West Gojjam ( Amharic : ምዕራብ ጎጃም) or Mirab Gojjam is a Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia . It is named after the former province of Gojjam .
41-646: West Gojjam is bordered on the south by the Abay River which separates it from the Oromia Region and Benishangul-Gumuz Region , on the west by Agew Awi , on the north and northwest by North Gondar and also on the north by South Gondar , and on the east by East Gojjam . Its highest point is Mount Amedamit . Towns in West Gojjam include Bahir Dar , Adet , Finote Selam , Bure , Quarit , Dega Damot , Sekela , Merawi , and Dembecha . Finote Selam
82-400: A canyon about 400 km (250 mi) long, about 30 km (19 mi) from Lake Tana, which is a tremendous obstacle for travel and communication between north and south Ethiopia. The canyon was first referred to as the "Grand Canyon" in 1968 by a British team that accomplished the first descent of the river from Lake Tana to the end of the canyon; subsequent river rafting parties called it
123-413: A documentary about their journey afterwards. In 2000, American and National Geographic reader, Kenneth Frantz, saw a photo taken by Nevada Wier for National Geographic which would lead him to found the charity Bridges to Prosperity . This photo showed a bridge broken during World War II, with 10 men on either side of the broken span pulling each other across the dangerous gap by rope. This historic bridge
164-480: A household, and 466,491 housing units. The largest ethnic group reported in West Gojjam was the Amhara (99.42%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.52% of the population. Amharic is spoken as a first language by 99.43%; the remaining 0.57% spoke all other primary languages reported. 98.68% of the population said they practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity , and 1.19% were Muslim . The 1994 national census reported
205-737: A larger project, which the Ugandans will fund internally if necessary. Just before entering Lake Albert, the river is compressed into a passage just seven meters wide at Murchison Falls , marking its entry into the western branch of the East African Rift . The river then flows into Lake Albert opposite the Blue Mountains in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . The stretch of river from Lake Kyoga to Lake Albert
246-679: A non-local to explore this reach of the river was undertaken by the American W.W. Macmillan in 1902, assisted by the Norwegian explorer B.H. Jenssen; Jenssen proceeded upriver from Khartoum while Macmillan sailed downstream from Lake Tana. However, Jenssen's boats were blocked by the rapids at Famaka short of the Sudan-Ethiopia border, and Macmillan's boats were wrecked shortly after they had been launched. Macmillan encouraged Jenssen to try to sail upstream from Khartoum again in 1905, but he
287-489: A point near the Sudanese border led by explorer John Blashford-Snell . The team used specially-built Avon Inflatables and modified Royal Engineers assault boats to navigate the formidable rapids. Subsequent rafting expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s generally only covered parts of the river canyon. In 1999, writer Virginia Morell and photographer Nevada Wier made the journey by raft from Lake Tana to Sudan, publishing
328-494: A total population for this Zone of 1,779,723 in 374,115 households, of whom 897,215 were men and 882,508 women; 107,238 or 6.03% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic group reported in West Gojjam was the Amhara (99.43%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.57% of the population. Amharic was spoken as a first language by 99.46%; the remaining 0.54% spoke all other primary languages reported. 98.28% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity , and 1.59% of
369-627: Is a river in Africa, the minor of the two main tributaries of the Nile , the larger being the Blue Nile . The name "White" comes from the clay sediment carried in the water that changes the water to a pale color. In the strict meaning, "White Nile" refers to the river formed at Lake No , at the confluence of the Bahr al Jabal and Bahr el Ghazal Rivers. In the wider sense, "White Nile" refers to all
410-580: Is sometimes called the "Kyoga Nile". The river draining from Lake Albert to the north is called the "Albert Nile". It separates the West Nile sub-region of Uganda from the rest of the country. A bridge passes over the Albert Nile near its inlet in Nebbi District , but no other bridge over this section has been built. A ferry connects the roads between Adjumani and Moyo , and navigation of
451-580: Is the capital of the zone. Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 2,106,596, of whom 1,058,272 are men and 1,048,324 women; with an area of 13,311.94 square kilometers, West Gojjam has a population density of 158.25. While 184,703 or 8.77% are urban inhabitants, one person was reported to be a pastoralist. A total of 480,255 households were counted in this Zone, which results in an average of 4.39 persons to
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#1732775626451492-754: Is vital to the livelihood of Egypt: as the most significant tributary of the Nile, it contributes over 85% of the Nile's streamflow. Though shorter than the White Nile, 59% of the water that reaches Egypt originates from the Ethiopian highlands via the Blue Nile. The river is also an important resource for Sudan, where the Roseires Dam and Sennar Dam contribute to the 80% of the country's electricity generation from hydropower . These dams also help irrigate
533-664: The Dinder River on its right bank at Dinder . At Khartoum , the Blue Nile joins the White Nile and, as the Nile , flows through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria . The flow of the Blue Nile reaches maximum volume in the rainy season from June to September, when it supplies 80–86% of the water of the Nile proper. The river was a major source of the flooding of the Nile in Egypt that contributed to
574-630: The Ethiopian Highlands to a depth of some 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). According to materials published by the Central Statistical Agency , an Ethiopian government agency, the Blue Nile has a total length of 1,450 kilometres (900 mi), of which 800 kilometres (500 mi) are inside Ethiopia. The Blue Nile originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia (where it is called the Abay River). The river flows generally south before entering
615-723: The Gezira Scheme , which is most famous for its high-quality cotton , as well as wheat and animal feed crop production in the area. In November 2012, Ethiopia began construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam , a 6000-megawatt hydroelectric dam on the river. The dam is expected to be a boost for the Ethiopian economy. Sudan and Egypt, however, voiced their concerns over a potential reduction in water available. Electricity generation began in February 2022. The first European known to have seen
656-578: The Scramble for Africa . In Sudan the river lends its name to the Sudanese state of White Nile , before merging with the larger Blue Nile at Khartoum and forming the River Nile. The White Nile is a navigable waterway from the Lake Albert to Khartoum through Jebel Aulia Dam , only between Juba and Uganda requires the river upgrade or channel to make it navigable. During part of the year
697-1163: The Walaqa River , the Wanchet River , the Jamma River , the Muger River , the Guder River , the Agwel River, the Nedi River, the Didessa River and the Dabus River . Those on the right side, also in downstream order, include the Handassa, Tul, Abaya, Sade, Tammi, Cha, Shita, Suha, Muga , Gulla , Temcha , Bachat, Katlan, Jiba, Chamoga, Weter and the Beles . The Blue Nile then heads northwest into Sudan. It travels for approximately 650 km (400 mi), flowing past Er Roseires and receiving
738-424: The White Nile , it is one of the two major tributaries of the Nile and supplies about 85.6% of the water to the Nile during the rainy season . The distance of the river from its source to its confluence has been variously reported between 1,460 and 1,600 kilometres (910 and 990 mi). This uncertainty might result from the fact that the river flows through a series of virtually impenetrable gorges cut in
779-698: The "Albert Nile" from there to the border with South Sudan. The Victoria Nile starts at the outlet of Lake Victoria, at Jinja, Uganda , on the northern shore of the lake. Downstream from the Nalubaale Power Station and the Kiira Power Station at the outlet of the lake, the river goes over Bujagali Falls (the location of the Bujagali Power Station ) about 15 km (9.3 mi) downstream from Jinja. The river then flows northwest through Uganda to Lake Kyoga in
820-593: The "Grand Canyon of the Nile". The Blue Nile Falls ( Amharic : Tis Abay, literally "great smoke"), one of Ethiopia's biggest tourist attractions, is located at the start of the canyon. The river loops across northwest Ethiopia before being fed by numerous tributaries between Lake Tana and the Ethiopia–Sudan border . Those on its left bank, in downstream order, include the Wanqa River, the Bashilo River ,
861-668: The Amhara Region) and the equivalent of 0.7 heads 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 21%. 61% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 11% in secondary schools. 40% of the zone is exposed to malaria , and 38% to Tsetse fly . The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 454. The Zonal Water Resource Development Office announced 29 July 2009 that it had completed construction of 943 wells and 89 springs in West Gojjam, which will benefit 331,000 people. Using funds from
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#1732775626451902-657: The Bahr el Ghazal and there forms the White Nile. An anabranch river called Bahr el Zeraf flows out of the Bahr al-Jabal at and flows through the Sudd, to eventually join the White Nile. The Mountain Nile cascades through narrow gorges and over a series of rapids that includes the Fula (Fola) Rapids. To some people, the White Nile starts at the confluence of the Mountain Nile with the Bahr el Ghazal at Lake No. The 120 kilometers of White Nile that flow east from Lake No to
943-577: The Blue Nile in Ethiopia and the river's source was Pedro Páez , a Spanish Jesuit who reached the river's source on 21 April 1618. However, the Portuguese João Bermudes, the self-described "Patriarch of Ethiopia," provided the first description of the Tis Abay River Falls in his memoirs published in 1565, and any number of Europeans who lived in Ethiopia in the late 15th century such as Pêro da Covilhã could have seen
984-458: The Blue Nile. The 19th-century search by Europeans for the source of the Nile was mainly focused on the White Nile, which disappeared into the depths of what was then known as "Darkest Africa". The Kagera River , which flows into Lake Victoria near the Tanzanian town of Bukoba , is the longest feeder river for Lake Victoria, although sources do not agree on which is the longest tributary of
1025-738: The Kagera, and hence the most distant source of the Nile . The source of the Nile can be considered to be either the Ruvyironza , which emerges in Bururi Province , Burundi (near Bukirasaz), or the Nyabarongo , which flows from Nyungwe Forest in Rwanda. These two feeder rivers meet near Rusumo Falls on the border between Rwanda and Tanzania. These waterfalls are known for an event on 28–29 April 1994, when 250,000 Rwandans crossed
1066-626: The bridge at Rusumo Falls into Ngara , Tanzania , in 24 hours, in what the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees called "the largest and fastest refugee exodus in modern times". The Kagera forms part of the Rwanda–Tanzania and Tanzania–Uganda borders before flowing into Lake Victoria. The White Nile in Uganda goes under the name of "Victoria Nile" from Lake Victoria via Lake Kyoga to Lake Albert, and then as
1107-449: The centre of the country, thence west to Lake Albert. At Karuma Falls , the river flows under Karuma Bridge ( 2°14′45.40″N 32°15′9.05″E / 2.2459444°N 32.2525139°E / 2.2459444; 32.2525139 ) at the southeastern corner of Murchison Falls National Park . During much of the insurgency of the Lord's Resistance Army , Karuma Bridge, built in 1963 to help
1148-441: The cotton industry, was the key stop on the way to Gulu , where vehicles gathered in convoys before being provided with a military escort for the final run north. In 2009, the government of Uganda announced plans to construct a 750-megawatt hydropower project several kilometres north of the bridge, which was scheduled for completion in 2016. The World Bank had approved funding a smaller 200-megawatt power plant, but Uganda opted for
1189-603: The fertility of the Nile Valley and the consequent rise of Ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology . With the completion of the Aswan Dam in 1970, these floods stopped occurring in lower Egypt. During the summer monsoon season, the Blue Nile floods erode a vast amount of fertile soil from the Ethiopian Highlands and carry it downstream as silt , turning the water dark brown or almost black. The Blue Nile
1230-601: The first fully human-powered transit of the entire Blue Nile and the Nile in the Sudan and Egypt. Their journey of over 5,000 km (3,100 mi) took five months and traveled through Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. They recount that they paddled through civil war conflict zones, regions known for bandits, and encountered multiple hazards and rapids. 12°00′N 037°15′E / 12.000°N 37.250°E / 12.000; 37.250 White Nile The White Nile ( Arabic : النيل الأبيض an-nīl al-'abyaḍ )
1271-477: The first known people to navigate the Blue Nile in its entirety. Though their expedition included several others, Brown and Scaturro were the only ones to remain on the expedition for the entire journey. They chronicled their adventure with an IMAX camera and two handheld video cameras, sharing their story in the film Mystery of the Nile and in a book of the same title. On 29 January 2005, Canadian Les Jickling and his teammate New Zealander Mark Tanner completed
West Gojjam Zone - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-550: The government, local NGOs and the public, this program improved the rate of access to clean water for inhabitants in the Zone from 39% to 50.6%. 11°10′N 37°15′E / 11.167°N 37.250°E / 11.167; 37.250 Abay River The Blue Nile is a river originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia . It travels for approximately 1,450 km (900 mi) through Ethiopia and Sudan . Along with
1353-534: The mouth of the Sobat are very gently sloping and hold many swamps and lagoons. When in flood, the Sobat River tributary carries a large amount of sediment , adding greatly to the White Nile's pale color. From South Sudan's second city Malakal , the river runs slowly but swamp-free into Sudan and north to Khartoum. Downstream from Malakal lies Kodok , the site of the 1898 Fashoda Incident that marked an end to
1394-424: The population said they were Muslim . According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank memorandum, 6% of the inhabitants of West Gojjam have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 56.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers (compared to the national average of 30 kilometers), the average rural household has 1.1 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 0.75 for
1435-422: The river along its banks and through its impassable canyon but by following it from the highlands above, travelling some 8,000 km (5,000 mi) by mule in the adjacent country. In the 1950s and 1960s, several kayakers paddled parts of the canyon. In 1968, at the request of Haile Selassie , a team of 60 British and Ethiopian servicemen and scientists made the first full descent of the river from Lake Tana to
1476-618: The river becomes known as the "Mountain Nile" or "Baḥr al-Jabal" (also "Baḥr el-Jebel", بحر الجبل ), literally Mountain River" or "River of the Mountain". The Southern Sudanese state of Central Equatoria through which the river flows was known as Bahr al-Jabal until 2006. The southern stretch of the river encounters several rapids before reaching the Sudan plain and the vast swamp of the Sudd . It makes its way to Lake No, where it merges with
1517-476: The river is otherwise done by small boat or canoe. From the point at which the river enters South Sudan from Uganda, the river goes under the name of "Mountain Nile". From Lake No in South Sudan the river becomes the "White Nile" in its strictest sense, and so continues northwards into Sudan where it ends at its confluence with the Blue Nile. From Nimule in South Sudan, close to the border with Uganda,
1558-670: The river long before Páez, but not reached its source. The source of the Nile proper was also reached in 1629 by the Portuguese Jesuit missionary Jerónimo Lobo and in 1770 by the Scottish explorer James Bruce . Although European explorers contemplated tracing the course of the Nile from the Blue Nile's confluence with the White Nile to Lake Tana, the Blue Nile Canyon has discouraged all attempts since Frédéric Cailliaud 's attempt in 1821. The first serious attempt by
1599-536: The stretches of river draining from Lake Victoria through to the merger with the Blue Nile: the "Victoria Nile" from Lake Victoria via Lake Kyoga to Lake Albert , then the "Albert Nile" to the South Sudan border, and then the "Mountain Nile" or "Bahr-al-Jabal" down to Lake No. "White Nile" may sometimes include the headwaters of Lake Victoria, the most remote of which being 3,700 km (2,300 mi) from
1640-622: Was built by Emperor Fasilides in approximately 1660 with Roman bridge technology brought to Ethiopia by Portuguese soldiers during the battle with the Muslim invaders in 1507. In both 2001 and 2009, Bridges to Prosperity volunteers travelled from the United States to repair the broken bridge across the Blue Nile and later built a new suspension bridge not susceptible to flood. On 28 April 2004, geologist Pasquale Scaturro and his partner, kayaker and documentary filmmaker Gordon Brown, became
1681-430: Was forced to stop 500 km (300 mi) short of Lake Tana. Robert Cheesman , who records his surprise on arriving in Ethiopia at finding that the upper waters of "one of the most famous of the rivers of the world, and one whose name was well known to the ancients" was in his lifetime "marked on the map by dotted lines", managed to map the upper course of the Blue Nile between 1925 and 1933. He did this not by following