Somali

Somali is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of that same name. Formerly known as Region 5, the capital of Somali is Jijiga. Other major towns and cities include Bircot, Denan, Erer Gota, Geladi, K'ebri Dehar, K'elafo and Werder. The region borders Kenya to the south-west, the Ethopian regions of Oromia, Afar and Dire Dawa to the west, Djibouti to the north and Somalia/Somaliland to the north, east and south.

The region has a very high Somali population, and in the past has been claimed by Somalia as part of a Greater Somalia. In the 1970s, Somalia invaded Ethiopia in support of local Somali rebels, particularly during the Ogaden War, but was defeated.

In late April 2005, heavy rains generated widespread flooding throughout Somali Region as well as Somalia, and caused the Shabele River to burst its banks. As of May 2005, the flooding in Somali Region alone has caused over 100 confirmed deaths and widespread property damage affecting over 100,000 persons. The floods have also destroyed shelters housing 25,000 Somali refugees in Kenya.

Demographics

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA) published in 2005, the Somali Region has an estimated total population of 4,329,001, consisting of 2,325,001 men and 2,004,000 women. With an estimated area of 279,252 square kilometers, this region has an estimated density of 15.5 people per square kilometer.

According to an Ethiopian census conducted at the beginning of September 1997, the population of the state was 3,439,860, of which 1,875,996 were males and 1,563,864 were females. The urban residents of the State of Somalia number 492,710 households in the region, with an average of 6.6 persons per household; it has a high sex ratio of 120 males to 100 females.

The ethnic groups include Somalis (95.6%), Oromo (2.25%), Amhara (0.69%), Somalians (0.63%), and Gurages (0.14%). Somali is the working language and is predominantly spoken within the State, constituting 95.9% of languages spoken the State. Other major languages include Oromifa (2.24%), Amharic (0.92%), and Gurage (0.033%). 98.7% of the population is Muslim, 0.9% Orthodox Christian, and 0.3% are followers of other religions.

Agriculture

The CSA of Ethiopia estimated in 2005 that farmers in Somalia had a total of 459,720 cattle, 463,000 sheep, 650,970 goats, 91,550 asses, 165,260 camels, 154,670 poultry of all species, and 5,330 beehives. For nomadic inhabitants, the CSA provded two sets of estimates, one based on aerial surveys and the other on more conventional methodology:

Zones :Shinile Zone ;Jigjiga Zone ; Fiq Zone ;Degehabur Zone ;Werder Zone ;Korahe Zone ;

Gode Zone ;Afder Zone ;Liben Zone.

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