Ferfer is a town in the Ethiopian Somali Regional State, on the border with the Somali Hiran region (Beledweyne District).[1] The town straddles the disputed 1950s-era Provisional Administrative Line (as depicted on virtually all worldwide maps, atlases, and geographic websites) that separates the Ogaden region of Ethiopia from Somalia, and has a latitude and longitude of 05°05′N 45°08′E / 5.083°N 45.133°E / 5.083; 45.133 with an elevation of 230 meters above sea level.

Ferfer
Feer-feer
Ferfer is located in Ethiopia
Ferfer
Ferfer
Location within Ethiopia
Ferfer is located in Horn of Africa
Ferfer
Ferfer
Location within the Horn of Africa
Ferfer is located in Africa
Ferfer
Ferfer
Location within Africa
Coordinates: 05°05′N 45°05′E / 5.083°N 45.083°E / 5.083; 45.083
CountryEthiopia
RegionSomali Region
District (woreda)Ferfer
Elevation
177 m (581 ft)
Population
 (2005)
 • Total
133,521 (est)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)

During the first three months of 1964, heavy fighting took place between Ethiopia and Somalia at several border points in the Ogaden, one of which was Ferfer.[2] Ferfer was among the locations within Ethiopia that were still under Somali control after Somalia's defeat in the Ogaden War of 1977/78.[3]

The Ethiopian army maintains an important base in Ferfer.[4] In June 2008, the border town was briefly seized by the Somali al-Shabaab.[5]

Demographics

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Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Ferfer has an estimated total population of 4,411 of whom 2,418 are men and 1,993 are women.[6] The 1997 census reported this town had a total population of 2,956, 1,597 being men and 1,359 women. All of the inhabitants of this town were Somalis.[7] It is the largest settlement in the Ferfer woreda.

Notes

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  1. ^ [1] Administrative map of Beledweyne District
  2. ^ "Local History in Ethiopia" Archived 2011-05-28 at the Wayback Machine (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 23 January 2008)
  3. ^ Gebru Tareke, "The Ethiopia-Somalia War of 1977 Revisited," International Journal of African Historical Studies' Hawadle clan is a Majority clan in Both sides Somalia and Ethiopia ', 2000 (33), p. 660
  4. ^ Ethiopian troops occupy strategic crossroad in central Somalia Archived 2010-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Garowe Online, February 1, 2009 (accessed March 7, 2010)
  5. ^ Alisha Ryu: Peace Accord Brings More Violence to Somalia. VOA News, June 13, 2008 (accessed November 20, 2008)
  6. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics Archived November 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Table B.4
  7. ^ 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Somali Region, Vol. 1 Archived November 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Tables 2.4, 2.14 (accessed 10 January 2009). The results of the 1994 census in the Somali Region were not satisfactory, so the census was repeated in 1997.