Nejo (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Nejo is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone
, Nejo is bordered on the southeast by Boji
, on the west by Jarso
, on the northwest by Mana Sibu
, and on the north and east by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region. The administrative center is Nejo
; other towns in Nejo include Gori and Wara Jiru.
mine said to be the oldest one in the world, according to the Spectrum Guide to Ethiopia; that book adds that it is "thought by some to be the source of the legendary 'King Solomon's Mines
' featured in the novel of the same name by Rider Haggard." European prospectors, granted concessions by the Ethiopian government, searched for gold between 1901 until the Second Italian-Abyssinian War, finding deposits on Tulu Kami and the Laga Gumbi hills, as well as along the Alaltu and Dilla Rivers. Coffee
is an important cash crop of Nejo. Over 50 square kilometers is planted with this crop.
In the 2005 Ethiopian elections, the electoral district of Nejo elected Mesfin Nemera Deriesa (party whip
of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
) as their representative in the House of People's Representatives
.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 148,891, of whom 75,785 are men and 73,106 are women; 25,927 or 17.41% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 10.9%. With an estimated area of 984.07 square kilometers, Nejo has an estimated population density of 151.3 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 91.7.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 103,993 in 51,115 households, of whom 65,660 were men and 52,878 were women; 14,503 or 13.95% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Nejo was the Oromo
(98.94%). Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 99.32%. The majority of the inhabitants observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 55.84% reporting that as their religion, while 42.26% were Protestant
, and 1.68% Muslim
.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone is named after the former province of Welega, whose western part lay in the area Mirab Misraq now occupies....
, Nejo is bordered on the southeast by Boji
Boji
Boji is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Boji is bordered on the southwest by Ayra Guliso, on the west by Jarso, on the northwest by Nejo, on the northeast by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and on the southeast by Lalo Asabi. Towns in Boji...
, on the west by Jarso
Jarso (Welega)
Jarso is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Jarso is bordered on the south by Ayra Guliso, on the southwest by Gawo Dale, on the west by Begi, on the north by Mana Sibu, on the northeast by Nejo, and on the southeast by Boji...
, on the northwest by Mana Sibu
Mana Sibu
Mana Sibu is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Mirab Welega Zone, Mana Sibu is bordered on the south by Jarso, on the southwest by Begi, on the north by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and on the southeast by Nejo. Mendi is the administrative center; other towns in...
, and on the north and east by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region. The administrative center is Nejo
Nejo
Nejo is a town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Mirab Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1821 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Nejo woreda...
; other towns in Nejo include Gori and Wara Jiru.
Overview
In this woreda there is a goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mine said to be the oldest one in the world, according to the Spectrum Guide to Ethiopia; that book adds that it is "thought by some to be the source of the legendary 'King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines
King Solomon's Mines is a popular novel by the Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the missing brother of one of the party...
' featured in the novel of the same name by Rider Haggard." European prospectors, granted concessions by the Ethiopian government, searched for gold between 1901 until the Second Italian-Abyssinian War, finding deposits on Tulu Kami and the Laga Gumbi hills, as well as along the Alaltu and Dilla Rivers. Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
is an important cash crop of Nejo. Over 50 square kilometers is planted with this crop.
In the 2005 Ethiopian elections, the electoral district of Nejo elected Mesfin Nemera Deriesa (party whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement is a political party in Ethiopia, created to further the interests of the Oromo people.At the last legislative elections, on 15 May 2005, the party won 11 seats, all from the Oromia Region. The party Whip is Mesfin Nemera Deriesa from the Mirab Welega Zone...
) as their representative in the House of People's Representatives
House of People's Representatives
The Federal Parliamentary Assembly of Ethiopia has two chambers. The lower house is the House of Peoples' Representatives with 547 members , elected for five-year terms in single-seat constituencies.-Speakers of the House of Peoples'...
.
Demographics
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 148,891, of whom 75,785 are men and 73,106 are women; 25,927 or 17.41% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 10.9%. With an estimated area of 984.07 square kilometers, Nejo has an estimated population density of 151.3 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 91.7.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 103,993 in 51,115 households, of whom 65,660 were men and 52,878 were women; 14,503 or 13.95% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Nejo was the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
(98.94%). Oromiffa
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
was spoken as a first language by 99.32%. The majority of the inhabitants observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 55.84% reporting that as their religion, while 42.26% were Protestant
P'ent'ay
P'ent'ay or Pentay is a slang term widely used in modern Ethiopia, and among Ethiopians living abroad, to describe Ethiopian Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches...
, and 1.68% Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
.