Jijiga (woreda)

Jijiga (Somali: Jigjiga) is one of the woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Jijiga Zone, Jijiga is bordered on the south by Kebri Beyah, on the southwest by Gursum, on the southeast by Ajersagora, on the northwest by the Shinile Zone, and on the north by Awbare. Towns and cities in this woreda include Jijiga.

The average elevation in this woreda is 1803 meters above sea level.[1] The only perennial rivers in this woreda are the Fafen and the Jerer. As of 2008, Jijiga has 80 kilometers of asphalt road and 60 kilometers of all-weather gravel road; about 34.1% of the total population has access to drinking water.[2] The Karamara mountain 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.[3]

Prior to the 2004 October referendum, which established the disputed boundary between the Oromia and Somali Regions, a large section in the north of this woreda became the Chinaksen woreda, which was transferred to the Oromia Region.[4]

  1. ^ Hailu Ejara Kene, Baseline Survey of 55 Weredas of PCDP Phase II, Part I Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine (Addis Ababa: August 2008), Annex 1 (accessed 23 March 2009)
  2. ^ Hailu Ejara Kene, Baseline Survey, Annexes 16, 17
  3. ^ "Local History in Ethiopia"[permanent dead link‍] The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 31 May 2008)
  4. ^ "Pastoral and Agro Pastoral Livelihood baseline profile - Oromiya (7 Weredas)" Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, Pastoral Community Development Project (2004), p. 45