Guba Koricha

Guba Koricha is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Mirab Hararghe Zone, Guba Koricha, according to the OCHA map (2005) is bordered on the south by Darolebu, on the southwest by the Arsi Zone, on the west by the Afar Region, on the north by Mieso, on the northeast by Chiro, on the east by Habro, and on the southeast by Boke.^[1] Woreda of Anchar was separated from Guba Koricha.

Although coffee is an important cash crop of this woreda, less than 20 square kilometers are planted with this crop.^[2]

Demographics

The 2007 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 122,335, of whom 62,633 were men and 59,702 were women; 2,875 or 2.35% of its population were urban dwellers. The majority of the inhabitants said they were Muslim, with 93.26% of the population reporting they observed this belief, while 6.43% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.^[3]

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 192,846, of whom 94,136 were males and 98,710 were females; 7,033 or 3.65% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 9.6%. With an estimated area of 1,477.66 square kilometers, Guba Koricha has an estimated population density of 130.5 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 101.8.^[4]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 139,198, of whom 71,625 were men and 67,573 women; 3,930 or 2.82% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Guba Koricha were the Oromo (81.52%), the Amhara (11.86%) and the Argobba (6.16%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.46% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 80.49%, and 19.06% spoke Amharic; the remaining 0.45% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Moslem, with 86.11% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 12.02% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and 1.8% were Catholic.^[5]

Notes

1. Map of Somali Region at UN-OCHA (PDF file)
2. "Coffee Production" Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union website
3. 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1, Tables 2.1, 2.5, 3.4 (accessed 13 January 2012)
4. CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables B.3 and B.4
5. 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1, part 1, Tables 2.1, 2.13, 2.16, 2.20 (accessed 6 April 2009)

Coordinates: 8°50′N 40°20′E / 8.833°N 40.333°E