Hosaena (also spelled Hosaina) is a town which level as a woreda in southern Ethiopia, and currently serve as the administrative center of Hadiya Zone and Central Ethiopia Regional State as well. Geographically located to the central south of Ethiopia, with a latitude and longitude of 7°33′N 37°51′E / 7.550°N 37.850°E / 7.550; 37.850 with an elevation of 2177 meters above sea level. It was part of Limo woreda and is surrounded by it.

Hosaena
Town
Hosaena is located in Ethiopia
Hosaena
Hosaena
Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates: 7°33′N 37°51′E / 7.550°N 37.850°E / 7.550; 37.850
Country Ethiopia
RegionCentral Ethiopia Regional State
ZoneHadiya
Elevation
2,177 m (7,142 ft)
Population
 (2007)[1]
 • Total
69,995
 • Estimate 
(2021)[2]
179,761
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
ClimateCfb

A nearby landmark is the rock-hewn Dawabelo Cave, whose rock-hewn pillars suggest that it is an unfinished monolithic church.[3] An all-weather road was built in 1963 by the Gurage Road Association, which connected Hosaina na to Addis Ababa by way of Welkite and Endibir.[4] According to the SNNPR's Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, as of 2003 Hosaena's amenities include digital telephone access, postal service, 24-hour electrical service, a bank and a hospital.[5]

History

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In 1910 Hosaena became the administrative center of the province of Hadiya. The town was occupied by the Italians on 11 February 1937. By 1958 Hosaena was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township.[6]

In 1929, a pair of missionaries settled in the town, their efforts leading to Hosaena becoming a center of Protestant Christianity in southern Ethiopia; as early as December 1949, the town hosted a Bible conference, attended by 800 persons. In April 1970, the administrative center of the Kembata Synod of the Mekane Yesus Church was officially moved from Durame to Hosaena; the synod was later renamed the "South Central Synod."[6]

Demographics

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Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the CSA, this woreda has a total population of 69,995, of whom 35,523 are men and 34,472 women. The majority of the inhabitants were Protestants, with 65.74% of the population reporting that belief, 24.6% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 6.57% were Muslim, and 1.99% were Catholic.[7]

The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 31,701 of whom 15,593 were men and 16,108 were women.[8]

Climate

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Climate data for Hosaena, elevation 2,290 m (7,510 ft), (1971–2000)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 25.7
(78.3)
27.1
(80.8)
27.2
(81.0)
24.3
(75.7)
24.1
(75.4)
22.4
(72.3)
21.4
(70.5)
21.2
(70.2)
22.6
(72.7)
23.8
(74.8)
24.8
(76.6)
26.0
(78.8)
24.2
(75.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 7.0
(44.6)
8.4
(47.1)
10.0
(50.0)
10.9
(51.6)
9.4
(48.9)
9.5
(49.1)
9.9
(49.8)
9.8
(49.6)
9.4
(48.9)
7.9
(46.2)
8.1
(46.6)
7.1
(44.8)
9.0
(48.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 23.0
(0.91)
46.0
(1.81)
92.0
(3.62)
150.0
(5.91)
126.0
(4.96)
124.0
(4.88)
162.0
(6.38)
193.0
(7.60)
153.0
(6.02)
85.0
(3.35)
17.0
(0.67)
23.0
(0.91)
1,194
(47.02)
Average relative humidity (%) 63 61 65 75 75 79 81 79 80 70 71 61 72
Source: FAO[9]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Population and Housing Census 2007 – SNNPR Statistical" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistical Agency. 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Population Projection Towns as of July 2021" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistics Agency. 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  3. ^ Philip Briggs, Ethiopia: the Bradt Travel Guide, third edition (London: Bradt, 2002), p. 378
  4. ^ "Ethiopian Village Studies: Imbdibir" Archived 2009-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, Centre for the Study of African Economies (accessed 5 July 2009)
  5. ^ "Detailed statistics on hotels and tourism" Archived 2011-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, Bureau of Finance and Economic Development website (accessed 4 September 2009)
  6. ^ a b "Local History of Ethiopia" The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 3 December 2007)
  7. ^ "Population and Housing Census 2007 – SNNPR Statistical" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistical Agency. 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  8. ^ "Population and Housing Census 1994 – SNNPR Region" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistical Agency. 1994. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  9. ^ "CLIMWAT climatic database". Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations. Retrieved 23 June 2024.