Amhara Region

Amhara ( Amharic አማራ amara, English Amhara National Regional State ) is an administrative region of Ethiopia.

It forms the historical heartland of the medieval capital of Gondar. With the new administrative division of Ethiopia along ethnic Amhara was created in 1995 as a state with the Amhara as titular. It covers most of the former provinces of Gojjam and Begemder and parts of Wollo.

History

Since the 18th century Amhara formed an independent part of the Kingdom, which spawned the Emperor Theodore II in the 19th century. This united in the war against Shewa and Tigray Amhara with the rest of Ethiopia. The people of the Amhara Habesha - is the largest of the Christian peoples of Ethiopia, his language is Amharic. Until the fall of Haile Selassie in 1974 Amhara were the traditional ruling elite. Amharic is therefore often mistakenly equated simply with " Ethiopian".

Policy

The socialist movement of the Amhara National Democratic led the 1991 overthrow of the communist government of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in Amhara cause. Since then, she is the most influential party and at the same time coalition partner the People's Liberation Front of Tigray in the Revolutionary Democratic Front of the Ethiopian peoples. There is also the All- Amhara People's Organization as an opposition party United Ethiopian Democratic Forces. The Democratic Movement of Argobba nationality, however, represents the interests of Argobba in Amhara.

The regional parliament of the Amhara Region has been committed to the parliamentary elections of 2005 were as follows:

Population

According to 2007 census were of 17,214,056 inhabitants, 91.48 % ( 15,747,800 ) Amhara, 3.46% ( 595 721 ) Agau and 2.62% ( 451 221 ) Oromo. 82.5 % were Ethiopian Orthodox and 17.2 % Muslim. The annual population growth rate was 1.7 % between 1994 and 2007, the lowest in Ethiopia. 12.6 % of the population lived in urban areas. Largest cities in Amhara are Gondar, Dese, today's regional capital, Bahir Dar located on Lake Tana, Debre Mark'os, Debre Birhan and Kombolcha. In Amhara is also Lalibela, famous for its rock-hewn churches.