Gibe River

The Gibe rises at an elevation of more than 2,000 m north of Bila town, west of the Chomen swamp from Gudeya Bila woreda, which is located in the East Welega Zone, Oromia Region.

Its tributaries include the Amara, Alanga, and Gilgel Gibe rivers.

The southern drainage area of the Gibe includes the Gibe region, site of a number of historic kingdoms of the Oromo and the Sidama people.

Although its banks and watershed have been inhabited since time since prehistoric times, the Gabe is first mentioned in the Royal Chronicle of Emperor Sarsa Dengel, who campaigned in the north of the region in 1566.

[2] The Gibe would not be visited again by Europeans until the 19th century, so Fernandes' account remained authoritative and was preferred over information obtained from native travellers.