A leader elected by the gadaa system remains in power only for 8 years, with an election taking place at the end of those 8 years. The Oromo people followed their traditional religion and used the gadaa system of governance. The word Oromo appeared in European literature for the first time in 1893 and slowly became common in the second half of the 20th century. Oromos speak the Oromo language as a mother tongue (also called Afaan Oromoo and Oromiffa), which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia and represent 34.5% of Ethiopia's population. The Oromo people (Oromo: Oromoo English: Oromo) are a Cushitic ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia.
