Bale Zone

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Bale is one of the 12 Zones in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Bale is named for the former kingdom of Bale, which is located in approximately the same area.

Bale is bordered on the south by Borena, on the southwest by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the northwest by Arsi, on the northeast by the Shebelle River which separates it from Mirab Hararghe and Misraq Hararghe, and on the east by the Somali Region. The highest point in the Bale Zone, and also the highest point in Oromia, is Mount Batu (4,307 m), one of the Urgoma Mountains. Other notable peaks of the Urgoma include Mount Tulu Deemtu, Mount Darkeena and Mount Gaysay. Towns and cities in Bale include Dodola, Ginir, Goba and Robe.

Points of interest in the Bale Zone include Sheikh Hussein—named for the tomb of a Moslem saint—and the Sof Omar Caves.

The Central Statistical Agency (CSA), reported that 5130 metric tons of coffee were produced in this zone in the year ending in 2005, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority. This represents 4.46% of the Region's output and 2.2% of Ethiopia's total output.^[1] Bale is home to three of the major mines of Ethiopia: the gold mine at Kebre Mangest, and the Lega Dembi gold and the Kenticha tantalum mines near Shakiso.

[edit] Demographics

Based on figures from the CSA in 2005, this zone has an estimated total population of 1,727,306, of whom 854,584 were males and 872,722 were females; 233,013 or 13.5% of its population are urban dwellers. With an estimated area of 63,917.46 square kilometers, Bale has an estimated population density of 27.02 people per square kilometer.^[2]

According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank memorandum, 11% of the inhabitants of Bale have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 11.4 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers),^[3] the average rural household has 1 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 1.14 for the Oromia Region)^[4] and the equivalent of 1.0 head of livestock. 19.5 % of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a regional average of 24%. 66% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 21% in secondary schools. 53% of the zone is exposed to malaria, and none to Tsetse fly. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 555.^[5]