Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Somali region.

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, Kabri Dar, 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 to the north, east and south. Image File history File links Ethiopia-Somali. ... Ethiopia is divided into 9 ethnically-based administrative regions (kililoch; singular - kilil): Afar Amhara Benishangul-Gumaz Gambela Hariai Oromia Somali Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region Tigray Additionally, there are two chartered cities (astedader akababiwach, singular - astedader akabibi): Addis Ababa Dire Dawa These administrative regions replaced the older system of... Jijiga is a city in Ethiopia, located approximately 80 km east of Harar and 60 km west of the border with Somaliland. ... Oromo flag The land of the Oromo Nation is known as Oromia (sometimes spelled Oromiya). ... Afar may refer to: Look up afar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Map of Ethiopia showing Dire Dawa (in red). ...

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. Greater Somalia is an ideology that seeks to create a unified Somali state in the Horn of Africa. ... The Ogaden War was a conventional conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. ...

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. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Shabele River (with numerous spelling variations, including Shabelle and Shabell, sometimes with Wabe or Webi prepended, Shabeelle in Somalia) begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. ... The bed of this stream is made up of rocks, some very rounded (having had a longer life in the stream) and some not. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Look up Flood in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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.¹ The Central Statistical Agency (CSA) is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. ...

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.² The Oromo, sometimes called Galla (this usage has now become pejorative, but was widely used into the 20th century) are an African ethnic group found in Ethiopia and to a lesser extent Kenya. ... Amhara (አማራ) is an ethnicity of people in the central highlands of Ethiopia, numbering about 19 million, making up around 26% of the countrys population (estimates differ). ... Motto: None Anthem: Somalian National Anthem Capital Mogadishu Largest city Mogadishu Official language(s) Somali, Italian Government President Prime Minister Transitional Government Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Ali Mohammed Ghedi Independence  - Date From United Kingdom, Italy July 1, 1960 Area  - Total    - Water (%)   637,657 km² (41st) 246,201 sq mi  1. ... The Gurage are an ethnic group in Ethiopia. ... The Oromo language, also known as Afaan Oromo or Oromifaa, is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic sub-phylum. ... Amharic (አማርኛ) is a Semitic language spoken in Northern Central Ethiopia, where it is the official language. ... Gurage is an ethnic group in Ethiopia. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... This Ethiopian icon shows St. ...

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:³

Presidents of the Executive Committee

• Abdulahi Muhammed Sa'adi (January 1993 - November 1993)
• Hassan Jire Kalinle (1993 - April 1994)
• Ugaz Abdulrahman Abdukenu (April 1994 - 1995?)
• Id Tahir Farah (1995 - October 1997)
• Mohammed Ma'alin Ali (ONLF) (October 1997 - October 2000)
• Abdul Reshid Dulane (SPDP) (October 2000 - 2003)
• Abdul Jibril (acting) (SPDP) (2003 - October 2005)
• Abdulahi Hassan Mohammed (SPDP) (October 2005 - present)

(This list is based on information from Worldstatesman.org.) The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) is a separatist rebel group fighting to make the region of Ogaden in eastern Ethiopia an independent state. ... The Somali Peoples Democratic Party is a political party in Ethiopia. ...

Zones

• Shinile Zone
• Jijiga Zone
• Fiq Zone
• Degehabur Zone
• Werder Zone
• Korahe Zone
• Gode Zone
• Afder Zone
• Liben Zone

Notes

1. CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.3.
2. The 1994 national census was delayed in the Somali Region until 1997. FDRE States: Basic Information - Somalia, Population (accessed 12 March 2006)
3. CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables D.3 - D.5 and D.7.

External links

• Map of Somali Region at UN-OCHA (PDF file)
• "Ethiopia: Rains pound Somali region as death toll rises" - UN IRIN
• "Floods plague Horn of Africa, wash away refugee shelters" - UN News

Subdivisions of Ethiopia
Regions
Afar | Amhara | Benishangul-Gumaz | Gambela | Harari | Oromia | Somali | Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region | Tigray
Chartered cities
Addis Ababa | Dire Dawa
Provinces prior to 1995
Arsi | Bale | Gamu-Gofa | Gojjam | Begemder | Hararghe | Illubabor | Kaffa | Shoa | Sidamo | Tigray | Welega | Wollo