Gimbichu

Gimbichu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Shewa Zone, Gimbichu is bordered on the south by Lome, on the southwest by Ada'a Chukala, on the northwest by the Amhara Region, and on the east by the Afar Region. The administrative center is Chefe Donsa.

Most parts of this woreda are more than 2300 meters above sea level; Gara Bokan is the highest point. Rivers include Wedecha and Belbela, both tributaries of the Modjo. A survey of the land in Gimbichu shows that 37.6% is arable or cultivable, 14.2% pasture, 2.6% forest, and the remaining 45.6% is considered degraded or otherwise unusable. Lentils, chickpeas and fenugreek are important cash crops. [ [http://oromiagov.org/Socio%20Economic%20Profile/East%20Shewa/East%20Shewa.pdf "Socio-economic profile of East Shewa"] Government of Oromia Region (last accessed 1 August 2006).] .

Industry in the woreda includes 6 privately owned food processing centers employing a total of 14 people, as well as 9 wholesalers, 84 retailers and 117 service providers. There were 33 Farmers Associations with 11,177 members and 14 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 10,207 members. Gimbichu has 119 kilometers of dry-weather and 26 of all-weather road, for an average road density of 205 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 6% of the rural, 100% of the urban and 11% of the total population has access to drinking water. [Government of Oromia Region, "Socio-economic profile."]

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 87,294, of whom 42,805 were males and 44,489 were females; 5,897 or 6.76% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 32.1%. With an estimated area of 707.49 square kilometers, Gimbichu has an estimated population density of 123.4 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 181.7. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Tables B.3 and B.4]

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