Werder Zone

Werder Zone
Gobolka Wardheer
Map of Werder Zone
Werder Zone
Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates:
Country Ethiopia
Region Somali
Zone Werder
Time zone EAT (UTC+3)

Werder (Somali: Wardheer) is one of nine Zones of the Somali Region in Ethiopia. This zone is named after its largest city, Werder. Werder is bordered on the south by Gode, on the west by Korahe, on the northwest by Degehabur, and on the northeast and southeast by Somalia. The Provisional Administrative Line defines the southeast border with Somalia, while on the northeast is the unrecognized state of Somaliland.

Demographics

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) in 2005, Werder has an estimated total population of 401,993, of whom 221,191 were males and 180,802 were females; 36,824 or 9.2% of its population are urban dwellers. Density figures for this zone are not available.[1]

The 1997 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 324,308 in 42,564 households, of whom 181,566 were males and 142,742 were females; 24,681 or 7.61% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in the Werder Zone was the Somali 323,928 (99.9%), and Somali was spoken by 323,881 (99.9%). The literacy rate in this Zone is 4.2%. The CSA categorized 160,057 (49.3%) of the people in the Zone as being part of the labor pool of whom 10,722 (6.7%) were unemployed).[2]

According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank memorandum, 1% of the inhabitants of Werder have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 0.0 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. 28.2% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and an average of 28% for pastoral Regions.[3] 13% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 1% in secondary schools. 100% of the zone is exposed to malaria, and none to Tsetse fly. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 788.[4]

Agriculture

On 5-23 November 2003, the CSA conducted the first ever national agricultural census, of which the livestock census was an important component.[5] 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 Werder Zone, their results included:

Animal Estimated total number per sqk.
cattle 36,146 0.7
sheep 2,253,550 69.9 (including goats)
goats 1,413,143 69.9 (including sheep)
camels 376,183 7.2
asses 460 0.01 (all equids)
mules 7 0.01 (all equids)
horses 1 0.01 (all equids)

Notes

  1. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.3. Rural population numbers are believed to be underreported in this Region.
  2. ^ 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Somali Region, Vol. 1 Tables 2.1, 2.7, 2.12, 2.15 (accessed 10 January 2009). The results of the 1994 census in the Somali Region were not satisfactory, so the census was repeated in 1997.
  3. ^ Comparative national and regional figures comes from the World Bank publication, Klaus Deininger et al. "Tenure Security and Land Related Investment", WP-2991 (accessed 23 March 2006). This publication defines Benishangul-Gumaz, Afar and Somali as "pastoral Regions".
  4. ^ World Bank, Four Ethiopias: A Regional Characterization (accessed 23 March 2006)
  5. ^ "Livestock aerial survey in the Somali Region", CSA (November 2003), Tables 4, 6 (accessed 17 May 2009)
Zones of the Somali Region
Afder Zone ·  Degehabur Zone ·  Fiq Zone ·  Gode Zone ·  Jijiga Zone ·  Korahe Zone ·  Liben Zone ·  Shinile Zone ·  Werder Zone
Woredas of the Werder Zone
Boh · Danot · Geladin · Werder