Seru (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Seru is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. It is named after the woreda capital, Seru
. Part of the Arsi Zone
, Seru is bordered on the south and east by the Shebelle River
which separates it from the Bale Zone
, on the west by the Wabe River which separates it from Robe
, on the north by Amigna
, and on the northeast by the Mirab (West) Hararghe Zone
. Other towns include Bele
.
is the highest point. Rivers include the 70 kilometers of the Darro and 25 kilometers of the Waji. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 19.8% is arable or cultivable (13.1% was under annual crops), 21.8% pasture, 32.9% forest, and the remaining 25.5% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. The Arba Liji cave and mosque are local landmarks. Khat
and coffee
are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes 16 grain mills employing 45 people, as well as 269 registered businessmen of whom 26% were wholesalers, 57.6% retailers and 16.4% were service providers. There were 27 Farmers Associations with 13,573 members and 5 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 10,496 members. Seru has 31 kilometers of dry-weather and 34 of all-weather road, for an average of road density of 27.5 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 14.1% of the total population has access to drinking water
.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 112,183, of whom 56,642 are men and 55,541 are women; 7,733 or 6.89% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 2,361.57 square kilometers, Seru has an estimated population density of 47.5 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 132.2.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 80,358, of whom 40,007 were men and 40,351 women; 4,334 or 5.39% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Seru were the Oromo
(93.64%), and the Amhara
(6.08%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.28% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 90.62%, and 5.86% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 3.52% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 63% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 36.8% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.
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 the woreda capital, Seru
Seru
Seru is a town in southeastern Ethiopia. Located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2302 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Seru woreda....
. Part of the Arsi Zone
Arsi Zone
Arsi is one of the 12 zones of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. Arsi is also the name of a former province. Both the Zone and the former province are named after a subgroup of the Oromo, who inhabit both...
, Seru is bordered on the south and east 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 it from 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...
, on the west by the Wabe River which separates it from Robe
Robe (woreda)
Robe is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the Robe River, 80 kilometers of which flows through the woreda. Part of the Arsi Zone, Robe is bordered on the south by the Shebelle River which separates it from the Bale Zone, on the southwest by Sherka, on the...
, on the north by Amigna
Amigna
Amigna is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Amigna is bordered on the south by Seru, on the southwest by Robe, on the west by Sude, on the northwest by Chole, on the north by Gololcha, and on the east by the Mirab Hararghe Zone...
, and on the northeast by the Mirab (West) 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...
. Other towns include Bele
Bélé
A bélé is a folk song and dance from Dominica, performed most commonly during full moon evenings, or sometimes during funeral wakes . It may be the oldest Creole dance from Dominica, and strongly reflects influences from African fertility dances. The dance is also popular in Saint Lucia...
.
Overview
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 950 to 2500 meters above sea level; Abul KasimAbul Kasim (mountain)
Abul Kasim is a mountain in southeastern Ethiopia. Located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region, this mountain has an elevation of above sea level...
is the highest point. Rivers include the 70 kilometers of the Darro and 25 kilometers of the Waji. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 19.8% is arable or cultivable (13.1% was under annual crops), 21.8% pasture, 32.9% forest, and the remaining 25.5% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. The Arba Liji cave and mosque are local landmarks. Khat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
and 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,...
are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes 16 grain mills employing 45 people, as well as 269 registered businessmen of whom 26% were wholesalers, 57.6% retailers and 16.4% were service providers. There were 27 Farmers Associations with 13,573 members and 5 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 10,496 members. Seru has 31 kilometers of dry-weather and 34 of all-weather road, for an average of road density of 27.5 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 14.1% 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 112,183, of whom 56,642 are men and 55,541 are women; 7,733 or 6.89% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 2,361.57 square kilometers, Seru has an estimated population density of 47.5 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 132.2.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 80,358, of whom 40,007 were men and 40,351 women; 4,334 or 5.39% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Seru 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...
(93.64%), 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...
(6.08%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.28% 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 90.62%, and 5.86% 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 3.52% 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 63% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 36.8% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.