Alem Gena (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Alem Gena is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. It is named after one of its towns, Alem Gena
. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone
, Alem Gena is bordered on the south by Kersana Kondaltiti
, on the southwest by Tole
, on the west by Elu
, on the northwest by Ejerie
, on the north by Walmara
, on the northeast by the city of Addis Ababa
, and on the southeast by the Misraq Shewa Zone
. The Awash River
defines this woreda's boundary with Kersana Kondaltiti, Tole and Elu. The administrative center of this woreda is Sebeta
; other towns in Alem Gena include Awash Kunture, and Tefki.
The altitude of Alem Gena woreda ranges from 1700 meters above sea level to about 3385 meters. Rivers include the Sebeta. According to the woreda Agricultural and Rural Development Office, 87.2% of the land is devoted to agriculture, 4.2% is pasture, 2.9% is forest
, 1.86% is reserved for industrial establishment, 1.68% is covered by lakes and other bodies of water, and built-up land covers 1.28%.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 171,827, of whom 85,493 are men and 86,334 are women; 41,598 or 24.21% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 875.32 square kilometers, Alem Gena has an estimated population density of 196.3 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 152.8.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 118,099, of whom 59,488 were men and 58,611 women; 23,296 or 19.73% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The six largest ethnic groups reported in Alem Gena were the Oromo
(67.37%), the Amhara
(17.91%), the Sebat Bet
Gurage
(4.54%), the Soddo Gurage
(4.43%), the Werji
(2.5%), and the Gamo
(1.02%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.23% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 66.46%, 25.65% spoke Amharic
, 3.27% Soddo Gurage
, 2.18% Sebat Bet Gurage
, and 1.02% Gamo; the remaining 1.42% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 91.89% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 6.27% of the population said they were Muslim
, 1.03% were Protestant
, and 0.72% observed traditional beliefs.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. It is named after one of its towns, Alem Gena
Alem Gena
Alem Gena is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Mirab Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a longitude and latitude of with an elevation of 2369 meters above sea level...
. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone
Mirab Shewa Zone
Mirab Shewa is one of the 12 zones of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. This zone takes its name from the kingdom or former province of Shewa...
, Alem Gena is bordered on the south by Kersana Kondaltiti
Kersana Kondaltiti
Kersana Kondaltiti is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Kersana Kondaltiti is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the west by Kokir, on the northwest by Tole, on the northeast by Alem Gena, and on...
, on the southwest by Tole
Tole
Tole is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, it is bordered on the southwest by Kokir, on the west by Becho, on the northwest by Elu, on the northeast by the Awash which separates it from Alem Gena, and on the east and south by Kersana Kondaltiti...
, on the west by Elu
Elu (woreda)
Elu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Elu is bordered on the south by Becho, on the west by Dawo, on the northwest by Dendi, on the northeast by Ejerie, and on the east by the Awash which spearates it from Alem Gena. Towns in Elu include...
, on the northwest by Ejerie
Ejerie
Ejerie is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, it is bordered on the south by the Debub Mirab Shewa Zone, on the west by Dendi, on the northwest by Jeldu, on the north by Meta Robi, on the northeast by Adda Berga, and on the east by Walmara...
, on the north by Walmara
Walmara
Walmara is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, it is bordered on the south by the Debub Mirab Shewa Zone, on the west by Ejerie, on the north by Adda Berga, on the northeast by the Semien Shewa Zone, and on the east by the city of Addis Ababa...
, on the northeast by the city of Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
, and on the southeast by the Misraq Shewa Zone
Misraq Shewa Zone
Misraq Shewa is one of the 12 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone takes its name from the kingdom or former province of Shewa. Misraq Shewa is located in the middle of Oromia, connecting the western regions to the eastern ones...
. The Awash River
Awash River
The Awash is a major river of Ethiopia. Its course is entirely contained within the boundaries of Ethiopia, and empties into a chain of interconnected lakes that begin with Lake Gargori and end with Lake Abbe on the border with Djibouti, some 100 kilometers from the head of the Gulf of Tadjoura...
defines this woreda's boundary with Kersana Kondaltiti, Tole and Elu. The administrative center of this woreda is Sebeta
Sebeta
Sebeta is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Mirab Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2,356 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Alem Gena woreda....
; other towns in Alem Gena include Awash Kunture, and Tefki.
The altitude of Alem Gena woreda ranges from 1700 meters above sea level to about 3385 meters. Rivers include the Sebeta. According to the woreda Agricultural and Rural Development Office, 87.2% of the land is devoted to agriculture, 4.2% is pasture, 2.9% is forest
Forestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, 1.86% is reserved for industrial establishment, 1.68% is covered by lakes and other bodies of water, and built-up land covers 1.28%.
Demographics
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 171,827, of whom 85,493 are men and 86,334 are women; 41,598 or 24.21% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 875.32 square kilometers, Alem Gena has an estimated population density of 196.3 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 152.8.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 118,099, of whom 59,488 were men and 58,611 women; 23,296 or 19.73% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The six largest ethnic groups reported in Alem Gena were the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and 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...
(67.37%), the Amhara
Amhara people
Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...
(17.91%), the Sebat Bet
Sebat Bet Gurage language
Sebat Bet is a Gurage language, spoken in several dialects found in the western Gurage Zone:*Chaha is spoken in Cheha woreda, and is the best studied of these dialects;*Ezha is spoken in Ezhana Wolene woreda,...
Gurage
Gurage
Gurage is an ethnic group in Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, its population is 1,867,377 people , of whom 792,659 are urban dwellers. This is 2.53% of the total population of Ethiopia, or 7.52% of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region...
(4.54%), the Soddo Gurage
Soddo language
Soddo is a Gurage language spoken by about 300,000 people in southeastern Ethiopia...
(4.43%), the Werji
Werji people
Werji is an ethnic group living in Ethiopia numbering 20,480 according to the 1994 Ethiopian census . They are located primarily in Southwestern Ethiopia and may have originally spoken an East Gurage language, but today primarily speak Oromo...
(2.5%), and the Gamo
Gamo people
Gamo is the name of the Ethiopian ethnic group who speak the Gamo language. The name "Gamo" means a lion, which refers to their legacy; along with the Goffa, they gave their names to the former Gamo-Gofa province of Ethiopia. The 2007 Ethiopian national census reported that 1,107,163 people ...
(1.02%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.23% of the population. Oromiffa
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
was spoken as a first language by 66.46%, 25.65% spoke Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
, 3.27% Soddo Gurage
Soddo language
Soddo is a Gurage language spoken by about 300,000 people in southeastern Ethiopia...
, 2.18% Sebat Bet Gurage
Sebat Bet Gurage language
Sebat Bet is a Gurage language, spoken in several dialects found in the western Gurage Zone:*Chaha is spoken in Cheha woreda, and is the best studied of these dialects;*Ezha is spoken in Ezhana Wolene woreda,...
, and 1.02% Gamo; the remaining 1.42% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 91.89% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 6.27% of the population said they were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
, 1.03% were Protestant
P'ent'ay
P'ent'ay or Pentay is a slang term widely used in modern Ethiopia, and among Ethiopians living abroad, to describe Ethiopian Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches...
, and 0.72% observed traditional beliefs.