 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Arba Minch" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Arba Minch (Ganta Garo) አርባ ምንጭ(in Amharic) | |
|---|---|
City | |
 A monument in Arba Minch | |
  Arba Minch (Ganta Garo) Location within Ethiopia | |
| Coordinates:6°2′N37°33′E / 6.033°N 37.550°E /6.033; 37.550 | |
| Country |  Ethiopia |
| Region | South Ethiopia Regional State |
| Zone | Gamo Zone |
| Elevation | 1,285 m (4,216 ft) |
| Population (2007)[1] | |
• Total | 74,879 |
• Estimate (2021)[2] | 192,043 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 |
| Climate | Aw |
Arba Minch is a city and separateworeda in the southern part ofEthiopia. "Arba Minch" means "40 Springs", originated from the presence of more than 40 springs. It is located in theGamo Zone of theSouth Ethiopia Regional State, about 500 kilometers south ofAddis Ababa, at an elevation of 1285 meters above sea level. It is the largest town in Gamo Zone. It is surrounded byArba Minch Zuria woreda.
Arba Minch received its name for the abundant localsprings which produce agroundwater forest. Located at the base of the western side of theGreat Rift Valley, Arba Minch consists of the uptownadministrative centre of Shecha and 4 kilometers away the downtown commercial and residential areas of Sikela, which are connected by a paved road.[3] On the eastern side of Sikela is the gate toNechisar National Park, which covers the isthmus betweenLake Abaya to the north andLake Chamo to the south.[4] Buses and taxis connect the uptown and downtown parts; both parts have schools.[5]Kulfo River flows through the town, and drains into Lake Chamo.
Arba Minch was founded in the early 1960s by the Fitawrari Aemeroselasie Abebe in the area locally known as "Ganta Garo". "Ganta Garo" mean in Gamo Ganta dere Language the land in which everything abundantly available for the people as well as for the animals. The city succeededChencha as the provincial capital city ofGamu-Gofa.[6] The oral tradition has it that Fitawrari Aemiro Selassie Abebe had to fight with prominent figures of Chencha (Aba Gaga) to move the capital from Chencha to Arba Minch (Ganta Garo). One of the reasons for Aemiroselassie Abebe to move the provincial center from Chencha to Arba Minch (Ganta Garo) was for travelers from Gidole to Chencha to take a break after a long, hot crossing of the arid Rift Valley area. This was because Arba Minch have plenty of recreational areas. Roads were built linking the new town toSoddo and making Arba Minch only aday's journey by road to the capital,Addis Ababa.[6] A telephone line connecting the town to the capital, costingE$ 250,000, was turned up on 15 July 1967.[7]
Arba Minch had previously served as a capital city for Gamo Gofa Province (Gamo Gofa Teklay Gizat), North Omo Zone (Semen Omo), Kilil 9 (Region 9), Gamo Gofa Zone, and now is serving as a capital city ofGamo Zone.
TheNorwegian Lutheran Mission opened a station at Arba Minch in 1970, which included a trade school; the school's operation was later taken over by the Mekane Yesus Church. At the beginning of theEthiopian Revolution public demonstrations occurred in the town,[8] and four people were killed in clashes with the police on 28 March 1974.[7] Following the revolution privately held plantations were made into state farms.[8]
The 193 millionbirr Arba Minch Textile Mill was opened on 6 May 1992 in the presence of Ethiopian Prime MinisterTamirat Layne. The mill would produce polyester mixed with cotton grey fabrics.[7] According to the SNNPR's Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, as of 2003[update] other amenities in Arba Minch include postal service, 24-hour electrical service, a bank and a hospital.[9] In May 2010, the Ethiopian Roads Authority awarded a contract worth 563 million E$ to the construction firm of Brehane Hagos to build a road 60 kilometers in length from this town toBelta.[10] TheUnited States military operated a facility at Arba Minch from 2011 until September 2015. The facility served as the base for severalGeneral Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles.[11]
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the CSA, this town has a total population of 74,879, of whom 39,208 were male and 35,671 female. The majority of the inhabitants practicedEthiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 56.04% of the population reporting that belief, 38.47% wereProtestants, and 4.16% wereMuslim.[12]
The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 40,020 of whom 20,096 were males and 19,924 were females.[13]
| Climate data for Arba Minch, elevation 1,290 m (4,230 ft), (1971–2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 30.7 (87.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 31.5 (88.7) | 30.5 (86.9) | 28.6 (83.5) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.1 (82.6) | 29.1 (84.4) | 29.3 (84.7) | 29.8 (85.6) | 30.7 (87.3) | 29.7 (85.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) | 17.7 (63.9) | 19.2 (66.6) | 18.5 (65.3) | 18.2 (64.8) | 18.6 (65.5) | 18.0 (64.4) | 18.3 (64.9) | 18.3 (64.9) | 17.9 (64.2) | 16.6 (61.9) | 16.5 (61.7) | 17.9 (64.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 35.0 (1.38) | 31.0 (1.22) | 64.0 (2.52) | 129.0 (5.08) | 131.0 (5.16) | 55.0 (2.17) | 47.0 (1.85) | 54.0 (2.13) | 91.0 (3.58) | 105.0 (4.13) | 60.0 (2.36) | 31.0 (1.22) | 833 (32.8) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 48 | 50 | 54 | 62 | 67 | 63 | 62 | 59 | 62 | 61 | 57 | 48 | 58 |
| Source: FAO[14] | |||||||||||||
| Gurage Zone | |
|---|---|
| Hadiya Zone | |
| Kembata Tembaro Zone | |
| Silt'e Zone | |
| Halaba Zone |
|
| Special woredas | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
