Arba Minch (formerly called Ganta Garo) is a city and separate woreda in the southern part of Ethiopia. "Arba Minch" means "40 Springs", originated from the presence of more than 40 springs. It is located in the Gamo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region about 500 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, at an elevation of 1285 meters above sea level. It is the largest town in Gamo Zone and the second town in SNNPR next to Hawassa, which is now the capital city of the newly formed Sidama Region. It is surrounded by Arba Minch Zuria woreda. This Town has plenty of natural gifts including the bridge of God, Crocodile ranch, crocodile market, different fruits and vegetables, different fishes farmed from Chamo and Abaya Lakes, more than 40 springs, different cereals, and crops, surprisingly having the two big Lakes in the country, lake Abaya and Chamo, respectively, next to Lake Tana, etc. This makes the town an attraction for domestic and international tourism.
Arba Minch received its name for the abundant local springs which produce a groundwater forest. Located at the base of the western side of the Great Rift Valley, Arba Minch consists of the uptown administrative centre of Shecha and 4 kilometers away the downtown commercial and residential areas of Sikela, which are connected by a paved road.[3] On the eastern side of Sikela is the gate to Nechisar National Park, which covers the isthmus between Lake Abaya to the north and Lake Chamo to the south.[4] Buses and taxis connect the uptown and downtown parts; both parts have schools.[5]Kulfo River flows through the town, and drains into Lake Chamo.
History
Arba Minch was founded in the early 1960s by the Fitawrari Aemeroselasie Abebe in the area locally known as "Ganta Garo". The city succeeded Chencha as the provincial capital city of Gamo Gofa.[6] The oral tradition has it that Fitawrari Aemiro Selassie Abebe had to fight with prominent figures of Chencha (Aba Gaga) to move the capital from Chencha to Arba Minch (Ganta Garo). One of the reasons for Aemiroselassie Abebe to move the provincial center from Chencha to Arba Minch (Ganta Garo) was for travelers from Gidole to Chencha to take a break after a long, hot crossing of the arid Rift Valley area. Roads were built linking the new town to Soddo and making Arba Minch only a day's journey by road to the capital, Addis Ababa.[6] A telephone line connecting the town to the capital, costing E$ 250,000, was turned up on 15 July 1967.[7]
Arba Minch had previously served as a capital city for Gamo Gofa Province (Gamo Gofa Teklay Gizat), North Omo Zone (Semen Omo), Kilil 9 (Region 9), Gamo Gofa Zone, and now is serving as a capital city of Gamo Zone.
The Norwegian Lutheran Mission opened a station at Arba Minch in 1970, which included a trade school; the school's operation was later taken over by the Mekane Yesus Church. At the beginning of the Ethiopian Revolution public demonstrations occurred in the town,[8] and four people were killed in clashes with the police on 28 March 1974.[7] Following the revolution privately held plantations were made into state farms.[8]
The 193 million birr Arba Minch Textile Mill was opened on 6 May 1992 in the presence of Ethiopian Prime Minister Tamirat Layne. The mill would produce polyester mixed with cotton grey fabrics.[7] According to the SNNPR's Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, as of 2003[update] other amenities in Arba Minch include postal service, 24-hour electrical service, a bank and a hospital.[9] May 2010, the Ethiopian Roads Authority awarded a contract worth 563 million E$ to the construction firm of Brehane Hagos to build a road 60 kilometers in length from this town to Belta.[10] The United States military operated a facility at Arba Minch from 2011 until September 2015. The facility served as the base for several General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles.[11]
Demographics
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the CSA, this town has a total population of 74,879, of whom 39,208 were male and 35,671 female. The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 56.04% of the population reporting that belief, 38.47% were Protestants, and 4.16% were Muslim.[12]
The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 40,020 of whom 20,096 were males and 19,924 were females.[13]
^"Population and Housing Census 2007 – SNNPR Statistical" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistical Agency. 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
^"Population Projection Towns as of July 2021" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistics Agency. 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
^Briggs, Philip; Blatt, Brian (2009-01-01). Ethiopia. Bradt Travel Guides. ISBN9781841622842.
^"Ethiopia: Arba Minch and Nechisar National Park Stunning Open-Air Adventures". allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
^Philip Briggs, Ethiopia: The Bradt Travel Guide, 3rd edition (Chalfont St Peters: Bradt, 2002), p. 229
^ abFreeman, Dena (2002). Initiating change in highland Ethiopia: causes and consequences of cultural transformation. p. 37.
^ abc"Local History in Ethiopia"[permanent dead link] The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 6 June 2008)
^ abGünther Schlee, Elizabeth E. Watson (2009). Changing identifications and alliances in North-East Africa, Volume 1. Vol. 2: Ethiopia and Kenya. Berghahn Books. p. 150.
^"Detailed statistics on hotels and tourism" 2011-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, Bureau of Finance and Economic Development website (accessed 4 September 2009)
^"Tigray, Southern Towns Get First Roads" 2010-02-13 at the Wayback Machine, Addis Fortune 2 May 2010 (accessed 5 May 2010)
^Whitlock, Craig (4 January 2016). "Pentagon shutters African drone base, moves aircraft to other hotspots". The Washington Post. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
^Census 2007 Tables: Southern Peoples, Nations and Nationalities Region November 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Tables 2.1, and 3.4.
^"Population and Housing Census 1994 – SNNPR Region" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistical Agency. 1994. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
External links
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Arba Minch.
February 09, 2023
arba, minch, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, september, 202. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Arba Minch news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Arba Minch formerly called Ganta Garo is a city and separate woreda in the southern part of Ethiopia Arba Minch means 40 Springs originated from the presence of more than 40 springs It is located in the Gamo Zone of the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Region about 500 kilometers south of Addis Ababa at an elevation of 1285 meters above sea level It is the largest town in Gamo Zone and the second town in SNNPR next to Hawassa which is now the capital city of the newly formed Sidama Region It is surrounded by Arba Minch Zuria woreda This Town has plenty of natural gifts including the bridge of God Crocodile ranch crocodile market different fruits and vegetables different fishes farmed from Chamo and Abaya Lakes more than 40 springs different cereals and crops surprisingly having the two big Lakes in the country lake Abaya and Chamo respectively next to Lake Tana etc This makes the town an attraction for domestic and international tourism Arba Minch Ganta Garo አርባ ምንጭ in Amharic CitySkyline view of Arba Minch UniversityArba Minch Ganta Garo Location within EthiopiaCoordinates 6 2 N 37 33 E 6 033 N 37 550 E 6 033 37 550 Coordinates 6 2 N 37 33 E 6 033 N 37 550 E 6 033 37 550CountryEthiopiaRegionSouthern Nations Nationalities and PeoplesZoneGamo ZoneElevation1 285 m 4 216 ft Population 2007 1 Total74 879 Estimate 2021 2 192 043Time zoneUTC 3 EAT Summer DST UTC 3ClimateAw Contents 1 Overview 2 History 3 Demographics 4 References 5 External linksOverview Edit A monument in Arba Minch Arba Minch received its name for the abundant local springs which produce a groundwater forest Located at the base of the western side of the Great Rift Valley Arba Minch consists of the uptown administrative centre of Shecha and 4 kilometers away the downtown commercial and residential areas of Sikela which are connected by a paved road 3 On the eastern side of Sikela is the gate to Nechisar National Park which covers the isthmus between Lake Abaya to the north and Lake Chamo to the south 4 Buses and taxis connect the uptown and downtown parts both parts have schools 5 Kulfo River flows through the town and drains into Lake Chamo History EditArba Minch was founded in the early 1960s by the Fitawrari Aemeroselasie Abebe in the area locally known as Ganta Garo The city succeeded Chencha as the provincial capital city of Gamo Gofa 6 The oral tradition has it that Fitawrari Aemiro Selassie Abebe had to fight with prominent figures of Chencha Aba Gaga to move the capital from Chencha to Arba Minch Ganta Garo One of the reasons for Aemiroselassie Abebe to move the provincial center from Chencha to Arba Minch Ganta Garo was for travelers from Gidole to Chencha to take a break after a long hot crossing of the arid Rift Valley area Roads were built linking the new town to Soddo and making Arba Minch only a day s journey by road to the capital Addis Ababa 6 A telephone line connecting the town to the capital costing E 250 000 was turned up on 15 July 1967 7 Arba Minch had previously served as a capital city for Gamo Gofa Province Gamo Gofa Teklay Gizat North Omo Zone Semen Omo Kilil 9 Region 9 Gamo Gofa Zone and now is serving as a capital city of Gamo Zone The Norwegian Lutheran Mission opened a station at Arba Minch in 1970 which included a trade school the school s operation was later taken over by the Mekane Yesus Church At the beginning of the Ethiopian Revolution public demonstrations occurred in the town 8 and four people were killed in clashes with the police on 28 March 1974 7 Following the revolution privately held plantations were made into state farms 8 The 193 million birr Arba Minch Textile Mill was opened on 6 May 1992 in the presence of Ethiopian Prime Minister Tamirat Layne The mill would produce polyester mixed with cotton grey fabrics 7 According to the SNNPR s Bureau of Finance and Economic Development as of 2003 update other amenities in Arba Minch include postal service 24 hour electrical service a bank and a hospital 9 May 2010 the Ethiopian Roads Authority awarded a contract worth 563 million E to the construction firm of Brehane Hagos to build a road 60 kilometers in length from this town to Belta 10 The United States military operated a facility at Arba Minch from 2011 until September 2015 The facility served as the base for several General Atomics MQ 9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles 11 Demographics EditBased on the 2007 Census conducted by the CSA this town has a total population of 74 879 of whom 39 208 were male and 35 671 female The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity with 56 04 of the population reporting that belief 38 47 were Protestants and 4 16 were Muslim 12 The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 40 020 of whom 20 096 were males and 19 924 were females 13 References Edit Africa portal Population and Housing Census 2007 SNNPR Statistical PDF Ethiopian Statistical Agency 2007 Retrieved 31 May 2022 Population Projection Towns as of July 2021 PDF Ethiopian Statistics Agency 2021 Retrieved 31 May 2022 Briggs Philip Blatt Brian 2009 01 01 Ethiopia Bradt Travel Guides ISBN 9781841622842 Ethiopia Arba Minch and Nechisar National Park Stunning Open Air Adventures allAfrica com Retrieved 2016 02 09 Philip Briggs Ethiopia The Bradt Travel Guide 3rd edition Chalfont St Peters Bradt 2002 p 229 a b Freeman Dena 2002 Initiating change in highland Ethiopia causes and consequences of cultural transformation p 37 a b c Local History in Ethiopia permanent dead link The Nordic Africa Institute website accessed 6 June 2008 a b Gunther Schlee Elizabeth E Watson 2009 Changing identifications and alliances in North East Africa Volume 1 Vol 2 Ethiopia and Kenya Berghahn Books p 150 Detailed statistics on hotels and tourism Archived 2011 05 31 at the Wayback Machine Bureau of Finance and Economic Development website accessed 4 September 2009 Tigray Southern Towns Get First Roads Archived 2010 02 13 at the Wayback Machine Addis Fortune 2 May 2010 accessed 5 May 2010 Whitlock Craig 4 January 2016 Pentagon shutters African drone base moves aircraft to other hotspots The Washington Post Retrieved 5 January 2016 Census 2007 Tables Southern Peoples Nations and Nationalities Region Archived November 13 2012 at the Wayback Machine Tables 2 1 and 3 4 Population and Housing Census 1994 SNNPR Region PDF Ethiopian Statistical Agency 1994 Retrieved 31 May 2022 External links Edit Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Arba Minch Gughe Indigenous Art amp Music Association Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arba Minch amp oldid 1131391964, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
