Damot Weyde
Encyclopedia
Damot Weyde is one of the 77 woreda
s in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia
. Part of the Wolayita Zone
located in the Great Rift Valley
, Damot Weyde is bordered on the south by Humbo
, on the west by Sodo Zuria
, on the northwest by Damot Gale
, on the north by the Hadiya Zone
, on the northeast by the Oromia Region
, and on the east by the Bilate River
which separates it from the Sidama Zone
. The administrative center of this woreda is Bedesa; other towns in Damot Weyde include Dimtu.
Damot Weyde has 58 kilometers of all-weather roads and 90 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 191 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
Prior to the Ethiopian 2005 General Elections
, Amnesty International
reports that two activists for the Coalition for Unity and Democracy
were arrested while campaigning in this woreda towards the end of February 2005. Amnesty International included this incident as part of a series of government intimidation of opposition party activists.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 212,341, of whom 107,281 are men and 105,060 are women; 6,885 or 3.24% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 783.44 square kilometers, Damot Weyde has an estimated population density of 271 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 156.5.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 149,650 of whom 74,067 were men and 75,583 were women; 3,800 or 2.54% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Damot Weyde was the Welayta
(98.65%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.35% of the population. Welayta
was the dominant first language, spoken by 98.81% of the inhabitants; the remaining 1.19% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning religious beliefs, the 1994 census reported that 63.73% of the population said they were Protestants
, 26.86% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 4.17% were Roman Catholic
, and 3.36% were Muslim
.
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 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 Wolayita Zone
Wolayita Zone
Wolayita is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . it is named for the Welayta people, whose homeland lies in this Zone...
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...
, Damot Weyde is bordered on the south by Humbo
Humbo
Humbo is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Wolayita Zone located in the Great Rift Valley, Humbo is bordered on the south by Lake Abaya which separates it from the Oromia Region, on the southwest by the Gamo Gofa Zone, on the...
, on the west by Sodo Zuria
Sodo Zuria
Sodo Zuria is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Wolayita Zone, Sodo Zuria is bordered on the southwest by Offa, on the west by Kindo Koysha, on the north by Boloso Sore, on the northeast by Damot Gale, and on the east by Damot...
, on the northwest by Damot Gale
Damot Gale
Damot Gale is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Wolayita Zone, Damot Gale is bordered on the south by Sodo Zuria, on the west by Boloso Sore, on the north by the Hadiya Zone, and on the east by Damot Weyde...
, on the north by the Hadiya Zone
Hadiya Zone
Hadiya is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . This zone is named after the Hadiya of the Hadiya kingdom, whose homeland covers part of the administrative division...
, on the northeast by the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
, and on the east by the Bilate River
Bilate River
The Bilate is a river of south-central Ethiopia. It rises on the southwestern slopes of Mount Gurage near , flowing south along the western side of the Great Rift Valley, to empty into Lake Abaya at...
which separates it from the Sidama Zone
Sidama Zone
Sidama is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region . It is named for the Sidama people, whose homeland is located in this zone...
. The administrative center of this woreda is Bedesa; other towns in Damot Weyde include Dimtu.
Damot Weyde has 58 kilometers of all-weather roads and 90 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 191 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.
Prior to the Ethiopian 2005 General Elections
Ethiopian general elections, 2005
Ethiopia held general elections on May 15, 2005, for seats in both its national and in four regional government councils. Under pressure from the international community, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi promised that this election would be proof that more democracy would come in this multi-ethnic...
, Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
reports that two activists for the Coalition for Unity and Democracy
Coalition for Unity and Democracy
The Coalition for Unity and Democracy is a coalition of four existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections held on May 15, 2005. Its leader is Dr...
were arrested while campaigning in this woreda towards the end of February 2005. Amnesty International included this incident as part of a series of government intimidation of opposition party activists.
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 212,341, of whom 107,281 are men and 105,060 are women; 6,885 or 3.24% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 783.44 square kilometers, Damot Weyde has an estimated population density of 271 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 156.5.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 149,650 of whom 74,067 were men and 75,583 were women; 3,800 or 2.54% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Damot Weyde was the Welayta
Welayta people
Wolayta is the name of an ethnic group and its former kingdom, located in southern Ethiopia. According to the most recent census , they number 1.7 million people or 2.31 percent of the country's population, of whom 289,707 are urban inhabitants...
(98.65%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.35% of the population. Welayta
Welayta language
Wolaytta is an Omotic language spoken in the Wolaita Zone and some parts of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region of Ethiopia. The number of speakers of this language is estimated at 2,000,000 ; it is the native language of the Welayta people...
was the dominant first language, spoken by 98.81% of the inhabitants; the remaining 1.19% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning religious beliefs, the 1994 census reported that 63.73% 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...
, 26.86% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 4.17% were Roman Catholic
Roman Catholicism in Ethiopia
The Catholic Church in Ethiopia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.The Ethiopian Catholic Church, the primary organization of Catholicism in the country, is especially close to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, whose doctrine and...
, and 3.36% 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...
.