Woreda

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Woreda (also spelled wereda) is an administrative division of Ethiopia (managed by a local government), equivalent to a district. Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia. Woredas are typically collected together into zones, which form a kilil (Regional administration); some woredas are not part of a zone, and are called Special Woredas, which function as autonomous entities.

Although some woredas can be traced back as institutions to earliest times -- for example the Yem special woreda, the Gera and Gomma woredas preserve the boundaries of kingdoms that were absorbed into Ethiopia, and the former provinces of Ethiopia were also divided into woredas -- many are of more recent creation. Beginning with 2002, more authority was passed to woredas, in the form of staff and budgets transferred from the Regional governments.

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