Amhara Region

Amhara Region
አማራ

Capital	Bahir Dar
Area	156.960 km²
Population	18.185.502 (2005)
Population density	116 inhabits km²
ISO 3166-2	ET-AM

Amhara (Amharic: አማራ) is one of the nine ethnic divisions (kililoch) of Ethiopia, containing the homeland of the Amhara people. Previously known as Region 3, its capital is Bahir Dar.

Ethiopia's largest inland body of water, Lake Tana, which is the source of the Nile river is located in Amhara, as well as the Semien Mountains National Park, which includes the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Dashan.

During Ethiopia's imperial era, Amhara included several provinces (such as Dembiya, Gojjam, Begemder, Angot, Amhara, Shewa (in olden times spelled as XOA) and Lasta), most of which were ruled by native Ras or Negus. The Amhara Region incorporated most of the former provinces of Begemder, Dembiya, Angot, Amhara, Gojjam, and Showa.

Demographics

Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), the Amhara Region has a population of 17,214,056 of whom 8,636,875 were men and 8,577,181 women; urban inhabitants number 2,112,220 or 12.27% of the population. With an estimated area of 159,173.66 square kilometers, this region has an estimated density of 108.15 people per square kilometer. For the entire Region 3,953,115 households were counted, which results in an average for the Region of 4.3 persons to a household, with urban households having on average 3.3 and rural households 4.5 people. At 91.48% of the local population, the region is predominantly inhabited by people from the Semitic-speaking Amhara ethnic group. Most other residents hail from other Afro-Asiatic communities, including the Agaw/Awi (3.46%), Oromo (2.62%), Agaw/Kamyr (1.39%) and Argobba (0.41%). Of the total population of the region, 82.5% were Orthodox Christians, 17.2% Muslim, 0.2% Protestants, and 0.1% practiced other faiths.

In the previous census, conducted 1994, the region's population was reported to be 13,834,297 of whom 6,947,546 were men and 6,886,751 women; urban inhabitants numbered 1,265,315 or 9.15% of the population. The majority of the population was Amhara, which was 91.2% of the inhabitants; other groups include the Oromo (3%), Agaw/Awi (2.7%), Qemant (1.2%), and Agaw/Kamyr (1%). Of the total population of the Region, 81.5% were Orthodox Christians, 18.1% Muslim, and 0.1% Protestants.

According to the CSA, as of 2004, 28% of the total population had access to safe drinking water, of whom 19.89% were rural inhabitants and 91.8% were urban. Values for other reported common indicators of the standard of living for Amhara as of 2005 include the following: 17.5% of the inhabitants fall into the lowest wealth quintile; adult literacy for men is 54% and for women 25.1%; and the Regional infant mortality rate is 94 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, which is greater than the nationwide average of 77; at least half of these deaths occurred in the infants’ first month of life.

Agriculture

The CSA of Ethiopia estimated in 2005 that farmers in Amhara had a total of 9,694,800 head of cattle (representing 25% of Ethiopia's total cattle), 6,390,800 sheep (36.7%), 4,101,770 goats (31.6%), 257,320 horses (17%), 8,900 mules (6%), 1,400,030 asses (55.9%), 14,270 camels (3.12%), 8,442,240 poultry of all species (27.3%), and 919,450 beehives (21.1%).

Presidents of the Executive Committee

• Addisu Legesse (ANDM/EPRDF) 1992 - Oct 2000
• Yoseph Reta (b. 1956) (ANDM/EPRDF) Oct 2000 - 5 Oct 2005
• Ayalew Gobeze (ANDM/EPRDF) 5 Oct 2005–present

(This list is based on information from Worldstatesmen.org.)

See also

• List of woredas in the Amhara Region

External links

• FDRE States: Basic Information - Amhara
• Africa Guide: Amhara
• Map of Amhara Region at UN-OCHA
• Map of Amhara Region at DPPA of Ethiopia