Bila Seyo
Encyclopedia
Bila Seyo is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Misraq (East) Welega Zone
, Bila Seyo is bordered on the south by Wama Bonaya
, on the southwest by Sibu Sire
, on the west by Guto Wayu
, on the north by Abe Dongoro
, on the northeast by Jimma Horo
, and on the east by the Mirab Shewa Zone
. The administrative center of the woreda is Ano; other towns in Bila Seyo include Bila and Jare
.
. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 38.7% is arable or cultivable, 9.6% pasture, 39.5% forest
, and the remaining 12.2% is considered marshy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. A state forest about 250 square kilometers in size is located in this woreda. Cash crops include niger seeds and pepper
.
Industry in the woreda includes 12 grain mills; iron and sandstone are extracted. There were 15 Farmers Associations with 17,061 members and 13 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 6826 members. Bila Seyo has 53 kilometers of all-weather road, for an average of road density of 46.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 15.6% of the total population has access to drinking water
. There are 12 primary schools in this woreda, four providing education for grades 1-4 and eight providing education for grades 1-8, and one secondary education school, providing education for grades 9-10. Health services
are provided by two clinics and four health posts; these facilities are ill-equipped and under-staffed, making them insufficient to reach the entire population.
This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
in 2004 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement
for farmers from overpopulated areas in the Misraq Welega Zone. Together with Amuru Jarte
, Gida Kiremu
, Ibantu
, Jimma Arjo
, Limmu
and Nunu Kumba
, Bila Seyo became the new home for a total of 22,462 heads of households and 112,310 total family members.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 96,451, of whom 49,624 are men and 46,827 are women; 1,148 or 1.19% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.9%. With an estimated area of 1,134.22 square kilometers, Bila Seyo has an estimated population density of 85 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 81.4.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 68,273, of whom 33,271 were men and 35,002 women; 6,411 or 9.39% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Bila Seyo were the Oromo
(86.65%), and the Amhara
(12.88%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.47% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 89.04%, and 10.7% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.26% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 74.17% of the population reporting they observed that belief, while 11.51% of the population said they were Protestant
, 9.3% were Moslem
, and 4.65% practiced traditional beliefs.
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 Misraq (East) Welega Zone
Misraq Welega Zone
Misraq Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone acquired its name from the former province of Welega...
, Bila Seyo is bordered on the south by Wama Bonaya
Wama Bonaya
Wama Bonaya is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Wama Bonaya is bordered on the southwest by Nunu Kumba, on the west by Guto Wayu, on the northwest by Sibu Sire, on the north by Bila Seyo, on the northeast by the Mirab Shewa Zone, and on the...
, on the southwest by Sibu Sire
Sibu Sire
Sibu Sire is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Sibu Sire is bordered on the south by Wama Bonaya, on the west by Guto Wayu, and on the north and east by Bila Seyo...
, on the west by Guto Wayu
Guto Wayu
Guto Wayu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Guto Wayu is bordered on the south by Nunu Kumba, on the southwest by Jimma Arjo and Diga Leka, on the west by Sasiga, on the northwest by Limmu and Gida Kiremu, on the northeast by Bila Seyo, on...
, on the north by Abe Dongoro
Abe Dongoro
Abe Dongoro is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Abe Dongoro is bordered on the south by Bila Seyo, on the west by Gida Kiremu, on the north by Amuru Jarte, and on the east by Jimma Horo...
, on the northeast by Jimma Horo
Jimma Horo
Jimma Horo is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Jimma Horo is bordered on the south by the Misraq Shewa Zone, on the southwest by Bila Seyo, on the west by Abe Dongoro, on the northwest by Amuru Jarte, on the northeast by Abay Chomen, on the...
, and on the east by 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...
. The administrative center of the woreda is Ano; other towns in Bila Seyo include Bila and Jare
Jare
Jare is a village in Bosnia and Herzegovina. According to the 1991 census, the village is located in the municipality of Široki Brijeg....
.
Overview
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1300 to 2810 meters above sea level. Peaks include Mount Uko, Mount Buke, Mount Deleta and Mount Gushis. Rivers include the Aleltu, Kurchi, Gorochan and GibeGibe River
The Gibe River is a tributary of the Omo River. Located in southwest Ethiopia, it is not navigable, like almost all rivers in the country.-Overview:...
. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 38.7% is arable or cultivable, 9.6% pasture, 39.5% forest
Forestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and the remaining 12.2% is considered marshy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. A state forest about 250 square kilometers in size is located in this woreda. Cash crops include niger seeds and pepper
Capsicum
Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...
.
Industry in the woreda includes 12 grain mills; iron and sandstone are extracted. There were 15 Farmers Associations with 17,061 members and 13 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 6826 members. Bila Seyo has 53 kilometers of all-weather road, for an average of road density of 46.7 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 15.6% 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...
. There are 12 primary schools in this woreda, four providing education for grades 1-4 and eight providing education for grades 1-8, and one secondary education school, providing education for grades 9-10. Health services
Health in Ethiopia
Metrics of health in Ethiopia are among the world's worst. According to the U.S. government, Ethiopia's health care system is wholly inadequate, even after recent improvements. The Ethiopian government has launched a campaign to improve the health care system....
are provided by two clinics and four health posts; these facilities are ill-equipped and under-staffed, making them insufficient to reach the entire population.
This woreda was selected by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is the Ethiopian government ministry which oversees the agricultural and rural development policies of Ethiopia on a Federal level...
in 2004 as one of several areas for voluntary resettlement
Resettlement and villagization in Ethiopia
Resettlement and villagization in Ethiopia has been an issue since the late nineteenth century, due to the overcrowded population of the Ethiopian highlands...
for farmers from overpopulated areas in the Misraq Welega Zone. Together with Amuru Jarte
Amuru Jarte
Amuru Jarte is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Amuru Jarte is bordered on the south by Jimma Horo, on the southwest by Abe Dongoro, on the west by Gida Kiremu, on the north by the Abay River which separates it from the Amhara Region, and on...
, Gida Kiremu
Gida Kiremu
Gida Kiremu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Gida Kiremu is bordered on the south by Guto Wayu, on the west by Limmu, on the northwest by Ibantu, on the north by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the east by Amuru Jarte, and on the southeast...
, Ibantu
Ibantu
Ibantu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Ibantu is bordered on the south by Limmu, on the west and north by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and on the east by Gida Kiremu. The administrative center of this woreda is Hinde.- Overview :Important...
, Jimma Arjo
Jimma Arjo
Jimma Arjo is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It shares the name of one of the subgroups of the Oromo people, the Jimma Arjo. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Jimma Arjo is bordered on the southwest by the Didessa River which separates it from the Illubabor Zone, on the...
, Limmu
Limmu (woreda)
Limmu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Limmu is bordered on the south by an exclave of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the southwest by Sasiga, on the west by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the north by Ibantu, and on the east by Gida...
and Nunu Kumba
Nunu Kumba
Nunu Kumba is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Misraq Welega Zone, Nunu Kumba is bordered on the southwest by the Didessa River which separates it from the Illubabor Zone, on the northwest by Jimma Arjo, on the north by Guto Wayu, on the northeast by Wama Bonaya,...
, Bila Seyo became the new home for a total of 22,462 heads of households and 112,310 total family members.
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 96,451, of whom 49,624 are men and 46,827 are women; 1,148 or 1.19% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 13.9%. With an estimated area of 1,134.22 square kilometers, Bila Seyo has an estimated population density of 85 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 81.4.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 68,273, of whom 33,271 were men and 35,002 women; 6,411 or 9.39% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Bila Seyo 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...
(86.65%), 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...
(12.88%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.47% 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 89.04%, and 10.7% 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 0.26% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 74.17% of the population reporting they observed that belief, while 11.51% 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...
, 9.3% were Moslem
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...
, and 4.65% practiced traditional beliefs.