Elidar (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Elidar is one of the 29 woreda
s in the Afar Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Administrative Zone 1
, Elidar is bordered on the south by the Awash River
which separates it from Asayita
, on the west by Dubti
, on the northwest by the Administrative Zone 2, on the northeast by Eritrea, and on the east by Djibouti
. Towns in Elidar include Bure
, Diche Oto
, Elidar
and Manda.
(1501 meters) and Manda-Inakir
(over 600 meters).
In early 1976, Derg
soldiers led by Habib Mohamed Yayyo clashed with Afar fighters at Do'oroita near Elidar, with casualties on both sides. From documents captured by the soldiers, they learned that this group, who shortly afterwards organized themselves as the Afar National Liberation Movement, was leftist in political orientation and unaffiliated with the Afar Liberation Front
of Sultan Alimirah Hanfadhe, and subsequently brokered a peace treaty with them which led the Derg to include a clause in their Program for the National Democratic Revolution which recognized the rights of the nationalities of Ethiopia.
On 4 February 2007, the Afar Regional Cabinet approved the division of this woreda, creating a new woreda out of the northwestern part next to Administrative Zone 2
to the border with Eritrea
, centered on Biru.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 58,087, of whom 31,780 are men and 26,307 women; with an area of 11,636.48 square kilometers, Elidar has a population density of 4.99. This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of 8 rural kebele
s, which were not counted; they were estimated to have 21,410 inhabitants. While 9,732 or 16.75% are urban inhabitants, a further 23,940 or 41.21% were pastoralists. A total of 10,479 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 5.5 persons to a household, and 10,589 housing units.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Afar Region
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Part of the Administrative Zone 1
Administrative Zone 1 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 1 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 3, on the southwest by Administrative Zone 5, on the west by the Amhara Region, on the northwest by Administrative Zones 4 and 2, on the north by Eritrea, and on the...
, Elidar is bordered on the south by the Awash River
Awash River
The Awash is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into a chain of interconnected lakes that begin with Lake Gargori and end with Lake Abbe on the border with Djibouti, some 100 kilometers from the head of the Gulf of Tadjoura...
which separates it from Asayita
Asayita (woreda)
Asayita is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 1, Asayita is bordered on the south by Afambo, on the west by Dubti, then on the north by the Awash River which separates it from Elidar, and on the east by Djibouti...
, on the west by Dubti
Dubti (woreda)
Dubti is one of the 29 woredas in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Administrative Zone 1, Dubti is bordered on the south by the Somali Region, on the southwest by Mille, on the west by Chifra, on the northwest by Administrative Zone 4, on the north by the Administrative Zone 2, on the...
, on the northwest by the Administrative Zone 2, on the northeast by Eritrea, and on the east by Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
. Towns in Elidar include Bure
Bure, Africa
Bure is a small disputed area on the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, about 50 miles west of Asseb with a latitude and a longitude of . Eritrea considers Bure to be a part of its Southern Red Sea Zone, while Ethiopia considers Bure part of Administrative Zone 1 of its Afar Region...
, Diche Oto
Diche Oto
Diche Oto is a town in northeastern Ethiopia, located in Administrative Zone 1 of the Afar Region. During the Italian occupation, the settlement was known as Diciotto, Italian for "eighteen."...
, Elidar
Elidar
Elidar is a town in northeastern Ethiopia. Located in Administrative Zone 1 of the Afar Region, in the angle formed by the border with Djibouti to the south, and Eritrea to the northeast, it has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 418 meters above sea level...
and Manda.
Overview
The highest points in Elidar include Mount AlaytaMount Alayta
Mount Alayta is a shield volcano in the Afar Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Afar Triangle , a highly active volcanic region which includes the adjacent Mount Afdera, this volcano covers an area of 2700 square kilometers southwest of Lake Afrera...
(1501 meters) and Manda-Inakir
Manda-Inakir
Manda-Inakir is a system of fissure vents and cinder cones located along the Ethiopia-Djibouti border. It last erupted in 1928 and produced a cinder cone called Kammourta....
(over 600 meters).
In early 1976, Derg
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
soldiers led by Habib Mohamed Yayyo clashed with Afar fighters at Do'oroita near Elidar, with casualties on both sides. From documents captured by the soldiers, they learned that this group, who shortly afterwards organized themselves as the Afar National Liberation Movement, was leftist in political orientation and unaffiliated with the Afar Liberation Front
Afar Liberation Front
The Afar Liberation Front is a political party in Ethiopia, commonly considered to be the most important organization dedicated to promoting the interests of the Afar people...
of Sultan Alimirah Hanfadhe, and subsequently brokered a peace treaty with them which led the Derg to include a clause in their Program for the National Democratic Revolution which recognized the rights of the nationalities of Ethiopia.
On 4 February 2007, the Afar Regional Cabinet approved the division of this woreda, creating a new woreda out of the northwestern part next to Administrative Zone 2
Administrative Zone 2 (Afar)
Administrative Zone 2 is one of five Zones of the Afar Region of Ethiopia. This zone is bordered on the south by Administrative Zone 4, on the southwest by Administrative Zone 1, on the west by the Amhara Region, and on the northeast by Eritrea. The administrative center of Zone 2 is Abala...
to the border with Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, centered on Biru.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency 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. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 58,087, of whom 31,780 are men and 26,307 women; with an area of 11,636.48 square kilometers, Elidar has a population density of 4.99. This total also includes an estimate for the inhabitants of 8 rural kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
s, which were not counted; they were estimated to have 21,410 inhabitants. While 9,732 or 16.75% are urban inhabitants, a further 23,940 or 41.21% were pastoralists. A total of 10,479 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 5.5 persons to a household, and 10,589 housing units.