Amaro special woreda
Encyclopedia
Amaro is one of the 79 woreda
s in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia
. Because Amaro is not part of any Zone in the SNNPR, it is considered a special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area
. Located in the Great Rift Valley
, Amaro is bordered on the south by Burji special woreda
, on the east by Gamo Gofa
and Lake Chamo
, and on the north and east by the Oromia Region
. It is divided into 32 kebeles. The administrative center of the woreda is Kele
.
The highest peak in the woreda is Mount Delo (3240 meters), which is part of the Amaro mountains
. Much of the western part of this woreda lies inside the Nechisar National Park
. The major crops grown in Amaro are teff
, corn, wheat, barley, navy beans, and coffee
. Amaro has 39 kilometers of all-weather roads and 16 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 36 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. The Central Statistical Agency
(CSA) reported that 1,082 tons of coffee were produced in the year ending in 2005, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority. This represents 0.48% of the SNNPR's output and 1.08% of Ethiopia's total output.
This woreda was selected as one of the three areas for Agri-Service Ethiopia to implement an Integrated Food Security Program. This Program operates in 10 of the woreda's kebele
s, with the goal of improving agricultural practices, developing new rural water sources, and maintain and improve the existing local schools.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 149,231, of whom 75,202 are men and 74,029 women. With an area of 1,422.16 square kilometers, Amaro has a population density of 104.93; 8,633 or 5.78% are urban inhabitants. A total of 28,969 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 5.15 persons to a household, and 27,941 housing units.
In the 1994 Census this woreda had a population of 98,315 in 19,060 households, of whom 49,277 were men and 49,038 women; 3,059 or 3.11% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Amaro were the Koorete (93.11%), and the Amhara
(0.8%); all other ethnic groups made up 6.19% of the population. Koorete
was spoken as a first language by 97.79% of the inhabitants, 0.82% spoke Oromiffa
, and 0.82% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.57% spoke all other primary languages reported. 51.63% of the population said they were Protestants
, 35.46% practiced traditional religions, and 10.38% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. Concerning education
, 22.76% of the population were considered literate; 10.54% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 1.32% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.84% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, about 36% of the urban houses and 9% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 60% of the urban and 10% of the total had toilet facilities.
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 Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR) 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...
. Because Amaro is not part of any Zone in the SNNPR, it is considered a special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area
Autonomous area
An autonomous area or autonomous entity is an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or freedom from an external authority. Typically it is either geographically distinct from the rest of the country or populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often...
. Located in the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
, Amaro is bordered on the south by Burji special woreda
Burji special woreda
Burji is one of the 79 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. Because Burji is not part of any Zone in the SNNPR, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. It is named for the Burji people, who...
, on the east by Gamo Gofa
Gamo Gofa Zone
Gamo Gofa is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . It is named for the Gamo and Gofa peoples, whose homelands lie in this Zone...
and Lake Chamo
Lake Chamo
Lake Chamo is a lake in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of southern Ethiopia. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at an elevation of 1,110 meters. It is just to the south of Lake Abaya and the city of Arba Minch, and east of the Guge Mountains.The lake's northern end...
, and on the north and east by the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
. It is divided into 32 kebeles. The administrative center of the woreda is Kele
Kele, Ethiopia
Kele is a town in southern Ethiopia, and is the administrative center of the Amaro special woreda. Located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region southeast of Lake Abaya, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an altitude of 1424 meters above sea level...
.
The highest peak in the woreda is Mount Delo (3240 meters), which is part of the Amaro mountains
Amaro Mountains
The Amaro Mountains are a mountain range in south western Ethiopia. Extending 60 kilometers along a north-south axis east of Lake Chamo, these mountains are located in the Nechisar National Park, which lies in the Amaro special woreda. These elevations expose an assemblage of uniform, fine-grained,...
. Much of the western part of this woreda lies inside the Nechisar National Park
Nechisar National Park
Nechisar National Park is one of the National Parks of Ethiopia. Located in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region immediately to the east of Arba Minch, its 514 square kilometers of territory include the "Bridge of God" , and the Nechisar plains east of the lakes...
. The major crops grown in Amaro are teff
Teff
Eragrostis tef, known as teff, taf , or khak shir , is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the northern Ethiopian Highlands of Northeast Africa....
, corn, wheat, barley, navy beans, and coffee
Coffee production in Ethiopia
The coffee production in Ethiopia is critical to the Ethiopian economy with about 25% of the population depending directly or indirectly on coffee for its livelihood...
. Amaro has 39 kilometers of all-weather roads and 16 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 36 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. The Central Statistical Agency
Central 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...
(CSA) reported that 1,082 tons of coffee were produced in the year ending in 2005, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority. This represents 0.48% of the SNNPR's output and 1.08% of Ethiopia's total output.
This woreda was selected as one of the three areas for Agri-Service Ethiopia to implement an Integrated Food Security Program. This Program operates in 10 of the woreda's kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
s, with the goal of improving agricultural practices, developing new rural water sources, and maintain and improve the existing local schools.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 Census conducted 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...
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 149,231, of whom 75,202 are men and 74,029 women. With an area of 1,422.16 square kilometers, Amaro has a population density of 104.93; 8,633 or 5.78% are urban inhabitants. A total of 28,969 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 5.15 persons to a household, and 27,941 housing units.
In the 1994 Census this woreda had a population of 98,315 in 19,060 households, of whom 49,277 were men and 49,038 women; 3,059 or 3.11% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Amaro were the Koorete (93.11%), and 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...
(0.8%); all other ethnic groups made up 6.19% of the population. Koorete
Koorete language
Koorete is the language spoken by the Koore people of southern Ethiopia.-Bibliography:*Hayward, R. 1982. "Notes on the Koyra Language". Afrika und Übersee 65: pp. 211–268....
was spoken as a first language by 97.79% of the inhabitants, 0.82% spoke 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...
, and 0.82% 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...
; the remaining 0.57% spoke all other primary languages reported. 51.63% of the population said they were Protestants
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...
, 35.46% practiced traditional religions, and 10.38% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. Concerning education
Education in Ethiopia
Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the provision of schools and...
, 22.76% of the population were considered literate; 10.54% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 1.32% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 0.84% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
Water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia
Access to water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia is amongst the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa and the entire world. While access has increased substantially with funding from external aid, much still remains to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the share of people...
, about 36% of the urban houses and 9% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 60% of the urban and 10% of the total had toilet facilities.