Degem is one of the
Aanaa
Districts of Ethiopia, also called woredas ( am, ወረዳ; ''woreda''), are the third level of the administrative divisions of Ethiopia – after ''zones'' and the '' regional states''.
These districts are further subdivided into a number of ...
s in
North Shewa Zone
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
of
Oromiya
Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa.
It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Benish ...
in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. Degem is bordered on the south by
Muger River
The Muger River (or Mujer) is a north-flowing tributary of the Abay River in central Ethiopia, which is notable for its deep gorge. Its confluence with the Abay is at: . Tributaries of the Muger include the Labbu. The Muger has a drainage area of ...
which separates it from
East Welega Zone
East Welega ( om, Wallagga Bahaa) is one of the zones in the central Oromia Region of Ethiopia. This administrative division acquired its name from the former province of Welega. Towns and cities in this zone include Nekemte.
East Welega is bound ...
, on the west by
Kuyu
Kuyu is one of the Aanaas in Oromiya of Ethiopia. Part of Kaba Shewa Zone, Kuyu is bordered on the south and west by Muger River which separates it from West Shewa Zone, on the north by Wara Jarso, on the northeast by Hidabu Abote, and on the ...
, on the northwest by
Hidabu Abote
Hidabu Abote is one of the Aanaas in the Oromia of Ethiopia. Part of the Kaba Shewa Zone, Hidabu Abote is bordered on the south by Kuyu, on the west by Wara Jarso, on the north by the Jamma River which separates it from Dera, and on the east by ...
, on the north by
Jamma River
The Jamma River (Amharic: ጃማ) is a river in central Ethiopia and a tributary to the Abay (or Blue Nile). It drains parts of the Semien Shewa Zones of the Amhara and Oromia Regions. The Upper Jamma flows through steep, deep canyons cut firs ...
which separates it from
Amhara Region
The Amhara Region ( am, አማራ ክልል, Åmara Kilil), officially the Amhara National Regional State (), is a regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara people. Its capital is Bahir Dar which is the seat of the Re ...
, on the northeast by
Gerar Jarso, and on the east by
Yaya Gulele. Towns in Degem include
Alidoro and
Anbiso.
Demographics
The 2007 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 99,143, of whom 49,205 were men and 49,938 were women; 6,066 or 6.12% of its population were urban dwellers. The majority of the inhabitants with 97.88% of the population practised
Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chri ...
, while 1.11% of the population practiced traditional beliefs.
Based on figures published by the
Central Statistical Agency
The Central Statistical Agency (CSA; Amharic: ማዕከላዊ ስታቲስቲክስ ኤጀንሲ) is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growt ...
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 117,583, of whom 59,224 are men and 58,359 are women; 5,168 or 4.40% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 9.5%. With an estimated area of 674.85 square kilometers, Degem has an estimated population density of 174.2 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 143.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 84,718, of whom 42,297 were men and 42,421 women; 2,897 or 3.42% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The largest ethnic groups reported in Degem was the
Oromo (88.89%), followed by the
Amhara (10.92%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.19% of the population.
Oromo was spoken as a first language by 87.41%, and 12.55% spoke
Amharic; the remaining 0.04% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants with 98.99% of population professed
Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ኦርቶዶክስ ተዋሕዶ ቤተ ክርስቲያን, ''Yäityop'ya ortodoks täwahedo bétäkrestyan'') is the largest of the Oriental Orthodox Churches. One of the few Chri ...
, while 0.7% of the population were
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
.
''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)
Notes
Districts of Oromia Region
{{Oromia-geo-stub