isara Tocha

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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.

Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region Regional State in Ethiopia

Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region is one of the nine ethnically based regional states (kililoch) of 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 capital is Awasa.

Ethiopia country in East Africa

Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country in the northeastern part of Africa, popularly known as the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, and Somalia to the east, Sudan to the northwest, South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south. With over 102 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent that covers a total area of 1,100,000 square kilometres (420,000 sq mi). Its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa, which lies a few miles west of the East African Rift that splits the country into the Nubian Plate and the Somali Plate.

Dawro Zone

Dawuro 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 275 km of Hawassa, the capital of the SNNPR. Dawruo 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, 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.

Contents

Overview

Isara Tocha is part of a region characterized by hills, and is not suitable for grazing or cultivation, but farmers cultivate the sloping land, leading to erosion and reduced soil fertility. [1] Important food crops in this woreda include enset, sweet potatoes, taro and beans, while important cash crops are maize, teff and pulses. [2]

Maize Cereal grain

Maize, also known as corn, is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The leafy stalk of the plant produces pollen inflorescences and separate ovuliferous inflorescences called ears that yield kernels or seeds, which are fruits.

Isara Tocha was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2004 as one of several woredas for voluntary resettlement for farmers from overpopulated areas, becoming the new home for a total of 6800 heads of households and 26,640 total family members. [3]

Demographics

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 131,553, of whom 67,555 were men and 63,998 were women; 4,556 or 3.46% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 1,838.60 square kilometers, Isara Tocha has an estimated population density of 71.6 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 156.5. [4]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 92,667 of whom 45,109 were males and 47,558 were females; 2,514 or 2.71% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Isara Tocha were the Kullo (93.36%), the Konta (3.33%), the Kaffa (1.53%), and the Amhara (1.19%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.59% of the population. Kullo is spoken as a first language by 94.38%, 3.15% Konta, and 1.82% speak Kafa; the remaining 0.65% spoke all other primary languages reported. [5]

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.

Kafa or Kefa is a North Omotic Language language spoken in Ethiopia at the Keffa Zone. It is part of the Ethiopian Language Area, with SOV word order, ejective consonants, etc.

Concerning religious beliefs, the 1994 census reported that 60.68% of the population said they observed traditional religions, 34.33% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 4.55% were Protestants. [5]

P'ent'ay is an Amharic and Tigrinya language term for a Christian of a Protestant denomination, widely used in Ethiopia and among Ethiopians and Eritreans living abroad. The term was coined in the late 1960s and was used as a pejorative for churches that believed in the Pentecostal experience. Today, it is used to describe local Protestant Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo and Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo churches. The term P'ent'ay is a shortening of the word "Pentecostal"; however, it is widely used when referring to all Protestant Christians whether they are actual Pentecostals or not. Some Orthodox will also apply the term to the small Catholic population of Ethiopia. The equivalent rendition in many other languages is Evangelicals. The four major Evangelical denominations in Ethiopia are: the Kale Heywet ; Mekane Yesus, Lutheran; Mulu Wongel and Meserete Kristos or Mennonite. Some P'ent'ay communities - especially Mekane Yesus - have been influenced by the Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which represents mainstream, traditional Ethiopian Christianity. But for the most part they are very Pentecostal in their worship and theology.

Notes

  1. "SNNPR Livelihood Profile: Dawro-Konta Maize and Root Crop Zone: June 2005" Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine ., USAID/FEWSNET, p. 1 (accessed 11 January 2011)
  2. "Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia Livelihood Profiles: January 2006" Archived 2011-07-23 at the Wayback Machine ., USAID/FEWSNET, p. 25 (accessed 11 January 2011)
  3. "Resettlement 2004" Archived 2008-02-27 at the Wayback Machine ., Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) (accessed 26 November 2006)
  4. CSA 2005 National Statistics Archived 2006-11-23 at the Wayback Machine ., Tables B.3 and B.4
  5. 1 2 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Vol. 1, part 1 Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine ., Tables 2.1, 2.12, 2.15, 2.19 (accessed 30 December 2008)

Coordinates: 7°00′N36°55′E / 7.000°N 36.917°E / 7.000; 36.917

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