Ambassel አምባሰል | |
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_in_Ethiopia_(41559641860).jpg) | |
 Interactive map of Ambassel | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Region | Amhara |
| Zone | Debub Wollo |
| Area | |
• Total | 882.24 km2 (340.63 sq mi) |
| Population (2012 est.)[2] | |
• Total | 132,157[1] |
Ambassel (Amharic:አምባሰል) is aworeda inAmhara Region,Ethiopia, and anamba, or mountain fortress, located in the woreda. The word Ambasel is derived from two words "Amba" from the Amharic word for plateau, and “Asel” from the Arabic language, which means honey. Together, it means “plateau of honey” or the “land of honey”[3] the woreda is named for this feature. Located in theDebub Wollo Zone, Ambassel woreda is bordered on the west by theBashilo which separates it fromTenta, on the north by theSemien Wollo Zone, on the southeast by theMille River which separates it fromTehuledere, and on the south byKutaber; the Walano, a tributary of the Bashilo, defines most of its southern border. Its largest town isWuchale.
Elevations in this woreda range from 1200 to 3200 meters above sea level; the divide between the drainage areas of theNile and theAwash runs through the middle of Ambassel. Rivers include the Waha Titu. Notable landmarks includeAmba Geshen, where the medievalEmperors of Ethiopia would confine their male relatives to keep them from threatening his power.[4] Ambassel has proven deposits ofcoal near Wuchale, which were exploited during theItalian occupation.[5]
Thejantirar was the hereditary position of the ruler of the district of Ambassel since the reign of the first Ethiopian emperorYekuno Amlak, but in the past ruled more domain inBete Amhara (Wollo). They historically governed the mountain fortressAmba Geshen. EmpressMenen Asfaw, consort of EmperorHaile Selassie, was a daughter ofJantirar Asfaw of Ambassel.
Based on the 2007 national census conducted by theCentral Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 121,899, an increase of 9.65% over the 1994 census, of whom 61,290 are men and 60,609 women; 5,882 or 4.83% are urban inhabitants. With an area of 882.24 square kilometers, Amba Sel has a population density of 138.17, which is less than the Zone average of 147.58 persons per square kilometer. A total of 29,390 households were counted in this woreda, resulting in an average of 4.15 persons to a household, and 28,407 housing units. The majority of the inhabitants said they practicedEthiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 73.47% reporting that as their religion, while 26.19% of the population wereMuslim.[6]
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 111,172 in 24,610 households, of whom 55,074 were men and 56,098 was women; 3,934 or 3.54% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Ambassel was theAmhara (99.91%).Amharic was spoken as a first language by 99.92%. The majority of the inhabitants professedEthiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 73.92% having reported they practiced that belief, while 25.85% of the population said they wereMuslim.[7]
