Wenago is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gedeo Zone, Wenago is bordered on the south by Yirgachefe, on the west by the Oromia Region, on the north by the Sidama Zone, and on the east by Bule. Towns in Wenago include Wenago and Dilla.
According to a 2004 report, Wenago had 12 kilometers of asphalt roads, 56 kilometers of all-weather roads and 17 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 333 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.[1] Local landmarks include the Qallu compound (galma) of the Guji Oromo, which that group claims ought to be annexed to the Guji Zone of the Oromia Region, a claim which has led to violence in the past.[2]
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 277,190, of whom 137,891 are men and 139,299 are women; 70,282 or 25.36% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 14.4%. With an estimated area of 255.16 square kilometers, Wenago has an estimated population density of 1,086.30 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 617.5.[3]
In the 1994 Census this woreda had a population of 185,676, of whom 93,300 were men and 92,376 women; 38,794 or 20.89% of its population were urban dwellers. The five largest ethnic groups reported in Wenago were the Gedeo (73.5%), the Amhara (6.98%), the Oromo (6.37%), the Sidama (3.34%), and the Silte (2.33%); all other ethnic groups made up 7.48% of the population. Gedeo was spoken as a first language by 73.22%, 13.5% spoke Amharic, 5.43% spoke Oromiffa, 3.25% spoke Sidamo and 1.39% spoke Silte; the remaining 3.21% spoke all other primary languages reported. The largest religious group was the Protestants, with 45.92% of the population holding that belief, while 26.06% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 16.96% observed traditional religions, 4.66% were Muslim, and 2.56% were Catholic.[4]