Author : Evelyn Back
Year : 2000
Ethiopia has an area of 1 098 000 km² and a total population of 53 123 253 (CSA,
1998). The country is subdivided into administrative regions, one of them being Region
13 or Harari National Regional State (HNRS) with the regional capital of Harar.
HNRS was founded in 1994/1995 (Bekri, 1999). It has an area of 304.5 km² (MoA,
1999) and is divided into 3 urban Highers with 19 Kebeles (urban administrative
districts) and 17 rural Peasant Associations (PAs, rural administrative district). Higher
one consists of Kebele 1-7 and it is mainly inhabited by Harari. Higher 2 includes
Kebele 14-19 and Higher 3 Kebele 8-13 respectively. Both are inhabited by a mix of
ethnicities (Ayele, 1999). The altitude of the area ranges from 1300 to 2200 m above
sea level (Appendix 9.3) (MoA, 1999).