Administrative division of Ethiopia

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Regions of Ethiopia since 1998

The administrative structure of Ethiopia has changed several times during the 20th century. It has existed in its current federal form since 1995. Since 1998, Ethiopia has been divided into nine regions and two independent cities.

The decentralized structure of Ethiopia goes back to the various kingdoms within the former empire , which existed until the Italian occupation in 1936.

Current structure

Administrative division of Ethiopia:
in black the borders of the regions,
in gray the borders of the zones,
in white the borders of the woredas

The current federal structure of Ethiopia was introduced by the government coalition EPRDF with the new constitution of 1995, and the division described here has existed since 1998. It divides the country into nine regions or states or Kililoch (singular: Kilil or kəlləl , ክልል) and two independent cities ( Astedader Akababiwoch ; singular: Astedader Akababi ). The regions are further subdivided into 68 zones . The zones are made up of around 550 woredas or districts, which in turn are divided into kebeles . There are also separate woredas that are not subject to any zone. In some places even lower administrative levels were introduced below the Kebele; According to critics, this also serves to strengthen the control of the government alliance EPRDF over the population.

The constitution guarantees the regions or states extensive powers. The regions can set up their own government and set up their own democratic organization within the framework of the federal constitution. Each region has its own parliament, into which the deputies from the districts are directly elected. The regional parliaments have appropriate legislative and executive powers to regulate the internal affairs of the states. Article 39 of the Ethiopian Constitution, at least in theory, grants every region the right to break away from Ethiopia (right of secession ).

The regions were divided according to ethnic criteria, with the larger ethnic groups each being given their own region. This structure is also known as ethnic federalism . It is assessed differently within Ethiopia as well as in research on the history and politics of the country: According to its proponents, it guarantees the self-determination of the Ethiopian peoples and at the same time prevented the country from disintegrating due to the independence movements of various ethnic groups. Opponents of ethnic federalism, on the other hand, argue that it weakens national unity . The opposition alliance Qinijit , which mainly includes Amharic parties, therefore rejects this classification. The United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, as the second large opposition coalition, which is mainly anchored in the Oromo peoples' group, is in favor of greater federalization.

Research supports the conclusion that there has been an "ethnicization" of politics in different areas and that relations between ethnic groups have changed, for example between the Guji and other Oromo groups and different peoples of the region of the southern nations, nationalities and peoples or between subgroups of the Oromo and Somali .

The following table gives an overview of the regions and independent cities by name, area, population, population density and most important ethnic groups. With regard to area data and the calculated population density, it should be noted that there are border disputes between some regions. Therefore there are different information and different representations on maps.

Regions and independent cities in Ethiopia
Region (* = city) Capital Area
in km²		 Population
(2015)		 Population density
( inh / km²) 		HDI Titular nation and important peoples location flag
Addis Ababa * - 530 3,273,000 6.211 0.698 - Addis Ababa in Ethiopia (special marker) .svg
Afar Asaita / Semera 96,707 1,723,000 24 0.405 Afar Afar in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Afar Region.svg
Amhara Bahar Dar 156.960 20,401,000 132 0.443 Amhars Amhara in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Amhara Region.svg
Benishangul-Gumuz Asosa 50,248 1,005,000 20th 0.453 Berta , Gumuz Benishangul-Gumuz in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.svg
Dire Dawa * - 1,213 440,000 282 0.544 Oromo , Amharen , Somali Dire Dawa in Ethiopia (special marker) .svg
Gambela Gambela 25,802 409,000 14th 0.539 Well , Anuak Gambela in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Gambella Region.svg
Harar Harar 374 232,000 695 0.562 Aderi ; Oromo , Somali Harari in Ethiopia (special marker) .svg Et harrar.png
Oromia Adama (Nazret) 353,632 33,692,000 118 0.448 Oromo Oromia in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Oromia Region.svg
Region of southern nations, nationalities and peoples Awassa 112,343 18,276,000 173 0.464 Sidama , Wolaytta , Hadiyya , Gurage et al Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region.svg
Somali Jijiga 279.252 5,453,000 16 0.409 Somali Somali in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Somali Region (2008-2018) .svg
Tigray Mek'ele 50,079 5,056,000 86 0.487 Tigray Tigray in Ethiopia.svg Flag of the Tigray Region.svg

Historical development

Habesh (Abyssinia), map from 1891

The country was divided into kingdoms until 1936, after which several restructurings followed in 1936, 1963, 1974, 1987 and 1991, up to the current structure of 1994.

Kingdoms (until 1936)

Italian occupation (1936–1941)

Division of Italian East Africa

The first fundamental reorganizations were carried out during the Italian occupation. Occupied by fascist Italy, Ethiopia was part of the colony of Italian East Africa . Governorates with commissariats were created.

  • Amhara (capital Gondar) (six commissariats)
  • Eritrea (capital Asmara) (twelve commissariats)
  • Galla and Sidamo (capital Jimma) (twelve commissariats)
  • Harar (capital Harar) (seven commissariats)
  • Scioa (Shewa, Shoah; capital Addis Ababa) (a commissariat)
  • Somalia (partially; only the Ogaden and Uebi Gestro commissariats) including Oltre Giuba

1941-1987

Map of the regions 1974–1981
Map of the Avrajas before 1996

After the liberation from Italian colonial rule, the Abyssinia Empire was restored and 13 provinces were created:

After the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie and the military seizure of power in 1974, the provisional military councilor Derg renamed the existing provinces as regions. Bale was separated from Harerge with the capital Goba as a separate region . In 1981 the capital Addis Ababa from Shewa and the region Assab from Eritrea were spun off and became independent regions.

1987-1991

The regions 1987–1991

On September 18, 1987, military rule in the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was abolished by parliamentary resolution and the regions reorganized. The country was divided into 25 regions and five autonomous regions. The establishment of the autonomous regions was a reaction to the rebellions and independence movements in different parts of the country.

  • Addis Ababa
  • Arsi
  • Assab (autonomous region)
  • Assosa
  • Bale
  • Borana
  • Dire Dawa (autonomous region)
  • Eritrea (autonomous region)
  • Gambela
  • Illubabor
  • Kaffa
  • Metekel
  • North Gondar
  • North Omo
  • North Shewa
  • North Waello
  • Ogaden (autonomous region)
  • East Goddscham
  • East Harerge
  • East Shewa
  • Sidamo
  • South Gondar
  • South Omo
  • South Shewa
  • South Waello
  • Tigray (autonomous region)
  • Western Goddscham
  • West Harerge
  • West Shewa
  • Woolga

1991-1993 / 95

Ethnic groups in Ethiopia

Under the transitional government of Ethiopia , the country was divided into twelve ethnically defined autonomous regions and two cities. The regions were first numbered before they were given proper names. The naming was sometimes controversial, for example in Region 5 , where the Ogadeni as the largest clan preferred the designation "Ogaden" or "Ogadenia", but the other Somali clans enforced "Somali".

These regions essentially correspond to today's regions / states. Regions 7 to 11 were later combined to form the region of the southern nations, nationalities and peoples , Harar was given the status of a region with the Aderi as the titular nation. Dire Dawa, which was disputed between Oromo and Somali, became an independent city.

With the independence of Eritrea, the autonomous region of Eritrea and part of the former autonomous region of Assab left the state association in 1993.

Regions of Ethiopia after 1991
number Surname
1 Tigray
2 Afar
3 Amhara
4th Oromo
5 Somali
6th Beni Shangul
7th Gurage-Hadiya-Kambata
8th Sidama
9 Walayta
10 Omo
11 Kafa
12 Gambela
(13) Harar (city)
- Addis Ababa (city)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ben Rawlence , Leslie Lefkow: "One hundred ways of putting pressure". Violations of freedom of expression and association in Ethiopia. Human Rights Watch, New York NY 2010, ISBN 1-56432-610-1 , pp. 23 f., Online .
  2. ↑ John W. Harbeson: Ethiopia's Extended Transition. In: Journal of Democracy. Vol. 16, No. 4, October 2005, pp. 144–158, here p. 149, doi : 10.1353 / jod.2005.0064 .
  3. ↑ Tobias Hagmann, Mohamud H. Khalif: State and Politics in Ethiopia's Somali Region since 1991 ( Memento of the original dated August 31, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / tobiashagmann.freeflux.net archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Bildhaan. An International Journal of Somali Studies. Vol. 6, 2006, ISSN  1528-6258 , pp. 25-49, (PDF; 121 kB).
  4. ↑ Ethiopia: Regions, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics in Maps and Charts. Retrieved December 3, 2017 .
  5. ↑ Central Statistics Agency : Summary and Statistical Report of the 2007 Population and Housing Census Results . P. 7, (PDF; 1.7 MB).
  6. ^ Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab. Accessed December 1, 2018 .
  7. ↑ for a map of this structure cf. Gebru Tareke: Ethiopia. Power & Protest. Peasant Revolts in the Twentieth Century. 1st Red Sea Press, Inc. edition. Red Sea Press, Lawrenceville NJ et al. 1996, ISBN 1-56902-019-1 .
  8. ↑ Abdi Ismail Samatar: Ethiopian Federalism: Autonomy versus Control in the Somali Region. In: Third World Quarterly. Vol. 25, No. 6, 2004, pp. 1131-1154, here pp. 1138, 1141, doi : 10.1080 / 0143659042000256931 .
  9. ↑ Thomas Zitelmann: Nation of the Oromo. Collective identities, national conflicts, we-groups. The construction of collective identity in the process of refugee movements in the Horn of Africa. A social anthropological study using the example of the sabo oromoo (Oromo nation). Das Arabisches Buch, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-86093-036-2 , p. 177.

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