Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (often abbreviated as
SNNPR) is one of the nine
ethnic divisions (
kililoch) of
Ethiopia. It composes the former Regions 7-11. Its capital is
Awasa.
The SNNPR borders
Kenya to the south, the Ethiopian region of
Gambela to the north, the Ethiopian region of
Oromia to the north and east, and
Sudan to the west. Besides Awasa, the region's major cities and towns include
Arba Minch,
Bonga,
Chencha,
Dila,
Irgalem,
Mizan Teferi,
Sodo,
Wendo, and
Worabe (Silte).
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Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's region. |
Based on figures from the
Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA) published in 2005, the SNNPR has an estimated total population of 14,901,990, consisting of 7,408,993 men and 7,492,997 women. 13,625,000 or 91.4% of the population are estimated to be rural inhabitants, while 1,277,000 or 8.57% are urban; this makes the SNNPR Ethiopia's most rural region. With an estimated area of 112,343.19 square kilometers, this region has an estimated density of 132.65 people per square kilometer.
[CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.3.]These estimates are based on the 1994 census, in which the region's total population was reported to be 10,377,028 of which 5,161,787 were males and 5,215,241 were females. At the time of the census, the rural population of the Region accounted for 93.2% of the total population.
Semien Omo,
Sidama, and
Gurage were the three zones with the highest population. The population is concentrated mostly in eastern, northern and central part of the SNNPR while the western and southern part of the Region is sparsely populated.
The SNNPR, being an amalgam of the main homelands of numerous
ethnicities, contains over 45 indigenous
ethnic groups. The 1994 census reported that the predominantly spoken languages include
Sidamigna (18%),
Guragigna (14.72%),
Welayta (11.53%),
Hadiyigna (8.53%),
Keffigna (5.22%), and
Kembatigna (4.35%). Other languages spoken in the State include
Gamoigna,
Mello,
Goffa, and
Gedeo; because of the relatively few number of speakers of most of the languages in the region, the working language of the state is
Amharic (the most widely spoken language in Ethiopia and formerly the only official language).
[FDRE States: Basic Information: The State of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' (last accessed 10 May 2006)]Ethnicities
The CSA reported that for 2004-2005 100,338 tons of coffee were produced in the SNNPR, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority. This represents 44.2% of the total production in Ethiopia. Farmers in the Region had an estimated total 7,938,490 head of cattle (representing 20.5% of Ethiopia's total cattle), 3,270,200 sheep (18.8%), 2,289,970 goats (17.6%), 298,720 horses 19.7%), 63,460 mules (43.1%), 278,440 asses (11.1%), 6,586,140 poultry of all species (21.3%), and 726,960 beehives (16.7%).
[CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables D.2 and D.3 - D.5.]*
Abate Kisho (
SEPDM) 1992 - 2001
Vacant? 2001
*
Haile Mariam Desalegne 12 November 2001 - March 2006
*
Shiferaw Shigute (SEPDM) March 2006 - present
(This list is based on information from
Worldstatesmen.org.)
*
Bench Maji Zone*
Debub (South) Omo Zone*
Gedeo Zone*
Gurage Zone*
Hadiya Zone*
Keficho Shekicho Zone*
Kembata Alaba and Tembaro (KAT) Zone*
Semien (North) Omo Zone*
Sidama Zone*
Amaro Special Woreda*
Burji Special Woreda*
Dirashe Special Woreda*
Konso Special Woreda*
Yem Special Woreda*
List of woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region*
Map of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region at UN-OCHA (
PDF file)
