Wonchi

Wonchi is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Shewa Zone, Wonchi is bordered on the southwest by Amaya, on the northwest by Ambo, on the northeast by Dendi, and on the southeast by Walisona Goro. The major town in Wonchi is Chitu.

The highest point in Wonchi is Mount Dendi, located on the border with Dendi woreda. Although coffee is an important cash crop of this woreda, less than 20 square kilometers are planted with this crop.[1]

Demographics

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 108,550, of whom 55,090 are men and 53,460 are women; 1,574 or 1.45% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 457.51 square kilometers, Wonchi has an estimated population density of 237.3 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 78,736, of whom 39,009 were men and 39,727 women; 880 or 1.12% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Wonchi were the Oromo (98.87%), and the Amhara (0.84%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.29% of the population. Oromiffa was spoken as a first language by 99.46%. The majority of the inhabitants professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 93.18% of the population reporting they practiced that belief, while 5.23% of the population said they were Protestant, and 1.1% were Muslim.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ "Coffee Production" Oromia Coffee Cooperative Union website
  2. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Tables B.3 and B.4
  3. ^ 1994 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1, part 1, Tables 2.1, 2.13, 2.16, 2.20 (accessed 6 April 2009)