Wonchi
Encyclopedia
Wonchi is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone
, Wonchi is bordered on the southwest by Amaya
, on the northwest by Ambo
, on the northeast by Dendi
, and on the southeast by Walisona Goro
. The major town in Wonchi is Chitu.
The highest point in Wonchi is Mount Dendi
, located on the border with Dendi woreda. Although coffee
is an important cash crop of this woreda, less than 20 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 108,550, of whom 55,090 are men and 53,460 are women; 1,574 or 1.45% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 457.51 square kilometers, Wonchi has an estimated population density of 237.3 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 78,736, of whom 39,009 were men and 39,727 women; 880 or 1.12% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Wonchi were the Oromo
(98.87%), and the Amhara
(0.84%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.29% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 99.46%. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 93.18% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 5.23% of the population said they were Protestant
, and 1.1% 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 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...
, Wonchi is bordered on the southwest by Amaya
Amaya (woreda)
Amaya is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Amaya is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the west by Nono, on the northwest by Tikur, on the northeast by Wonchi, and on the east by Walisona Goro...
, on the northwest by Ambo
Ambo (woreda)
Ambo 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 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 Shewa Zone...
, on the northeast 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 Walisona Goro
Walisona Goro
Walisona Goro is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, it is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the west by Amaya, on the northwest by Wonchi, on the north by Dawo, on the northeast by Becho and on...
. The major town in Wonchi is Chitu.
The highest point in Wonchi is Mount Dendi
Mount Dendi
Mount Dendi is a volcano located near the city of Addis Abeba, in Ethiopia.It has a 8 km wide caldera its highest point is Mount Bodi, it has a lake which is called after its same name....
, located on the border with Dendi woreda. 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 of this woreda, less than 20 square kilometers are planted with this crop.
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 108,550, of whom 55,090 are men and 53,460 are women; 1,574 or 1.45% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 457.51 square kilometers, Wonchi has an estimated population density of 237.3 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 78,736, of whom 39,009 were men and 39,727 women; 880 or 1.12% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Wonchi 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...
(98.87%), 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...
(0.84%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.29% 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 99.46%. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 93.18% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 5.23% of the population said they 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...
, and 1.1% 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...
.