Bore (Aanaa)

Bore is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Located in the northern part of the Borena Zone, Bore is bordered on the south by Odo Shakiso, on the west by Uraga, on the north by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, and on the east by Adolana Wadera. The map of the Oromia Region published by Disaster Prevention and Disaster Agency shows that this woreda is part of the Guji Zone. Towns in Bore include Bore and Yirba Muda.

Overview

The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1800 to 2900 meters above sea level; Mount Dara Tiniro is the highest point; other notable peaks include Haro Garbicho, Sota Diba, Lochu Foltiti and Higate. Rivers include the Ganale Dorya. A notable local landmark is the Me'a Boku, next the main road near Yirba Muda. This is an open field kept clear of large trees but covered with grass, and except for grazing cattle no agricultural activity is permitted there. It is considered a sacred place to the local Oromo, for it is designated where the traditional leader known as Abba Boku convenes the triabl assembly. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 29% is arable or cultivable (20.9% was under annual crops), 33% pasture, 30% forest, and the remaining 8% is considered swampy, degraded or otherwise unusable. Barley, wheat, corn, teff, and horse bean are important crops. Coffee is also an important cash crop; between 20 and 50 square kilometers are planted with it.

Industry in the woreda includes 16 grain mills, 4 wood working shops and one ceramic material factory, as well as traditional gold mining around Melka Dimtu. There are 56 Farmers Associations and 12 Farmers Service Cooperatives, but no information on membership. Bore has 82 kilometers of dry-weather and 83 all-weather road, for an average road density of 127 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 54.6% of the urban and 37.5% of the rural population has access to drinking water.

History

Bore was one of four woredas that suffered from a wildfire that was started 10 February 2000 and was not brought under control until 7 April, after it had burned a total of 70,000 hectares.

Demographics

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 166,788, of whom 82,221 are men and 84,567 are women; 13,601 or 8.15% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 11.6%. With an estimated area of 1,296.88 square kilometers, Bore has an estimated population density of 128.6 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 21.1.

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 119,120, of whom 60,672 were men and 58,448 women; 7,609 or 6.39% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The five largest ethnic groups reported in Bore were the Oromo (86.92%), the Amhara (4%), the Gedeo (3.81%), the Sidama (3.42%), and the Silt'e (0.99%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.86% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 86.41%, 5.57% spoke Amharic, and 3.63% spoke Gedeo; the remaining 4.39% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Protestant, with 60.22% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 17.62% of the population said they practiced traditional beliefs, 8.47% professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 4.29% were Catholic, and 1.33% were Muslim.