Yirgalem Yirgalem or Yirga 'Alem | |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Yirgalem Location within Ethiopia | |
| Coordinates:6°45′N38°25′E / 6.750°N 38.417°E /6.750; 38.417 | |
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Region | Sidama Region |
| Zone | Sidama |
| Elevation | 1,776 m (5,827 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
• Total | 43,815 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Climate | Aw |
Yirgalem (Amharic:ይርጋለም,Yïrgaläm) locally known as Diko Dalle[1] is a town in southernEthiopia. Surrounded by Lakes Woyima and Gidawo, it is located 260 kilometers south ofAddis Ababa and 40 kilometers south ofAwasa in theSidama Zone of theSidama Region. The town has a latitude and longitude of6°45′N38°25′E / 6.750°N 38.417°E /6.750; 38.417 and an elevation of 1776 meters. It is the largest settlement inDale woreda.
Postal service is provided by a main branch; electricity and telephone service are also available.[2]
Yirgalem was occupied by the Italians 1 December 1936 during their campaign against the remainingEthiopian Army of Sidamo underRasDesta Damtew.[3] The town was capital ofSidamo Province until after the 1975 takeover by the Derge regime, when it was moved toAwassa.
Around 1957 there was no telephone landline connecting Irgalem; telecommunications were provided by a radio station. The next year, the town was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township. Installation of the landline between Irgalem andAddis Ababa was completed in late 1960. By that time a branch of theEthiopian Electric Light and Power Authority[1] had started operation at Irgalem.[4]
TheMekane Yesus Church held its Eighth General Assembly at Irgalem in 1973. The Assembly passed a resolution requestingland reform in Ethiopia - a reform which was in fact put into action a couple of years later, as a result of theEthiopian Revolution.[4]
A large integrated agro-industrial park is being built in the town and construction began on March 14. The park is expected to create 134,000 jobs for the region.[5]
Based on figures from theCentral Statistical Agency of Ethiopia published in 2005, Yirgalem has an estimated total population of 43,815 of whom 21,840 are men and 21,975 women.[6] The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 24,183 of whom 12,092 were men and 12,091 were women.
| Climate data for Irgalem, elevation 1,835 m (6,020 ft), (1971–2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.5 (83.3) | 29.0 (84.2) | 29.0 (84.2) | 27.2 (81.0) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.3 (77.5) | 23.7 (74.7) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.6 (76.3) | 25.8 (78.4) | 26.4 (79.5) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.5 (79.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.9 (48.0) | 9.5 (49.1) | 10.6 (51.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 11.1 (52.0) | 11.1 (52.0) | 12.2 (54.0) | 12.9 (55.2) | 12.2 (54.0) | 11.7 (53.1) | 10.2 (50.4) | 10.2 (50.4) | 11.0 (51.8) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 43.0 (1.69) | 57.0 (2.24) | 104.0 (4.09) | 153.0 (6.02) | 143.0 (5.63) | 94.0 (3.70) | 114.0 (4.49) | 136.0 (5.35) | 153.0 (6.02) | 126.0 (4.96) | 57.0 (2.24) | 36.0 (1.42) | 1,216 (47.85) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 59 | 58 | 61 | 69 | 71 | 75 | 73 | 74 | 77 | 70 | 67 | 57 | 68 |
| Source: FAO[7] | |||||||||||||
