Alem Gena is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is named after one of its towns, Alem Gena. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Alem Gena is bordered on the south by Kersana Kondaltiti, on the southwest by Tole, on the west by Elu, on the northwest by Ejerie, on the north by Walmara, on the northeast by the city of Addis Ababa, and on the southeast by the Misraq Shewa Zone. The Awash River defines this woreda's boundary with Kersana Kondaltiti, Tole and Elu. The administrative center of this woreda is Sebeta; other towns in Alem Gena include Awash Kunture, and Tefki.
The altitude of Alem Gena woreda ranges from 1700 meters above sea level to about 3385 meters. Rivers include the Sebeta. According to the woreda Agricultural and Rural Development Office, 87.2% of the land is devoted to agriculture, 4.2% is pasture, 2.9% is forest, 1.86% is reserved for industrial establishment, 1.68% is covered by lakes and other bodies of water, and built-up land covers 1.28%.[1]
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 171,827, of whom 85,493 are men and 86,334 are women; 41,598 or 24.21% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 875.32 square kilometers, Alem Gena has an estimated population density of 196.3 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 152.8.[2]
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 118,099, of whom 59,488 were men and 58,611 women; 23,296 or 19.73% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The six largest ethnic groups reported in Alem Gena were the Oromo (67.37%), the Amhara (17.91%), the Sebat Bet Gurage (4.54%), the Soddo Gurage (4.43%), the Werji (2.5%), and the Gamo (1.02%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.23% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 66.46%, 25.65% spoke Amharic, 3.27% Soddo Gurage, 2.18% Sebat Bet Gurage, and 1.02% Gamo; the remaining 1.42% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 91.89% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 6.27% of the population said they were Muslim, 1.03% were Protestant, and 0.72% observed traditional beliefs.[3]