Gula , also spelled Goula , is an ethnic group who lives in Central African Republic , Chad , and Sudan . In the Central African Republic, they live in the northern regions of Vakaga , Bamingui-Bangoran , and Haute-Kotto .
30-639: Gula people are believed to have originated from Blue Nile region in Ethiopia. Around 1750, they migrated to Darfur . In Darfur, the Gula people faced hostility from the Fur . Consequently, they migrated to an area near Lake Mamoun, Vakaga, in 1795. Lake Mamoun was chosen because there was plenty of fish, and the area was uninhabited before they arrived. In the 19th century, Gula people were often attacked by slave raiders from Darfur, Dar al Kuti , and Kara. Moreover, they had to pay
60-605: A peace conference in Addis Ababa , between South Sudanese rebels and Sudan. This put an end to the First Sudanese Civil War and reestablished good relations . In 1972 Sudan and Ethiopia exchanged notes concerning their boundary problems. However, "an exchange of notes between Ethiopia and Sudan failed to settle the question of the Baro salient or make arrangements to stop banditry and establish peaceful coexistence among
90-400: 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
120-413: 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
150-662: 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
180-484: 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
210-467: A tribute of 1,000 slaves, ivory, honey, and copper to Darfur. Enslavement of Gula reached its peak in 1890-1911 when Dar al Kuti's ruler, Muhammad al-Sanussi, sent slave raiders to the Gula region to obtain slaves and pillage the villages. Hence, by 1905, Vakaga was depopulated and Gula fled to either N'Délé or Abéché . Gula only returned to Vakaga after France subjugated Dar al Kuti in 1911. In 1926–1927, France ordered Gula to live in settlements along
240-685: Is a disputed border between the Federal Republic of Ethiopia and the Republic of the Sudan since the 19th century. Ethiopia and Sudan share a long boundary of 744 km (462 mi) in length. Though it was not acceptable by the Ethiopian Empire, the Ethio-Sudan colonial border is not clear since it mainly relies on natural landmarks such as mountains, trees, and rivers. One of the most disputed areas
270-488: Is the fertile agricultural region of al-Fashaga , where Ethiopia claims the land up to the Atbarah and Tekezé River while Sudan claims the border is further east. On 15 April 1891, Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II sent a letter to European heads of state which defined the actual boundaries of his empire as well as what he considered his area of influence. The letter stated that the northwestern border of Abyssinia extends from
300-519: Is the place where Gula does their hunting activities. Nowadays, Gula also involve in diamond mining activity in Bria . This Central African Republic -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Blue Nile 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
330-728: 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
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#1732877250341360-686: 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
390-627: 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
420-698: 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
450-1098: 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
480-424: 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
510-580: 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 ,
540-558: 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
570-529: The Ouanda Djalle-Birao Road for defensive purposes. They also recruited Gula men for the Congo–Ocean Railway project. Some Gula refused to follow France's order and fled to Chad . Around 1960, Gula converted from animism to Islam. Nevertheless, they still retained some pre-Islam practices. Gula is divided into two major groups and eight subgroups: Each sub-group has its dialect and Sara is
600-688: The city of Tomat, located at the confluence of the Setit and Atbara Rivers, to Karakouj on the Blue Nile , and includes the Al Qadarif district . Menelik announced his intention to restore his old borders, which extended west to Khartoum and south to Lake Victoria . It appears that Menelik's circular did not reach Queen Victoria , and the British government only learned of it during Rennell Rodd 's expedition in 1897 to discuss some issues with Menelik. When Sudan
630-583: 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
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#1732877250341660-650: 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 Ethiopia%E2%80%93Sudan border The Ethiopia–Sudan border ( Arabic : الحدود الإثيوبية السودانية ; Amharic : የኢትዮ ሱዳን ድንበር , romanized : ye’ītiyo sudani diniberi )
690-477: 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
720-408: The most distinct dialect. Gula is a patrilineal society. For marriage, Gula allows levirate marriage. Polygamy is common practice among Gula people. Gula people heavily rely on agriculture, hunting, and fishing for their livelihood. Millet, sorghum, and peanuts are the plants that the Gula people cultivate. They also made alcoholic beverages made from millet. Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park
750-422: 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
780-649: 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
810-611: 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
840-430: 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
870-764: Was not achieved, since the Government of Sudan supported the armed groups, the Eritrean Liberation Front and Eritrean People's Liberation Front , along the Ethiopia–Sudan border that fought against Haile Selassie's government. Following this, the Imperial government of Ethiopia felt obligated to support the rebel movement in South Sudan known as Anya Nya . This caused the first civil war which took place between 1955 and 1972. On 17 February 1972 Ethiopia hosted
900-603: Was under the colonial rule of the British Empire , there was no clear border demarcation between Ethiopia and Sudan. But in the 1902 Anglo-Ethiopian Treaty , while Sudan was still under British rule, the British Empire demarcated a border by the help of Charles Gwynn , British royal engineer , without the presence of the Ethiopian Empire . In 1956, when Ethiopia was under the rule of Haile Selassie , Sudan achieved independence from British colonial rule. However, peace
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