Afar (Region)
Afar ( Ethiopic script: አፋር, in official documents also Affar ) is one of nine ethnically defined administrative regions of Ethiopia.
The titular nation and the majority of the population are the Afar, who live in neighboring Eritrea and Djibouti. The capital is Semera today. Working language of the Afar region.
The region lies in the Afar Triangle, a low-lying, volcanically active area with very high temperatures and low rainfall. On stranger Awash River in the south agriculture is possible with irrigation, traditionally the Afar live as nomadic cattle breeding, and the salt trade. Salt from the salt lakes of the region takes place in Ethiopia traditionally as payment Amole use. The region for fossil discoveries as "Lucy" and " Ardi " is known. In Afar, the Awash National Park and Yangudi Rassa lie.
Population
According to the census of 2007, of 1,411,092 inhabitants, 90.03 % ( 1,251,103 ) Afar 5.22% ( 72 507 ) Amhara, 1.55 % ( 21 604 ) Argobba and 1.15 % ( 15,932 ) of Tigray. 95.3 % were Muslims and 3.9 % Orthodox.
13.4 % lived in urban areas. Larger towns in Afar are Asaita, Dubti, milking Werer, Melka Sedi, Awash Arba, Awash Sebat Kilo and Gewane.
2005 visited 15.3 % of children in the Afar region ( 19.1 % of boys, 11 % girls ), a primary school, 5.3% (6.7% boys, 4.1% girls) went to a secondary school. 2.9% of those tested were HIV -positive. 91.6 % of women were circumcised, 63.2 % in the most severe form ( infibulation ); 65.6 % of women surveyed said they support the continuation of circumcision. The men, circumcision is also prevalent with 98.5 %.
History
While the Afar end of the 19th century under the influence of the colonial powers, Italy ( in Italian Eritrea ) and France found themselves in areas closer to the coast ( Djibouti ), the Sultanate of AWSA was incorporated into the heartland of Ethiopia. After the Second World War, which came under Ethiopian control so Afar regions were divided into the provinces of Eritrea, Tigray, Wollo, Shewa and Hararge. Afar protested in vain for an association and autonomy of its regions.
In 1987, the administrative divisions of Ethiopia was reorganized and an Autonomous Region of Assab established in the areas populated by Afar regions were combined. The part that had belonged to Eritrea became independent in 1993 as part of the State of Eritrea from Ethiopia. The remaining in Ethiopia Afar regions were the ethnic- federalist reorganization of the country after 1991 to the present state of Afar (initially also called Region 2 ). Capital was initially Asaita, which was later superseded by the newly built city Semera.
Policy
The National Democratic Party Afar ( ANDP ) is a regional partner of the ruling coalition EPRDF party at national level. As most influential opposition party among the Afar Revolutionary Democratic Unity Front, the Afar acts ( Uguugumo ).
After the elections of 2005, the ANDP had 84 of 87 seats in the regional parliament, the other three went to the Afar People's Democratic Movement.
Afar remains a poorly developed area. According to a report by the United Nations Development Programme from 1996 health facilities, education and water supply were completely inadequate, and only the import goods that acquire the Afar nomads nowadays through trade ("how ubiquitous plastic sandals, cigarettes and galvanized cooking vessels " ), the presence of would earlier times differ.
In recent years, thousands Afar from Eritrea came as refugees to Ethiopia, where they first settled at over 20 locations in the local population. UNHCR plans to open two camps at Berhale and Asaita for these refugees.
Administrative Divisions
Afar is divided into five zones. These received in 2006 proper names: Awsi Rasu (formerly Zone 1), Kilbet Rasu (Zone 2), Gabi Rasu (zone 3), Fantena Rasu (zone 4) and Hari Rasu (Zone 5). The zones are further divided into Woredas.