Were Ilu (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Were Ilu is one of the 105 woreda
s in the Amhara Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Debub Wollo Zone
, Were Ilu is bordered on the southwest by Jama
, on the west by Kelala
, on the northwest by Legambo
, on the north by Dessie Zuria
, on the east by the Oromia Zone
, and on the southeast by the Wanchet
which separates it from the Semien Shewa Zone. Towns in Were Ilu include Kabe, Were Ilu
and Weyin Amba; a historic landmark is Mekane Selassie, the site of a church destroyed by Imam Ahmad Gragn.
Were Ilu stretches over a number of the ridges and valleys on the southern side of the massif which includes Mount Amba Ferit. Elevations range from about 1700 meters above sea level at the confluence of the Wanchet with its tributary the Sawan at the woreda's southmost point to about 3200 meters on its northern border.
of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 109,244, an increase of -9.11% over the 1994 census, of whom 54,252 are men and 54,992 women; 11,434 or 10.47% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 740.96 square kilometers, Were Ilu has a population density of 147.44, which is roughly equal than the Zone average of 147.58 persons per square kilometer. A total of 25,212 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.33 persons to a household, and 24,216 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 120,193 in 26,594 households, of whom 58,542 were men and 61,651 were women; 8,908 or 7.41% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Were Ilu was the Amhara
(99.91%). Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 99.93%. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 80.04% of the population reported as practicing that belief, while 19.83% 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 Amhara Region
Amhara Region
Amhara is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, containing the homeland of the Amhara people. Previously known as Region 3, its capital is Bahir Dar....
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 Debub Wollo Zone
Debub Wollo Zone
Debub Wollo is one of 10 Zones in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. It acquired its name from the former province of Wollo.Debub Wollo is bordered on the south by Semien Shewa and the Oromia Region, on the west by Mirab Gojjam, on the northwest by Debub Gondar, on the north by Semien Wollo and on the...
, Were Ilu is bordered on the southwest by Jama
Jama (woreda)
Jama is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debub Wollo Zone, Jama is bordered on the south and east by the Qechene River which separates it from the Semien Shewa Zone, on the west by Kelala, and on the north by Were Ilu...
, on the west by Kelala
Kelala (woreda)
Kelala is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. The name Kelala was derived from the Amharic word "tkelele". Part of the Debub Wollo Zone, Kelala is bordered on the south by the Semien Shewa Zone, on the southwest by the Walaqa River which separates it from the Oromia Region, on...
, on the northwest by Legambo
Legambo
Legambo is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. This woreda is named for one of the "Houses" or subgroups of the Wollo Oromo, who was located there...
, on the north by Dessie Zuria
Dessie Zuria
Dessie Zuria is one of the 105 woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Located at the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands in the Debub Wollo Zone, Dessie Zuria is bordered on the south by Were Ilu, on the west by Legambo, on the northwest by Tenta, on the north by Kutaber, on the northeast...
, on the east by the Oromia Zone
Oromia Zone
Oromia is one of 10 Zones in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Oromia is named for the Oromo people, who settled along the edge of the Ethiopian highlands that form this Zone. Oromia is bordered on the southwest by Semien Shewa, on the northwest by Debub Wollo, and on the east by the Afar Region...
, and on the southeast by the Wanchet
Wanchet River
Wanchet River is a river of central Ethiopia, and a tributary of the Jamma River. Along with the Adabay River, it defined the border of the former district of Marra Biete. Its crossing "Aqui afagi" is mentioned in the account of Francisco Álvares, who crossed it several times in the first quarter...
which separates it from the Semien Shewa Zone. Towns in Were Ilu include Kabe, Were Ilu
Were Ilu
Were Ilu is a town in north-central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of . From the 1870s, Were Ilu had a Thursday market....
and Weyin Amba; a historic landmark is Mekane Selassie, the site of a church destroyed by Imam Ahmad Gragn.
Were Ilu stretches over a number of the ridges and valleys on the southern side of the massif which includes Mount Amba Ferit. Elevations range from about 1700 meters above sea level at the confluence of the Wanchet with its tributary the Sawan at the woreda's southmost point to about 3200 meters on its northern border.
Demographics
Based on the 2007 national 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 109,244, an increase of -9.11% over the 1994 census, of whom 54,252 are men and 54,992 women; 11,434 or 10.47% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 740.96 square kilometers, Were Ilu has a population density of 147.44, which is roughly equal than the Zone average of 147.58 persons per square kilometer. A total of 25,212 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.33 persons to a household, and 24,216 housing units.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 120,193 in 26,594 households, of whom 58,542 were men and 61,651 were women; 8,908 or 7.41% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Were Ilu was 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...
(99.91%). 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...
was spoken as a first language by 99.93%. 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 80.04% of the population reported as practicing that belief, while 19.83% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.