Bila Seyo

Bila Seyo is one of the 180 woredas 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 woreda capital is Ano; other towns in Bila Seyo include Bila and Jare.

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 Aleitu, Kurchi, Gorochan and Gibe. 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 kilometres in size is located in this woreda. Cash crops include niger seeds and pepper. [ [http://oromiagov.org/Socio%20Economic%20Profile/East%20Wellega/East%20Wellega.pdf "Socio-economic profile of the East Wellega Zone"] Government of Oromia Region (last accessed 1 August 2006).] .

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. [Government of Oromia Region, "Socio-economic profile."]

Demographics

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 96,451, of whom 49,624 were males and 46,827 were females; 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. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Tables B.3 and B.4]

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. [ [http://www.dppc.gov.et/downloadable/map/Thematic%20maps/resettlement/Resettlement%202004.pdf "Resettlement 2004"] , Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency (accessed 26 November 2006)]

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