The Oromo (Oromo: Oromoo) are an ethnic group found in
Ethiopia, in northern Kenya, and to a lesser extent in parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census. Their native language is Oromo (also called
Afaan Oromoo and
Oromiffa), which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family.
The Oromo were
formerly called
Galla by non-Oromo Ethiopians, and one may encounter this name in older texts, but it is considered a
pejorative term.
