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Somali Region

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The Somali Regional State is a large area in eastern Ethiopia. It is the second largest region in the country by area.

Somali region map Ethiopia
Somali region map Ethiopia

This state sits in a location surrounded by many different places. To the north, it shares a border with Djibouti. To the northeast, it borders Somaliland. To the east and south, it meets the country of Somalia. To the southwest, it touches Kenya. Within Ethiopia, it is located next to the Afar and Oromia regions. The capital city of this state is Jijiga.

The government of the region is organized into three main branches. The executive branch manages the daily work of the state. It is led by a President, also called a Chief Administrator. The current leader is Mustafe Mohammed Omer. A Vice President helps the President and takes over if the President is removed. The legislative branch is called the State Council. This council is the highest administrative body in the state and has 269 members.

Mohamed Elmi Gani
Mohamed Elmi Gani

Finally, the judicial branch handles the laws through a three-level court system. The lowest level is the court of common pleas in each woreda, which is a local district. The intermediate level uses district courts and four courts of appeals. The highest level is the Somali Supreme Court, which is the court of last resort. It is led by Chief Judge Abdullahi Saed Omar.

History shows that this land has changed many times. In the late 19th century, the area was part of the conquests of Menelik II. Before 1995, the region was divided into three different provinces. These were Hararghe, Bale, and Sidamo. In 1977, a major conflict called the Ogaden War began. This happened when Somalia invaded Ethiopia. The Soviet Union and Cuba provided military help to Ethiopia during this war. Somalia lost the conflict, but local groups still sought independence or union with Somalia. In 2007, a raid on the Abole oil field killed 72 workers. This event led to military actions against the ONLF rebel group.

The people of the region are mostly Somali. According to a 1997 census, 99.01% of the population was Somali. Most people are also Muslim, making up 99.74% of the population. The Somali language is the primary tongue for 95.89% of the people.

Somali region
Somali region

Many people live in rural areas rather than cities. In 2007, about 86% of the people lived in the countryside. The region also hosts many people from other places. There are eight refugee camps and one transit center. These facilities hold 212,967 refugees from Somalia.

Social and economic life in the region is complex. In 2007, the total population was 4,439,147 people. This resulted in a density of about 20.9 people per square kilometer. Many families face challenges regarding resources. For example, only 38.98% of the population had access to safe drinking water in 2007. About 71.8% of inhabitants fell into the lowest wealth category. Adult literacy rates were also low, at 22% for men and 9.8% for women. However, the infant mortality rate was 57 deaths per 1,000 live births, which was lower than the Ethiopian national average.

Livestock is the most important part of the local economy. The region is home to a massive number of animals. In 2005, farmers in the region held over 3 million camels. This number represents 96.2% of all the camels in all of Ethiopia.

Somregcammil
Somregcammil

They also keep millions of goats, sheep, and cattle. Donkeys are also common, with over 1.9 million recorded in 2005. Many people are nomadic, meaning they move with their herds to find food. This connection to animals is a central part of Somali culture.

The region is also organized by many different clan families. The Ogaden tribe is the largest, making up 65% of the population. They live in most zones except for Liben and Sitti. Other groups like the Harti and Leelkase live in the Dollo zone. The Dir clan, including the Akisho and Issa subclans, lives in the northern Sitti zone. Different clans inhabit specific towns and districts across the landscape. This complex social structure helps define how people live and interact in the region.

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File:Somregcammil.jpg
Somregcammil.jpg
File:Mohamed Elmi Gani.JPG
Mohamed Elmi Gani.JPG
File:Somali region map Ethiopia.png
Somali region map Ethiopia.png
File:Somali region.jpg
Somali region.jpg
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