Nuer Zone (Amharic ተውኊር ከን) is the western zone of Ethiopia’s Gambela Region, and its centre is Nyinenyang, also written Wanthowa. It counted 112,606 people at the 2007 census, more than any other zone in the region at that count, and about 167,800 under the 2022 CSA projection, across four woredas.
The zone runs along the South Sudanese border between the Baro and Pibor rivers. The Nuer, who call themselves Naath, make up over 95 percent of the population, the most uniform zone in Ethiopia by ethnicity.
| Zone centre | Nyinenyang (Wanthowa) |
| Region | Gambela |
| Woredas | 4 |
| Population (2007 census) | 112,606 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 167,759 |
| Urban share (2007) | 10.89 percent |
| Elevation | 400–430 m |
Woredas (Districts)
Spellings vary between sources: Jikaw is also written Jikawo, and Wentawo appears as Wanthowa or Wantawa.
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Jikaw | 35,556 | 51,140 |
| Lare | 31,406 | 50,334 |
| Akobo | 24,674 | 34,405 |
| Wentawo | 20,970 | 31,880 |
| Total | 112,606 | 167,759 |
Major Towns
| Town | Also known as |
|---|---|
| Nyinenyang | Wanthowa; zone centre |
| Jikawo | Jikaw |
| Lare | — |
| Matar | — |
| Kuergeng | — |
| Kuach Thiang | Jekow |
| Tiergol | Aköbä |
None of these towns has a separately published population; only 12,266 people, 10.89 percent of the 2007 total, lived in an urban place of any kind. Nuer settlement is dispersed across cattle camps and river-bank villages rather than concentrated in towns, and names shift between Nuer, Amharic and English spellings on maps and in official lists.
Geography
Nuer Zone is flat and low, between 400 and 430 metres, and consists of grassland, marsh and swamp with patches of forest. Much of it floods in the wet season and dries hard in the dry, which sets the rhythm of cattle movement.
The Baro River marks the northern boundary with South Sudan; the Pibor and Piwbör rivers mark the western boundary. The zone is bordered on the east by Itang special woreda and on the south-east by Anuak Zone. Across the border lie the Nuer-populated areas of South Sudan’s Upper Nile and Jonglei, and families and herds move across it.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 112,606 residents, 60,543 men and 52,063 women. The 2022 projection is about 167,800, which leaves Nuer the second most populous zone in the region as Anuak Zone grows faster on the strength of Gambela city.
The Nuer are 95.56 percent of the population, with Anuak at 2.06 percent and Sidama at 1.16 percent. Nuer is the first language of 96.68 percent of residents and Anuak of 2.06 percent. Protestants form 88.82 percent, the highest Protestant share of any zone in Ethiopia, with traditional believers and Catholics making up most of the rest.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle are the centre of the economy and of social life, used for milk, bridewealth and exchange. Herds move to dry-season camps along the rivers and back to higher ground when the floods come. Households add sorghum and maize on flood-retreat plots, and fishing on the Baro and Pibor is important in the dry months.
Infrastructure is thin. A 2006 survey found no agricultural cooperatives in the zone, no documented roads and little other public infrastructure. Markets are small and periodic, and cross-border trade with South Sudan matters as much as trade eastward.
Getting There
All access runs through Gambela city. The road west from Gambela passes through Itang and continues to Jikawo and Lare; an upgrade to that route was launched in 2008 with a budget of more than 446 million birr. Beyond the improved sections, tracks are unsurfaced and become impassable in the May-to-October rains, when parts of the zone can only be reached by boat or air.
There is no airport in the zone. Scheduled flights land at Gambela, and the drive west from there is the only regular way in.
FAQ
Where is Nuer Zone?
In western Ethiopia, in the western part of the Gambela Region, on the South Sudanese border between the Baro and Pibor rivers.
What is the capital of Nuer Zone?
Nyinenyang, also written Wanthowa, in Wentawo woreda.
How many woredas are in Nuer Zone?
Four: Akobo, Jikaw (Jikawo), Lare and Wentawo (Wanthowa).
What is the population of Nuer Zone?
112,606 at the 2007 census, the largest of the region’s zones at that count. The 2022 projection is about 167,800.
What language is spoken in Nuer Zone?
Nuer, a Nilotic language also called Thok Naath, spoken by about 97 percent of residents.
How do you get to Nuer Zone?
By road west from Gambela city through Itang to Jikawo and Lare. There is no airport in the zone and roads are unreliable in the rains.