Arsi (Oromo:Godina Arsii) is azone inOromia Region ofEthiopia, named after a clan of theOromo, who inhabit in the area.
Arsi is bordered on the south byBale Zone, on the southwest by theWest Arsi Zone, on the northwest byEast Shewa Zone, on the north by theAfar Region and on the east byWest Hararghe Zone. It covers an area of 19,825.22 km2, divided into 25districts (weredas). The population was officially estimated at 3,894,248 in mid 2022.[1] The highest point in Arsi Zone isMount Chilalo; other notable mountains in this zone includeMount Kaka andMount Gugu.Arsi Mountains National Park was created in 2011 to protect a section of the mountains. The administrative centre of this zone is inAsela, with an estimated 139,537 inhabitants in mid 2022;[2] other towns in this zone (with estimated populations in mid 2022) include Bokoji (36,805) inLimuna Bilbilo District, Robe (31,445) inRobe District, Etaya (31,094) inHitosa District, Dera (30,676) inDodota District, Abomsa (30,377) inMerti District, Hurta (27,523) inLude Hitosa District, Sagure (24,932) inDigeluna Tijo District, and Kersa (23,313) inMunesa District.[2] Some districts in the southwestern part of this zone were separated from Arsi Zone to create a newWest Arsi Zone.
In 2014, a monument has been erected to remember the victims.[3][4]
Coffee has been a major cash crop in Arsi as early as 1912, when twoBelgian companies were granted concessions of 1,464 hectares of land for cultivating coffee in the area of the current Zone. AfterWorld War I, these companies encountered financial difficulties and merged, and harvested as much as 613 tons of coffee at their peak (1931-21).[5] TheCentral Statistical Agency (CSA), reported that 2198 tons of coffee were produced in this zone in the year ending in 2005, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority. This represents 1.9% of the Region's output and 0.97% of Ethiopia's total output. Arsi University was established in 2014 atAsella.[6]
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the CSA, this Zone has a total population of 2,637,657, of whom 1,323,424 are men and 1,314,233 women; with an area of 19,825.22 square kilometres, Arsi has a population density of 133.05. While 305,701 or 11.59% are urban inhabitants, a further 7,098 or 0.27% are pastoralists. A total of 541,959 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.87 persons to a household, and 523,342 housing units. The two largest ethnic groups reported were theOromo (84.15%) and theAmhara (14.3%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.55% of the population.Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 81.38% andAmharic was spoken by 17.76%; the remaining 0.86% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants wereMuslim, with 58.1% of the population having reported they practised that belief, while 40.01% of the population professedEthiopian Orthodox Christianity and 1.43% of the population professedProtestantism.[7] The official estimate of population for this zone was 3,894,248 as at mid 2022, of which 1,944,164 were male and 1,950,084 were female; the population density was 196.4 per km2.[1]
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this Zone of 2,217,245 in 438,561 households, of whom 1,105,439 were men and 1,111,806 women; 216,413 or 9.76% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Arsi were theOromo (82.93%), and theAmhara (15.38%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.69% of the population.Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 80.01%, and 19.19% spokeAmharic; the remaining 0.8% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants wereMuslim, with 59.33% of the population having reported they practised that belief, while 39.95% of the population said they professedEthiopian Orthodox Christianity.[8]
According to a May 24, 2004World Bank memorandum, 4% of the inhabitants of Arsi have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 45.0 kilometres per 1000 square kilometres (compared to the national average of 30 kilometres),[9] 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 1.14 for the Oromia Region)[10] and the equivalent of 1.1 heads of livestock. 16.5% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 24%. Concerningeducation, 84% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 22% in secondary schools. 17% of the zone is exposed tomalaria, and none toTsetse fly. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 364.[11]
