Jijiga (woreda)

Jijiga is one of the 47 woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Jijiga Zone, Jijiga is bordered on the south by Babille, on the southwest by Gursum, on the west by the Oromia Region, on the north by the Shinile Zone, on the northeast by Awbere and on the southeast by the Degehabur Zone. Towns and cities in Jijiga include Jijiga and Chinhahsan.

The only perennial rivers in this woreda are the Fafen and the Jerer. The Karamara hills to the west of the city of Jijiga were thoroughly mined during the Ogaden War, and there are still dangerous areas which have been marked off limits. [http://130.238.24.99/library/resources/dossiers/local_history_of_ethiopia/j/ORTJI.pdf "Local History in Ethiopia"] (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 31 May 2008)]

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 348,421, of whom 171,072 were males and 177,349 were females; 109,634 or 31.47% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 22.5%. Information is not available on the area of Jijiga, so its density cannot be calculated. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Tables B.3 and B.4. Rural population numbers are believed to be underreported for this Region.] This woreda is primarily inhabited by the Ogaden subclan of the Darood.

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