Waliso

Waliso
Town
Waliso Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates: 8°32′N 37°58′E / 8.533°N 37.967°ECoordinates: 8°32′N 37°58′E / 8.533°N 37.967°E
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Oromia
Zone	Debub Mirab Shewa
Elevation	2,063 m (6,768 ft)
Population (2007)
• Total	37,878
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Waliso or Woliso (also known as Ghion, which is also transliterated "Giyon" which was given by emperor Haile Selassie I and this name was no longer used after the fall of his regime as the town has the original name Waliso ) is a town and separate woreda in central Ethiopia. Located in the Debub Mirab Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, 114 km southwest of Addis Ababa, it has a latitude and longitude of 8°32′N 37°58′E / 8.533°N 37.967°E with an elevation of 2063 meters above sea level. Waliso is the administrative center of this Zone.

History

Waliso is derived from the name of Oromo clan. Accordingly, Waliso is the son of Liban, Liiban in Afan Oromo, who had three children: Ammaya or Ammayya in Afan Oromo (the oldest), Waliso (the middle) and Kutaye (the youngest). Liban belongs to Metcha, a bigger Oromo clan. The road that ran from Addis Ababa to Waliso was one of the few roads built by the Ethiopian government before the Italian-Abyssinian War; by 1938, the 110 kilometers from Addis Ababa to Waliso had been asphalted, and the 90 kilometers beyond to Abelti gravelled. Two rival Arbegnoch operated around Waliso: English: Geresu Duki; Afan Oromo: Garasuu Dhukii and Olika Dingel. Geresu Duki (a former member of the Crown Prince's bodyguard) was in the end the better-known - and the longer-lived - but in his day Olika Dingel, a Welega Oromo, was as legendary.^[1]

In 1955 a 40 kW hydro-electric power station was built; by 1965 the installed electrical capacity was 32 kVA and the annual production 64,500 kWh. In 1958, Waliso was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township. The Multipurpose Community Telecentre was opened in February 2000, with assistance from the British Council. It was the first of its kind in Ethiopia, and the next one was opened in Debre Berhan almost two years later. That same year, construction of a 150-bed hospital was completed. Launched in 1997 by an Italian organization equipment included surgical, X-ray and laboratory equipment, at a cost of 72 million Birr.^[1]

The second largest flower farm in Ethiopia, owned by the Indian company Surya Blossoms, had its official opening in Woliso on 22 June 2009. Present at the opening was Trade and Industry Minister Girma Biru, Indian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Gurjit Sing, Oromia Regional president Abadula Gemeda, and Chairman of Karuturi Global Limited, the parent corporation of Surya Blossoms, Surya Rao.^[2]

Wonchi Lake

Waliso town has seven administrative Kebeles. Dej. Geresu Duki Comprehensive Secondary School, Oromia Institute of Water Technology Institute, Ambo University Faculty of Social Science -Waliso Campus and other private institutes and colleges are located in Woliso. In Waliso, there is a natural hot-spring water which makes the town among one of the leading tourism heritages in Ethiopia. The town has an amazing view from Meja hill- a volcanic mountain, also Tulluu Majaa in Afan Oromo, situated at the center, one can able to view 360 degree. A crater lake, Wonchi, also Wancii in Afan Oromo, the most beautiful lake in Africa, is only 32 kilometers away from Waliso.

Demographics

The 2007 national census reported a total population for Waliso of 37,878, of whom 18,880 were men and 18,998 were women. The majority of the inhabitants said they practised Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 63.29% of the population reporting they observed this belief, while 19.06% of the population were Protestant, and 16.36% were Muslim.^[3]

The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 25,491 of whom 11,899 were males and 13,592 were females. It is the largest town in Waliso and Goro woreda.

Notes

1. "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 27 November 2007)
2. "Second largest flower farm in Ethiopia inaugurated, exporting 17 varieties of flowers" Ethiopian News Agency 22 June 2009 (accessed 23 July 2009)
3. 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1, Tables 2.1, 2.5, 3.4 (accessed 13 January 2012)