Walmara

Walmara is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne, it is bordered on the south by the Sebeta Hawas, on the west by Mirab Shewa Zone, on the north by Mulo, on the northeast by the Sululta, and on the east by the city of Addis Ababa. Towns in Walmara include and Menagesha Kolobo. Town of Holeta Genet was separated from Walmara.

The highest point in this woreda is Mount Wechacha (3191 meters), located in the southern part of the woreda. The Menagesha National Forest covers the southern and western slopes of this mountain; it is 2500 hectares in size.^[1] Other notable peaks include Mount Menagesha (between 2800 and 2900 meters).

Demographics

The 2007 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 83,823, of whom 42,115 were men and 41,708 were women; 3,352 or 4% of its population were urban dwellers. The majority of the inhabitants said they practised Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 86.72% of the population reporting they observed this belief, while 6.36% of the population practiced traditional beliefs, and 4.61% were Protestant.^[2]

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 161,117, of whom 81,470 are men and 79,647 are women; 52,252 or 32.43% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 736.88 square kilometers, Walmara has an estimated population density of 218.6 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 108,457, of whom 53,412 were men and 55,045 women; 29,225 or 26.95% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The four largest ethnic groups reported in Walmara were the Oromo (74.29%), the Amhara (15.88%), the Sebat Bet Gurage (6.33%), and the Tigrayan (1.33%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.17% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 70.1%, 24.22% spoke Amharic, 3.56% spoke Sebat Bet Gurage, and 1.06% spoke Tigrinya; the remaining 1.06% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 93.72% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 3.8% of the population said they were Muslim, and 1.83% were Protestant.^[4]

Notes

1. Philip Briggs, Ethiopia: The Bradt Travel Guide, 3rd edition (Chalfont St Peters: Bradt, 2002), pp. 481f.
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)

External links

• Panoramic Views of Menagesha National Parc

Coordinates: 8°55′N 38°35′E / 8.917°N 38.583°E