Weldiya

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Weldiya (also spelled Woldia) is a hillside market town and woreda in northern Ethiopia. Located north of Dessie and southeast of Lalibela in the Semien Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region (or kilil), this town has a latitude and longitude of 11°50′N, 39°41′E and an elevation of 2112 meters above sea level.

A notable landmark is the church Weldiya Gebri'el. Travertine for use in building has been worked on a minor scale nearby.^[1]

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this town has an estimated total population of 42,710 of whom 22,216 were males and 20,494 were females.^[2] The 1994 census reported this town had a total population of 24,533, of whom 11,689 were males and 12,844 were females.

As early as 1890, Weldiya was the administrative center of Yejju Province. Its Tuesday market was well known for its mules.^[1] Weldiya was attacked in 1948 by the Yejju Oromo as part of the Woyane rebellion. Revolting after their appeals over their loss of land, they seized the prison in Weldiya and freed the prisoners. Despite this success, the revolt was eventually put down.^[3]

[edit] Notes

^ ^a ^b "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 19 November 2007)
^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.4
^ Bahru Zewde (2001). A History of Modern Ethiopia, second, Oxford: James Currey. ISBN 0-85255-786-8.