Cheliya
Encyclopedia
Cheliya is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone
, Cheliya is bordered on the south by Nono
and Dano
, on the southwest by the Gibe River
which separates it from the Jimma Zone
, on the west by Bako Tibe
, on the northwest by the Guder River
which separates it from the Mirab Welega Zone
, on the north by Ginde Beret
, on the northeast by Jeldu
, on the east by Ambo
, and on the southeast by Tikur
. The administrative center of this woreda is Gedo; other towns in Cheliya include Babiche, Ejaji, and Hamus Gebeya.
is an important cash crop of this woreda, less than 2,000 hectares are planted with this crop.
There are 39 primary schools in this woreda, 18 providing education for grades 1-4 and 21 providing education for grades 1-8, and two secondary education schools, both providing education for grades 9-12. Health services are provided by one health center and two clinics; these facilities are ill-equipped and under-staffed, making them insufficient to reach the entire population.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 240,055, of whom 122,182 are men and 117,873 are women; 26,619 or 11.09% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 1,854.07 square kilometers, Cheliya has an estimated population density of 129.5 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 152.8.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 170,216, of whom 83,809 were men and 86,407 women; 14,885 or 8.74% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Cheliya were the Oromo
(96.19%), and the Amhara
(3.14%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.67% of the population. The Oromo language
was spoken as a first language by 97%, and 2.76% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.24% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 68.2% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 15.8% of the population said they were Protestant
, 11.67% practiced traditional beliefs, and 3.99% 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...
, Cheliya is bordered on the south by Nono
Nono (Shewa)
Nono is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the Nono Oromo, a subgroup of the Macha Oromo, who live in this area...
and Dano
Dano (woreda)
Dano is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Dano is bordered on the southwest by the Jimma Zone, on the north by Cheliya, and on the southeast by Nono; part of the boundary with the Jimma Zone is defined by the Gibe River...
, on the southwest by the Gibe River
Gibe 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:...
which separates it from the Jimma Zone
Jimma Zone
Jimma is one of the 17 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Jimma is named for the former Kingdom of Jimma, which was absorbed into the former province of Kaffa in 1932...
, on the west by Bako Tibe
Bako Tibe
Bako Tibe is one of the 180 woredas, or districts, in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Bako Tibe is bordered on the south, west and north by the Misraq Welega Zone, and on the east by Cheliya...
, on the northwest by the Guder River
Guder River
The Guder is a river of central Ethiopia. It is a tributary of the Abay or Blue Nile on the left side; tributaries of the Guder include the Dabissa and the Taranta. The Guder has a drainage area is about 7,011 square kilometers in size....
which separates it from the Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone is named after the former province of Welega, whose western part lay in the area Mirab Misraq now occupies....
, on the north by Ginde Beret
Ginde Beret
Gindeberet is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Ginde Beret is bordered on the south by Jeldu, on the southwest by Ambo, on the west by the Guder River which separates it from the Misraq Welega Zone, on the north by the Abay River which separates...
, on the northeast by Jeldu
Jeldu
Jeldu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Jedlu is bordered on the south by Dendi, on the southwest by Ambo, on the north by Ginde Beret, on the northeast by Meta Robi, and on the southeast by Ejerie...
, on the east 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...
, and on the southeast by Tikur
Tikur
Tikur 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 Nono, on the northwest by Cheliya, on the northeast by Ambo, and on the southeast by the Debub Mirab Shewa Zone...
. The administrative center of this woreda is Gedo; other towns in Cheliya include Babiche, Ejaji, and Hamus Gebeya.
Overview
Prominent peaks in this woreda include Mount Amara (3128 meters); rivers include the Racho and Walshomo. Local landmarks of note include the Gedo State Forest. A survey of the land in Cheliya shows that 87.4% is arable or cultivable, 7.2% pasture, 2.98% forest, and 2.42% other. Although coffeeCoffee
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 2,000 hectares are planted with this crop.
There are 39 primary schools in this woreda, 18 providing education for grades 1-4 and 21 providing education for grades 1-8, and two secondary education schools, both providing education for grades 9-12. Health services are provided by one health center and two clinics; these facilities are ill-equipped and under-staffed, making them insufficient to reach the entire population.
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 240,055, of whom 122,182 are men and 117,873 are women; 26,619 or 11.09% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 1,854.07 square kilometers, Cheliya has an estimated population density of 129.5 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 152.8.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 170,216, of whom 83,809 were men and 86,407 women; 14,885 or 8.74% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Cheliya 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...
(96.19%), 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...
(3.14%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.67% of the population. The Oromo language
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 97%, and 2.76% 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 0.24% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 68.2% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 15.8% 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...
, 11.67% practiced traditional beliefs, and 3.99% 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...
.