Gofa Zuria

Gofa Zuria (Amharic "Greater Gofa Area") was one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Gofa Zuria was bordered on the south by Zala and Uba Debretsehay woredas, on the southwest by the Debub (South) Omo Zone, on the west by the Basketo special woreda, on the northwest by Melokoza Woreda, on the north by the Dawro Zone, and on the east by Kucha. The administrative center of Gofa Zuria was Sawla; other towns included Bulki. Gofa Zuria was separated for Demba Gofa, Geze Gofa and Oyda woredas and Sawla town.

Gofa Zuria is part of a region known for hilly and undulating midland and upper lowland terrain; due to terrain and weather patterns, less than one in five households is food secure. Food crops include maize, enset, sweet potatoes, taro, teff, and yams; income sources include butter and selling firewood.[1] According to a 2004 report, Gofa Zuria had 75 kilometers of all-weather roads for an average road density of 44 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.[2]

Demographics

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 241,514, of whom 121,268 were men and 120,246 were women; 34,171 or 14.15% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 1,720.63 square kilometers, Gofa Zuria has an estimated population density of 140.4 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 156.5.[3]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 166,050 of whom 82,744 were men and 83,306 were women; 18,860 or 11.36% of its population were urban dwellers. The five largest ethnic groups reported in Gofa Zuria were the namesake Goffa people (80.26%), the Oyda (7.88%), the Amhara (5.11%), the Aari (2.24%), and the Basketo (0.87%); all other ethnic groups made up 3.64% of the population. Gofa is spoken as a first language by 93.2%, 2.46% Oyda, 2.94% Amharic, 2.46% Ari, and 2.46% speak Basketo; the remaining 1.4% spoke all other primary languages reported.[4]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia Livelihood Profiles: January 2006", USAID/FEWSNET, p. 27 (accessed 11 January 2011)
  2. ↑ "Detailed statistics on roads", SNNPR Bureau of Finance and Economic Development website (accessed 15 September 2009)
  3. ↑ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables B.3 and B.4
  4. ↑ 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Vol. 1, part 1, Tables 2.1, 2.12, 2.15 (accessed 30 December 2008)

Coordinates: 6°25′N 36°55′E / 6.417°N 36.917°E