Legehida
Encyclopedia
Legehida is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Bale Zone
, Legehida is bordered on the south by Seweyna
, on the southwest by Gaserana Gololcha
, and all other sides by the Shebelle River
which separates this woreda from the Mirab Hararghe Zone
on the northwest, the Misraq Hararghe Zone
on the northeast and from the Somali Region
on the east. The administrative center of the woreda is Beltu; other towns in Legehida include Sheikh Hussein
.
, and the remaining 5.2% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Wheat
, teff
and corn
are important crops. Although coffee
is an important cash crop, less than 2,000 hectares are planted with it.
No licensed industry exists in this woreda, although there five retailers and one service provider. There were 17 Farmers Associations with 6149 members and no Farmers Service Cooperatives. Legehida has no roads, leaving Beltu 65 kilometers from the nearest all-weather road; the Socio-Economic profile for the Bale Zone describes Legehida as "one of the remotest districts in the Zone". About 4.7% of the total population has access to drinking water
.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 52,568, of whom 26,414 were males and 26,154 were females; 1,225 or 2.33% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.5%. With an estimated area of 5,799.69 square kilometers, Legehida has an estimated population density of 9.1 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 27.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 38,052, of whom 19,031 were men and 19,021 women; 683 or 1.79% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic group reported in Legehida was the Oromo
(99.5%); Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 96.95%, while the remaining 3.05% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 99.89% of the population having reported they practiced that belief.
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 Bale Zone
Bale Zone
Bale is one of the 17 zones in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Bale is named for the former kingdom of Bale, which was in approximately the same area...
, Legehida is bordered on the south by Seweyna
Seweyna
Seweyna is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Located in the eastern part of the Bale Zone, Seweyna is bordered on the south by Raytu, on the southwest by Ginir, on the northwest by Gaserana Gololcha, on the north by Legehida, and on the east by the Somali Region...
, on the southwest by Gaserana Gololcha
Gaserana Gololcha
Gaserana Gololcha is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Bale Zone, Gaserana Gololcha is bordered on the south by Ginir, on the southwest by Sinanana Dinsho, on the west by Agarfa, on the north by the Shebelle River which separates it from the Arsi Zone, on the...
, and all other sides by the Shebelle River
Shebelle River
The Shebelle River begins in the highlands of Ethiopia, and then flows southeast into Somalia towards Mogadishu. Near Mogadishu, it turns sharply southwest, where it follows the coast. Below Mogadishu, the river becomes seasonal...
which separates this woreda from the Mirab Hararghe Zone
Mirab Hararghe Zone
Mirab Hararghe is one of the 17 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Mirab Hararghe takes its name from the former province of Hararghe. Mirab Harerge is bordered on the south by the Shebelle River which separates it from Bale, on the southwest by Arsi, on the northwest by the Afar Region, on...
on the northwest, the Misraq Hararghe Zone
Misraq Hararghe Zone
Misraq Hararghe is one of the 17 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Misraq Hararge takes its name from the former province of Hararghe. Misraq Hararge is bordered on the southwest by the Shebelle River which separates it from Bale, on the west by Mirab Hararghe, on the north by Dire Dawa and...
on the northeast and from the Somali Region
Somali Region
Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
on the east. The administrative center of the woreda is Beltu; other towns in Legehida include Sheikh Hussein
Sheikh Hussein
Sheikh Hussein is a village in south-eastern Ethiopia. Located in the Bale Zone of the Oromia Region, it has a longitude and latitude of with an elevation of 1386 meters above sea level...
.
Overview
Mount Goden is the highest point in this woreda; other major peaks include Mounts Gerecha and Keban. Perennial rivers include the Tare and Harkiso-Fik. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 16.5% is arable or cultivable (4.24% was in annual crops), 50% pasture, 28.3% forestForestry 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...
, and the remaining 5.2% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, 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....
and corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
are important crops. Although coffee
Coffee
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, less than 2,000 hectares are planted with it.
No licensed industry exists in this woreda, although there five retailers and one service provider. There were 17 Farmers Associations with 6149 members and no Farmers Service Cooperatives. Legehida has no roads, leaving Beltu 65 kilometers from the nearest all-weather road; the Socio-Economic profile for the Bale Zone describes Legehida as "one of the remotest districts in the Zone". About 4.7% of the total population has access to drinking water
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...
.
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 52,568, of whom 26,414 were males and 26,154 were females; 1,225 or 2.33% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.5%. With an estimated area of 5,799.69 square kilometers, Legehida has an estimated population density of 9.1 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 27.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 38,052, of whom 19,031 were men and 19,021 women; 683 or 1.79% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic group reported in Legehida was 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...
(99.5%); 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 96.95%, while the remaining 3.05% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants 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...
, with 99.89% of the population having reported they practiced that belief.