Dire Dawa

Dire Dawa is Ethiopia’s second largest city located in the eastern part of the country, with a hot and arid climate, Dire Dawa lies on the Dechatu River, at the foot of a ring of cliffs. It was founded in 1902 after the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway reached the area. The railroad could not reach the city of Harar at its higher elevation, so Dire Dawa was built nearby. Its low-lying location next to the Dechatu River made it ideal for settlement, and it soon became a vibrant cosmopolitan center, as Greek, Turkish, Arab, French, and Indian merchants settled to make use of the railway.
Based on figures from Central Statistical Agency in 2007, Dire Dawa has an estimated population of 342,930. Dire Dawa is therefore one of two chartered cities in Ethiopia; the other one being Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
The city is connected to Addis Ababa and the historical city of Harar by road. Dire Dawa’s official working language is Amharic, but other commonly spoken languages include Oromiffa, Somalae, and Guragae.