Shinile Zone

Shinile (Somali: Shiniile) is one of nine Zones of the Ethiopian Somali Region. Shinile is named for its largest town, Shinile.

Located at the northwestern point of the Somali Region, and stretching across the savanna north of the Amhar mountains, Shinile is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by the Afar Region, on the north by Djibouti, and on the east by Jijiga. Part of the northwestern corner is occupied by the Yangudi Rassa National Park, which is a notable local landmark.

Demographics

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) in 2005, Shinile has an estimated total population of 452,112, of whom 237,067 are men and 215,045 are women; 79,574 or 17.6% of its population are urban dwellers. Information is not available on the area of Shinile, so its population density can not be calculated.^[1] Its inhabitants are predominantly the Issa, Gadabuursi and Gurgura subgroups of the Somali Dir.^[2]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 358,703 in 54,617 households, of whom 191,094 were men and 167,609 were women; 53,374 or 14.88% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Shinile was the Somali (95%); a similar share spoke Somali (95%). Only 12,085 or 3.4% were literate.^[3]

According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank memorandum, none of the inhabitants of Shinile have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 17.3 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers, the average rural household has 1.2 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 2.25 for pastoral Regions)^[4] and the equivalent of 1.4 heads of livestock. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 387.^[5]

Agriculture

On 5-23 November 2003, the CSA conducted the first ever national agricultural census, of which the livestock census was an important component.^[6] For the Somali Region, the CSA generated estimated figures for the livestock population (cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and equids) and their distribution by commissioning an aerial survey. For the Shinile Zone, their results included:

Notes