- published: 02 May 2014
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The Harari people, also called Geyusu ("People of the City"), are a Semitic-speaking ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They traditionally inhabit Harar in the Harari Region of eastern Ethiopia.
Studies have shown Hararis are said to be connected with the ancient Harla tribe. Revelations of this was made by observing the similarities of the architecture and technology used in Harar city and ancient Harla sites. Although proof of language is currently unavailable, data suggests that Hararis were spread outside the city walls, occupying large regions from Karkaar mountains, and Middle Awash as well as the eastern region of Jijiga. To this day the region between Harar and Dire Dawa is still called Harla. The oromo migration is said to have assimilated the Harla-Harari population evidence of this was that blocks of semetic speakers were spread from Gurageland, islands of Lake Zway and the city of Harar. Before the major Adal-Ethiopian conflict it can be assumed that a Harari-Harla semetic group existed in vast regions across present day Ethiopia and Somalia.
Harari (Amharic:ሐረሪ) or officially, Harari People's National Regional State (Amharic:የሐረሪ ሕዝብ ክልል) is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia, covering the homeland of the Harari people. Formerly named Region 13, its capital is Harar.
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), Harari has a total population of 183,415, of whom 92,316 were men and 91,099 women. This region is the only one in Ethiopia where the majority of its population lives in urban area: 99,368 or 54.18% of the population are urban inhabitants. With an estimated area of 311.25 square kilometers, this region has an estimated density of 589.05 people per square kilometer. For the entire region 46,169 households were counted, which results in an average for the Region of 3.9 persons to a household, with urban households having on average 3.4 and rural households 4.6 people. Ethnic groups in the region include the Oromo (56.41%), Amhara (22.77%), Harari (8.65%), Gurage (4.34%), Somali (3.87%), Tigray (1.53%), and Argobba (1.26%). Languages spoke include Oromiffa (56.84%), Amharic (27.53%), Harari (7.33%), Somali (3.70%), and Gurage (2.91%). The religion with the most believers in the region is Muslim with 68.99%, 27.1% are Ethiopian Orthodox, 3.4% Protestant, 0.3% Catholic, and 0.2% followers of other religions.