Dalocha (woreda)

Dalocha is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gurage Zone, Dalocha is bordered on the south by the Kembata Tembaro Zone, on the west by the Hadiya Zone, on the north by Silte, and on the east by Lanfro. It is reported that at a referendum in 2000 the Silt'e unanimously voted to form their own Zone, Silt'e, consisting of the woredas of Dalocha, Lanfro and Silte, Azernet-Berbere and Sankurra. Towns in Dalocha include Dalocha, Wulbareg and Mitto.

Dalocha has 32 kilometers of all-weather roads and 36 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 98 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.^[1]

Demographics

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 175,916, of whom 88,627 are men and 87,289 women; 14,785 or 8.40% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 6.3%. With an estimated area of 718.75 square kilometers, Dalocha has an estimated population density of 244.8 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 278.3.^[2]

The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 123,303 of whom 61,194 were men and 62,109 women; 5,513 or 4.47% of its population were urban dwellers. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Dalocha were the Silte (97.63%) and the Amhara (1.4%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.97% of the population. Silte is spoken as a first language by 97.41%, and spoke 2.14% Amharic; the remaining 0.45% spoke all other primary languages reported. 97.57% of the population said they were Muslim, 2.32% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.^[3] Concerning education, 12.74% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 20.62%; 3.34% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school, 0.52% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 1.36% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school.^[4] Concerning sanitary conditions, 94.04% of the urban houses and 10.46% of all houses had access to safe drinking water at the time of the census; 28.82% of the urban and 2.58% of all houses had toilet facilities.^[5]

Notes

1. ^ " Detailed statistics on roads", SNNPR Bureau of Finance and Economic Development website (accessed 3 September 2009)
2. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables B.3 and B.4
3. ^ 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region, Vol. 1, part 1, Tables 2.1, 2.12, 2.15, 2.19 (accessed 30 December 2008)
4. ^ 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia, Vol. 1, part 2, Tables 3.5, 3.7 (accessed 30 December 2008)
5. ^ 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia, Vol. 1, part 4, Tables 6.11, 6.13 (accessed 30 December 2008)

Coordinates: 7°45′N 38°20′E / 7.75°N 38.333°E / 7.75; 38.333