Gambela Peoples' Region ጋምቤላ ሕዝቦች ክልል | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
 Map ofEthiopia showing Gambela Region | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Capital | Gambela |
| Government | |
| • Chief Administrator | Alemithu Omod 15 August 2024 – present (Prosperity Party) |
| Area | |
• Total | 29,782.82 km2 (11,499.21 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 9th |
| [1] | |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 525,000[2] |
| • Rank | 10th |
| ISO 3166 code | ET-GA |
| HDI (2019) | 0.566[3] medium ·4th of 11 |
TheGambela Region, also spelledGambella, and officially theGambela Peoples' Region (Amharic:ጋምቤላ ሕዝቦች ክልል), is aregional state in westernEthiopia. Previously known asRegion 12, its capital and largest city isGambela. It is bordered by theOromia Region to the east, theSouth West Ethiopia Region to the south, and the country ofSouth Sudan to the west.
Gambela is situated between theBaro andAkobo Rivers, with its western part including the Openo River. It covers an area of approximately 29,783 square kilometers with a population of 525,000 inhabitants, making it one of Ethiopia's smallest regions and one of its least populous. Gambela is home to a diverse population which includes theAnuak,Nuer, and other indigenous groups collectively referred to as the Majang Komo and Opo.
This region served as slave-hunting grounds by ChristianAbyssinians for centuries, and theNilosaharan-speaking inhabitants were pejoratively calledShanqella (Šanqəlla, also Shanqila, Shankella) by the highland Ethiopians.[4]
The Gambella region has been a strategic point in the relations between Ethiopia and the Sudan since the end of the 19th century when the border between Ethiopia and the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was drawn in 1902, the present day Gambella region was confirmed as an Ethiopian territory.[5]
Lij Tewodros, a son ofLij Iyasu, surfaced in the Gambela area in May 1941 proclaiming himself Emperor. His insurrection was put down byBelgian Congo troops before they left the area in February 1942.[5]
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by theCentral Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the Gambela region has total population of 307,096, consisting of 159,787 men and 147,309 women; urban inhabitants number 77,925 or 25.37% of the population. With an estimated area of 29,782.82 square kilometers, this region has an estimated density of 10 people per square kilometer. For the entire region, 66,467 households were counted, which results in an average for the region of 4.6 persons to household, with urbanhouseholds having on average 3.8 and rural households 4.9 people. VariousNilotic ethnic minority groups mainly inhabit the Gambela region:Anuak (Anywaa),Nuer,Majang and others.[6][7]
In 1994, the national census reported the region's population to be 181,862 in 35,940 households, of whom 92,902 were men and 88,960 women; 27,424 or 15.08% were urban inhabitants. (This total also includes an estimate for all 19 kebeles of one woreda and six kebeles in two other woredas, which were not counted; these areas were estimated to have 19,465 inhabitants, of whom 9,203 were men and 10,262 women.) The six largest ethnic groups of the region were Anuak (Anywaa), Nuer,Amhara,Oromo, Majang,Komo and other ethnic groups. Languages spoken areAnuak,Nuer,Amharic,Afaan Oromo,Majang; the remaining spoke all other primary languages reported.[8] The projected population for 2017 was 435,999.[2]
Values for reported common indicators of thestandard of living for Nuer as of 2005[update] include the following: 44% of the inhabitants fall into the lowest wealth quintile; adult literacy for men is 57.5% and for women 22.8%; and the regionalinfant mortality rate is 92 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, which is greater than the nationwide average of 77; at least half of these deaths occurred in the infants’ first month of life.[9]
90% of the region's population are Protestants, 5%Orthodox, 3%Muslim, 1% practicetraditional religions, and 1% areCatholic.[11]
There are a number ofrefugee camps located in Gambela region housing around 268,000 refugees fromSouth Sudan in August 2016:[12]
| Nguenyyie | Pinyudo | Pinyudo | Tierkidi | AKula | Jawi | Leitchuor | Okugo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 numbers | – | ~62,800 | – | ~54,750 | ~49,410 | ~42,570 | ~4,480 | – |
| 2018 numbers | ~83,660 | ~66,400 | ~17,300 | ~71,100 | ~53,340 | ~60,060 | – | ~13,630 |
From August 2016 to August 2018, the numbers increased from 268,000 to 402,000 refugees, almost equaling the native population of Gambela Region.[13]
The CSA reported that for 2004-2005 3,734 tons ofcoffee were produced in Gambela, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority. This represents 1.64% of the total production in Ethiopia. The CSA could not provide livestock estimates for Gambela.[14] In a 26 May 2000 report, theFAO observed that at the timetrypanosomiasis was a major problem in cattle for this region.[15] There had been an epidemic of this disease in the area during 1970.[16]
Gambela is believed to have major oil resources. In June 2003, the Ethiopian government signed an agreement withPetronas ofMalaysia for the joint exploration and development of oil resources in Gambella region. Petronas then awarded a contract forseismic data acquisition to China'sZhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau (ZPEB) in October of that year.[17]
The Water and Mines Resources Development Bureau of Gambela announced January 2007 that it was initiating a program that would drill 13 new manually operated wells, 54 new deep water wells, and develop four springs. This would provide access todrinking water for 26,000 inhabitants, increasing coverage for the state to 42 percent from the existing 27 percent, at a cost of 6 millionBirr.[18] Construction of an asphalt road 102 kilometers in length and connecting Gambela City withJikawo by way ofItang was begun in 2008 with a budget over 446 million Birr.[19]
As of 2015,Indian investors have acquired 6,000 square km of land in the Gambela region, following other investors, for agricultural land from the central government. This has led to conflict with regional government officials and local communities. Not all the land is actually being farmed, as per the agreement, and there are accusations of investors illegally clearing trees in theGambella National Park in a blog.[20]
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
While Gambela is subdivided into administrative zones andworedas as other regions in Ethiopia are, this region has seen the most changes in these subdivisions of any region, to the point they can confuse anyone tracing their development. Originally, Gambela was subdivided into four administrative zones without proper names (1,2,3 and4) and one specialworeda (Godere special woreda). By 2001, when the CSA released itsSample Agricultural Enumeration, these four zones had been combined into two, and Godere had been merged into the second administrative zone.
By the 2007 census, Gambela had been redivided into three zones (named for the three largest ethnic groups), and the area aroundItang town had been made a special woreda; borders of existing woredas were moved around to create several new ones within the zones. These zones are:
The Anywaa Zone is by far the largest of the zones of Gambela region and also includes the capital,Gambela. The terrain is mostly flat at elevations between 400 – 550 meters above sea level but with the eastern fringes of Anywaa Zone and in particular the easternmost zone, Majang, being partly in the highlands and rising to an elevation of ~2000 meters near the eastern border.
There are 12 towns in the Gambela Region.
| Town | Population 2007[7] | Zone/Special Woreda |
|---|---|---|
| Abobo | 4,090 | Agnewak |
| Abol | 1,096 | Agnewak |
| Dima | 2,103 | Agnewak |
| Etang | 5,958 | Etang |
| Gambela | 39,022 | Agnewak |
| Kowerneng | 6,549 | Nuwer |
| Metar | 2,851 | Nuwer |
| Meti | 7,140 | Mejenger |
| Nginngang | 2,261 | Nuwer |
| Pigniwedo | 5,617 | Agnewak |
| Shintawa | 633 | Agnewak |
| Tergol | 605 | Nuwer |
Governor and chairman of the ruling party in Gambela region 1991–2018:
(This list is based on information fromWorldstatesmen.org.)[21]
| Regions | |
|---|---|
| Chartered cities | |
| Topics | |
| Anyuak Zone | |
|---|---|
| Nuer Zone | |
| Mezhenger Zone | |
| Special woredas | |
7°37′06″N34°41′22″E / 7.6184422°N 34.6893311°E /7.6184422; 34.6893311
