Adolana Wadera

Adolana Wadera is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Borena Zone, Adolana Wadera is bordered on the south by Liben, on the southwest by Odo Shakiso, on the west by Bore, on the north by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, and on the east by the Bale Zone. However, the map of the Oromia Region published by Disaster Prevention and Disaster Agency shows that this woreda is part of the Guji Zone. Towns in Adolana Wadera include Kebri Mangest and Wadera.

The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1500 to 2500 meters above sea level; Maleka Gudiba Wadera Tule is the highest point. Rivers include Ganale Dorya and Awata. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 33% is arable (24% was under cultivation), 30% pasture, 20% forest, and the remaining 17% is considered swampy, degraded or otherwise unusable. State forests include Wadera, Zenbaba and Anferara. Khat, bananas and enset are important cash crops. Coffee is also an important cash crop; over 5,000 hectares are planted with it.

Industry in the woreda includes 19 grain mills, 3 metal works, 2 wood works, and 4 government-owned saw mills. Deposits of gold, nickel, kaolinite, chromium, and graphite have been identified in this woreda, only the gold deposits have been commercially exploited. The gold mine near Kebre Mangest has historically been the most important gold mine in Ethiopia since its opening in 1941. There were 43 Farmers Associations with 29,438 members and 9 Farmers Service Cooperatives; about 75% of the farmers are pastoralists. Adolana Wadera has 45 kilometers of dry-weather and 110 all-weather road, for an average road density of 50.9 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 7.4% of the rural and 28.8% of the urban population has access to drinking water.

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 194,574, of whom 95,722 were males and 98,852 were females; 43,052 or 22.13% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 11.6%. With an estimated area of 3,064.22 square kilometers, Adolana Wadera has an estimated population density of 63.5 people per square kilometer, which is greaterthan the Zone average of 21.09.

Adolana Wadera was one of four woredas that suffered from a wildfire that started 10 February 2000 and burned a total of 70,000 hectares before being brought under control.

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