Bale Zone (Afaan Oromoo: Godina Baalee) is a zone of Ethiopia’s Oromia Region, administered from Robe. It recorded 1,402,492 people at the 2007 census across an area then measured at 43,690 square kilometres, making it one of the largest and most thinly settled zones in Oromia. Bale runs from the wheat plateau around Sinana up to Tullu Dimtu at 4,377 metres and down into the Harenna forest and the Somali lowlands.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Region | Oromia |
| Administrative centre | Robe |
| Area (2007 boundaries) | 43,690.56 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 1,402,492 |
| Highest point | Tullu Dimtu, 4,377 m |
| Main language | Afaan Oromoo |
Woredas (Districts)
Bale was split around 2019 and 2020. The eastern lowland woredas were separated to form East Bale Zone, administered from Ginir: Ginir, Gasera, Gololcha, Legehida, Rayitu, Sawena, Dawe Kachen and Dawe Serer. The woredas below are those that remained in Bale Zone, with the 2007 census count and the 2022 projection.
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Agarfa | 102,110 | 151,469 |
| Berbere | 90,642 | 130,527 |
| Delo Mena | 89,670 | 132,559 |
| Dinsho | 39,124 | 56,707 |
| Goba (rural) | 40,757 | 56,978 |
| Goro | n/a | n/a |
| Guradamole | 28,961 | 41,347 |
| Harena Buluk | 81,497 | 117,236 |
| Meda Welabu | 97,532 | 138,372 |
| Sinana | 118,594 | 165,768 |
Robe and Goba are separate town administrations alongside the rural woredas.
Major Towns
| Town | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Robe | 44,382 | 92,100 |
| Goba | 32,025 | 66,500 |
| Ginir (now East Bale) | 17,102 | 35,500 |
Dinsho, Agarfa, Delo Mena, Sinana and Mena are the other main service centres. Dinsho is the headquarters of Bale Mountains National Park and the usual base for visitors.
Geography
Bale occupies the south-eastern highlands and the plains below them. The Sanetti Plateau, above 4,000 metres, is the largest area of Afroalpine terrain in Africa and holds Tullu Dimtu, Ethiopia’s second-highest peak. South of the plateau the ground falls sharply into the Harenna Forest, a cloud forest running down to about 1,500 metres. Beyond that the land flattens toward the Somali Region.
The Ganale Dorya River forms the southern boundary with Guji Zone. The Wabe Shebelle separates Bale from West Hararghe and East Hararghe to the north-east. Arsi Zone lies north, West Arsi Zone west, and the Somali Region east. The Weyib River cuts the Sof Omar cave system, one of the longest cave networks in Africa, in Goro woreda.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 713,517 men and 688,975 women, a 15.16 per cent increase on 1994. Afaan Oromoo was the first language of 90.46 per cent of residents, Amharic of 7.11 per cent and Somali of 1.05 per cent. Muslims made up 81.83 per cent of the population, followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity 16.94 per cent and Protestants 1.04 per cent. Later zone totals published by the statistics service are projections rather than census counts, and they predate the East Bale split.
Economy & Local Life
Sinana, Agarfa and Goba woredas form a wheat and barley belt with two cropping seasons, unusual in Ethiopia and supported by the Sinana Agricultural Research Centre. Faba beans, field peas and linseed are grown alongside the cereals. The mid-altitude woredas produce coffee and honey; Harenna Forest coffee grows semi-wild under the canopy. In the southern and eastern lowlands, cattle, camel and goat herding is the main livelihood, and the market at Delo Mena moves livestock toward Somali Region and beyond.
Bale Mountains National Park is the mainstay of local tourism. It holds most of the world’s remaining Ethiopian wolves and the largest population of mountain nyala. Gold and other minerals are worked on a small scale in the south.
Getting There
Robe is about 430 kilometres from Addis Ababa. The usual road runs through Adama, Asella and Dodola, or south via Shashamane and Dodola, both asphalt for most of the distance. Goba is 13 kilometres beyond Robe. Robe Airport serves scheduled Ethiopian Airlines flights from Addis Ababa, cutting the trip to about an hour. Dinsho, the park gate, sits 30 kilometres west of Robe on the Dodola road. Delo Mena is a further 120 kilometres south of Goba over the Sanetti Plateau.
FAQ
Where is Bale Zone?
Bale Zone is in south-eastern Oromia, about 430 kilometres from Addis Ababa, bounded by the Ganale Dorya River in the south and the Wabe Shebelle in the north-east.
What is the capital of Bale Zone?
Robe, a town of about 92,100 people on the 2022 projection. Goba, 13 kilometres away, was the historic administrative seat.
How many woredas are in Bale Zone?
Ten rural woredas plus the Robe and Goba town administrations, after eight eastern woredas were moved to the new East Bale Zone around 2019 and 2020.
What is East Bale Zone?
East Bale Zone is the zone created from Bale’s eastern lowland woredas, with its centre at Ginir. It covers Ginir, Gasera, Gololcha, Legehida, Rayitu, Sawena, Dawe Kachen and Dawe Serer.
What language is spoken in Bale Zone?
Afaan Oromoo, spoken as a first language by about 90 per cent of residents, with Amharic and Somali also present.
What is Bale Mountains National Park?
A 2,150-square-kilometre park covering the Sanetti Plateau and the Harenna Forest, reached from Dinsho. It protects the Ethiopian wolf and the mountain nyala.