Sebeta Hawas

Alem Gena is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne, Alem Gena is on the southwest by Debub Mirab Shewa Zone, on the northwest by Walmara, on the north by Burayu, on the northeast by the city of Addis Ababa, and on the east by the Akaki. The Awash River defines this woreda's boundary with Debub Mirab Shewa Zone. The towns in Sebeta Hawas include Alem Gena, Awash Melka, and Tefki. The town of Sebeta was separated from this woreda.

The altitude of woreda ranges from 1700 metres above sea level to about 3385 metres. Rivers include the Sebeta. According to the woreda Agricultural and Rural Development Office, 87.2% of the land is devoted to agriculture, 4.2% is pasture, 2.9% is forest, 1.86% is reserved for industrial establishment, 1.68% is covered by lakes and other bodies of water, and built-up land covers 1.28%.^[1]

Demographics

The 2007 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 132,294, of whom 68,133 were men and 64,161 were women; 7,359 or 5.56% of its population were urban dwellers. The majority of the inhabitants said they practised Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 87.44% of the population reporting they observed this belief, while 5.37% of the population were Muslim, 4.57% observed traditional beliefs, and 2.44% were Protestant.^[2]

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 171,827, of whom 85,493 are men and 86,334 are women; 41,598 or 24.21% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 875.32 square kilometers, Alem Gena has an estimated population density of 196.3 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 152.8.^[3]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 118,099, of whom 59,488 were men and 58,611 women; 23,296 or 19.73% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The six largest ethnic groups reported in Alem Gena were the Oromo (67.37%), the Amhara (17.91%), the Sebat Bet Gurage (4.54%), the Soddo Gurage (4.43%), the Werji (2.5%), and the Gamo (1.02%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.23% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 66.46%, 25.65% spoke Amharic, 3.27% Soddo Gurage, 2.18% Sebat Bet Gurage, and 1.02% Gamo; the remaining 1.42% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 91.89% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 6.27% of the population said they were Muslim, 1.03% were Protestant, and 0.72% observed traditional beliefs.^[4]

Notes

1. Abebe Gizachew Abate, "Contested land rights: Oromo peasants struggle for livelihood in Ethiopia", Master's thesis, University of Tromsø (2006), p. 44
2. 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1, Tables 2.1, 2.5, 3.4 (accessed 13 January 2012)
3. CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables B.3 and B.4
4. 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1, part 1, Tables 2.1, 2.13, 2.16, 2.20 (accessed 6 April 2009)

Coordinates: 8°45′N 38°40′E / 8.750°N 38.667°E