Chena is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. The name Chena comes from one of the provinces in the former Kingdom of Kaffa, whose administrative center had been at Wacha. Part of the Keficho Shekicho Zone, Chena is bordered on the south by the Bench Maji Zone, on the west by Yeki, on the north by Gesha, on the northeast by Ginbo, and on the southeast by Decha. Towns in Chena include Ahewa Bench, Bita Genet, Dimbira, and Shishinda.
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 221,636, of whom 112,576 are men and 109,060 women; 23,353 or 10.54% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 9.7%. With an estimated area of 1,871.72 square kilometers, Chena has an estimated population density of 118.4 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 81.9.[1]
In the 1994 national census Chena had a population of 153,646, of whom 75,745 were men and 77,901 women; 12,887 or 8.39% of its population were urban dwellers. The four largest ethnic groups reported in this woreda were the Kafficho (75.76%), the Bench (16.19%), the Oromo (3.5%), and the Amhara (2.73%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.82% of the population. Kafa was spoken as a first language by 75.43% of the inhabitants, 18.36% spoke Bench, 3.6% spoke Amharic, and 3.09% spoke Oromiffa; the remaining 5.6% spoke all other primary languages reported.[2] Concerning education, 16.97% of the population were considered literate; 12.45% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school; 2.77% of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 2.13% of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school.[3] Concerning sanitary conditions, about 69% of the urban and 12% of the total had toilet facilities.[4]