Bule is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia, named after its major town, Bule. Part of the Gedeo Zone, Bule is bordered on the south by Kochere, on the west by Yirgachefe, on the northwest by Wenago, and on the east by the Oromia Region.
Most of the woreda is considered highland; the highest point is at Haro Wolabu Pond (2993 meters).[1] According to a 2004 report, Bule had 24 kilometers of all-weather roads and no dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 89 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.[2]
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 115,297, of whom 57,274 are men and 58,023 are women; 6,769 or 5.87% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 14.4%. With an estimated area of 268.91 square kilometers, Bule has an estimated population density of 428.8 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 617.5.[3]
In the 1994 Census this woreda had a population of 80,779, of whom 40,685 were men and 40,094 women; 3,736 or 4.62% of its population were urban dwellers. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Bule were the Gedeo (93.11%), the Amhara (3.21%), and the Oromo (2.46%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.22% of the population. Gedeo was spoken as a first language by 93.2%, 3.29% spoke Amharic, and 3.25% spoke Oromiffa; the remaining 0.26% spoke all other primary languages reported. The largest group of inhabitants observed traditional religions, with 34.14% of the population having reported they practiced beliefs that were grouped in that category, while 34.07% were Protestants, 19.93% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 1.62% were Muslim.[4]