Holeta Genet

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For the town in Jimma Zone, see Genet, Ethiopia.

Holeta Genet (also transliterated Oletta) is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Mirab Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of 9°3′N, 38°30′E and an altitude of 2391 meters above sea level.

Holeta Genet is best known as the location of the Oletta Military Academy. Opened in January 1935, and staffed by five Swedish officers, the first class of 120 cadets did not complete their studies due to the Second Italian-Abyssinian War.^[1] It was reopened once Emperor Haile Selassie returned to Ethiopia, and celebrated its 25th anniversary 20-30 April, 1960.^[2]

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Holeta Genet has an estimated total population of 30,007 of whom 14,825 were males and 15,182 were females.^[3] According to the 1994 national census, this town has a population of 16,800. The 1994 census reported this town had a total population of 16,785 of whom 8,040 were males and 8,745 were females. It is the largest of three towns in Walmara woreda.

According to Richard Pankhurst, Holeta Genet was "for a time" the abode of Emperor Menelik II before 1905, and at those times its population would mushroom from about 2,400 to as many as 15,000.^[4] It was the first place in Ethiopia to have a permanent water mill, built in 1909 on the Holetta River.^[2]

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Mockler, Anthony [1984] (2003). Haile Selassie's War. New York: Olive Branch. ISBN 1-56656-473-5. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 18 November 2007)
3. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.4
4. ^ Pankhurst, Richard K. P. (1968). Economic History of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa: Haile Selassie I University.