Afdem (woreda)

Afdem is one of the 47 woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Shinile Zone, available maps disagree on its exact location: according to the OCHA map for the Somali Region (copyright 2005), Afdem is located in the westernmost part of the Zone, and is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by the Afar Region, and on the north and east by Erer; [ [http://www.ocha-eth.org/Maps/downloadables/SOMALI.pdf Map of Somali Region at UN-OCHA] (PDF file)] however, the map of the Oromia Region published by Disaster Prevention and Disaster Agency (copyright 2006) shows Afdem is the woreda immediately to the east of the woreda with these boundaries (which it calls Mieso), and shows that it is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the southwest by Mieso, and on the northwest and north by the Afar Region and on the east by Erer. [ [http://www.dppc.gov.et/downloadable/map/administrative/Atlas_Somali.pdf Map of the Oromia Region] (PDF file)]

Towns in Afdem include Afdem, Alejer and Bike. The track of the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway crosses the southern part of this woreda along the lower slopes of the Amhar mountains. This woreda is primarily inhabited by the Dir clan of the Somali people.

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 37,411, of whom 17,736 were males and 19,675 were females; 12,206 or 32.63% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 17.6%. Information is not available on the area of Afdem, 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.]

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