Ambo (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Ambo is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone
, it is bordered on the southwest by Tikur
, on the west by Cheliya
, on the north by Ginde Beret
, on the northeast by Jeldu
, on the east by Dendi
, and on the southeast by the Debub Mirab (Southwest) Shewa Zone. The administrative center of this woreda is Ambo
; other towns include Gorosile, Guder
, Meti and Toke Erensa.
is an important cash crop of Ambo; over 50 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
This woreda is home to Dr. Merera Gudina
, the founder and chairman of the Oromo People's Congress
(OPC). Although the OPC has a large following in Ambo, Human Rights Watch
has received reports of kebele
officials imprisoning people for campaigning for or providing support to the OPC, or expelling students from school for the same.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 260,193, of whom 131,922 are men and 128,271 are women; 70,675 or 27.16% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 1,588.13 square kilometers, Ambo has an estimated population density of 163.8 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 177,465, of whom 87,325 were men and 90,140 women; 39,535 or 22.28% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Ambo were the Oromo
(92.58%), and the Amhara
(5.76%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.16% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 90.92%, and 8.37% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.81% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 74.16% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 18.77% of the population said they held traditional beliefs, and 6.07% were Protestant
.
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...
. 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...
, it is bordered on the southwest by Tikur
Tikur
Tikur 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 Nono, on the northwest by Cheliya, on the northeast by Ambo, and on the southeast by the Debub Mirab Shewa Zone...
, on the west by Cheliya
Cheliya
Cheliya is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Cheliya is bordered on the south by Nono and Dano, on the southwest by the Gibe River which separates it from the Jimma Zone, on the west by Bako Tibe, on the northwest by the Guder River which...
, on the north by Ginde Beret
Ginde Beret
Gindeberet is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Ginde Beret is bordered on the south by Jeldu, on the southwest by Ambo, on the west by the Guder River which separates it from the Misraq Welega Zone, on the north by the Abay River which separates...
, on the northeast by Jeldu
Jeldu
Jeldu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Jedlu is bordered on the south by Dendi, on the southwest by Ambo, on the north by Ginde Beret, on the northeast by Meta Robi, and on the southeast by Ejerie...
, on the east by Dendi
Dendi (woreda)
Dendi is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Dendi is bordered on the south by the Debub Mirab Shewa Zone, on the west by Ambo, on the north by Jeldu, and on the east by Ejerie...
, and on the southeast by the Debub Mirab (Southwest) Shewa Zone. The administrative center of this woreda is Ambo
Ambo, Ethiopia
Ambo is a spa town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Mirab Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, west of Addis Ababa, this town has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2101 meters...
; other towns include Gorosile, Guder
Guder
Guder is a town located in the Mirab Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Located 12km west of Ambo, this town has a latitude and longitude of , with an elevation of 2101 meters above sea level...
, Meti and Toke Erensa.
Overview
One of the high points in this woreda is Mount Wenchi (3386 meters). CoffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
is an important cash crop of Ambo; over 50 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
This woreda is home to Dr. Merera Gudina
Merera Gudina
Dr. Merera Gudina is a professor and politician in Ethiopia. He is the leader of the Oromo People's Congress , a political party based on the Oromo people which is opposed to the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front....
, the founder and chairman of the Oromo People's Congress
Oromo People's Congress
The Oromo People's Congress is one of the major opposition political parties in Ethiopia. It was founded in April 1996 under the name of Oromo National Congress by Dr. Merera Gudina, who is currently its chairman...
(OPC). Although the OPC has a large following in Ambo, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
has received reports of kebele
Kebele
A kebele is the smallest administrative unit of Ethiopia similar to ward, a neighbourhood or a localized and delimited group of people...
officials imprisoning people for campaigning for or providing support to the OPC, or expelling students from school for the same.
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 260,193, of whom 131,922 are men and 128,271 are women; 70,675 or 27.16% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 1,588.13 square kilometers, Ambo has an estimated population density of 163.8 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 177,465, of whom 87,325 were men and 90,140 women; 39,535 or 22.28% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Ambo 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...
(92.58%), 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...
(5.76%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.16% 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 90.92%, and 8.37% 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 0.81% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 74.16% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 18.77% of the population said they held traditional beliefs, and 6.07% 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...
.