Gaserana Gololcha

:For|the woreda in Arsi Zone|Gololcha

Gaserana Gololcha is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bale Zone, Gaserana Gololcha is bordered on the south by Ginir, on the southwest by Sinanana Dinsho, on the west by Agarfa, on the north by the Shebelle River which separates it from the Arsi Zone, on the northeast by Legehida, and on the east by Seweyna. Jara is the woreda capital; other towns include Gasera.

Mount Arab Lij is the highest point in this woreda; another notable peak is Mount Kubayu. Perennial rivers include the Wayib and Gololcha Rivers. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 31.7% is arable or cultivable, 28% pasture, 35.7% forest, and the remaining 4.6% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Notable landmarks in this woreda include Dirre Shek Hussen with its 11th century mosque. Khat and pepper are important cash crops. [ [http://oromiagov.org/Socio%20Economic%20Profile/Bale/Bale%20Zone.pdf "Socio-economic profile of the Bale Zone"] Government of Oromia Region (last accessed 1 August 2006).] Coffee is also an important cash crop; between 2,000 and 5,000 hectares are planted with it. [ [http://www.oromiacoffeeunion.org/production.htm "Coffee Production"] Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union website]

Industry in the woreda includes 15 grain mills and 5 edible oil mills employing 47 people, as well as 66 wholesalers 179 retailers and 54 service providers. There were 39 Farmers Associations with 20,384 members and 9 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 3,264 members. Gaserana Gololcha has 153 kilometers of all-weather road, for an average of road density of 48.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 26.8% 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 166,795, of whom 83,748 were males and 83,047 were females; 11,269 or 6.76% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.5%. With an estimated area of 3,138.75 square kilometers, Gaserana Gololcha has an estimated population density of 53.1 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 27. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Tables B.3 and B.4]

This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2003 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement for farmers from overpopulated areas. Together with Berbere and Meda Welabu, Gaserana Gololcha became the new home for a total of 5219 heads of households and 19,758 family members. [ [http://www.dppc.gov.et/downloadable/map/Thematic%20maps/resettlement/Resettlement%202003.pdf "Resettlement 2003"] , Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (DPPA) (accessed 26 November 2006)]

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