The Boorana (also known as Borana) are one of the two major subgroups of the Oromo people. A Cushitic ethnic group, they primarily inhabit the Borena Zone of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia and the former Eastern Province in northern Kenya, specifically Marsabit County. They speak a distinct dialect of the Oromo language by the same name, Boorana.
Demography and language
thumb|Borana children near the town of [[Yabelo in Borena Zone, Ethiopia ]]
Through the Gadha system, the Boranas are believed to have conquered and protected their territories until the second world war when they were overpowered by colonial policies. Since they were semi-nomadic, their population growth did not match that of their neighbors both in Kenya and Ethiopia, which put them at risk of losing much of their territory. Today, they make up the majority of the population in Moyale and the surrounding region.
For generations, Borana men have dedicated themselves to extracting salt from the crater of an extinct volcano called "Chew Bet" located in southern Ethiopia. After having extracted the salt in a very hard way, the salt is sold at a good price since it is a highly appreciated commodity in this region.
Those in Kenya and Ethiopia speak the Borana language that is closely related to the Oromo, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the large Afro-Asiatic language family. In the border regions of Ethiopia-Kenya and southwestern Somalia, one estimate places about 1,094,000 people as Boranas. Another estimate in 2019 suggests 874,000 Boranas in Ethiopia, 210,000 in Kenya and 10,000 in Somalia.