Arsi Negele (woreda)

Arsi Negele is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after its administrative center, Arsi Negele.

Part of the Misraq (East) Shewa Zone located in the Great Rift Valley, Arsi Negele is bordered on the south by Shashamene, on the southwest by Lake Shala which separates it from Seraro, on the west from the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the north by Adami Tullu and Jido Kombolcha with which it shares the shores of Lakes Abijatta and Langano, and on the east by the Arsi Zone.

Except for the southeastern portion, the altitude of this woreda ranges from 1500 to 2300 meters above sea level; Gara Duro is the highest point. Rivers include the Gedamso, Lephis, Huluka, Awede Jitu, Awede Gudo, and Dadaba Gudo. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 29.9% is arable or cultivable, 4.3% pasture, 5.2% forest, and the remaining 60.6% is considered swampy, degraded or otherwise unusable. The three major lakes of this woreda -- Abijatta, Langano and Shala -- cover about 32% of its area. Onion is an important cash crop. [ [http://oromiagov.org/Socio%20Economic%20Profile/East%20Shewa/East%20Shewa.pdf "Socio-economic profile of East Shewa"] Government of Oromia Region (last accessed 1 August 2006).] .

Industry in the woreda includes 19 small industries employing 79 people, as well as 570 registered businessmen including 148 wholesalers 243 retailers and 179 service providers. Construction-grade sand and soda ash are mined in Arsi Negele. There were 33 Farmers Associations with 21,777 members and 12 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 11,430 members. Arsi Negele has 48 kilometers of dry-weather and 85 all-weather road, for an average road density of 95 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 22% of the total population has access to drinking water. [Government of Oromia Region, "Socio-economic profile."]

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 198,307, of whom 100,626 were males and 97,681 were females; 42,054 or 21.21% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 32.1%. With an estimated area of 1,400.16 square kilometers, Arsi Negele has an estimated population density of 141.6 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 181.7. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Tables B.3 and B.4]

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