Ethiopia Travel & Tour Information
Ambo
Ambo
(also known as Hagere Hiwot) is a spa town in central Ethiopia.[1]
Located in the Mirab Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, west ofAddis
Ababa, this town has a latitude and longitude of 8°59′N 37°51′E
and an elevation of 2101 meters. It is both the largest town and
the administrative center of Ambo woreda.
Ambo
is known for its mineral water, which is bottled outside of town;
it is reportedly the most popular brand in Ethiopia.[2] Nearby
attractions include Mount Wenchi to the south with its crater
lake, and the Guder and Huluka Falls. Ambo is also the location of
a research station of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural
Research; initiated in 1977, this station hosts research in
protecting major crops in Ethiopia.[3] The town's market day is
Saturday.[4]
After
Lij Iyasu was captured, he was held for a while at Ambo, before
being transferred to house arrest at Fiche. In the early 1930s,
Mahtama Selassie Walda Mesqal, who had studied agriculture in
France and Spain, started an agricultural station near the
town.[5] By 1933, Ambo had started to be a recreation place with
the construction of some bath cabins with cisterns of concrete,
and a couple of European-type hotels, as well as simple villas for
the Emperor and important persons.[6]
By
1938, the Guida described improvements to Ambo which included a
post office, telephone service, a clinic for outpatients,
restaurants, and a hotel under construction. Two Italian forts
were constructed, and in a cave the Italians had erected a
monument for casualties of thePusteria Division. The approach to
Ambo was still over an old bridge, and below it a natural bridge
used by caravans.[6]
When
the Allies reached Ambo with a South African armored car patrol in
early 1941, they had to evacuate 140 "utterly panicked
Italians". The British operated an improvised camp for
prisoners-of-war at Ambo until 1942.[6]
At
least as early as 1955, there was a 170 kW hydro-electric power
station in the town; by 1965 the installed electrical capacity was
210 kVA, with annual production of 132,000 kWh. In 1958 Ambo was
one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township. That
same year, the Ambo Agricultural School and Ambo Forestry School
had 150 students. A light earth tremor was felt in the evening of
23 January 1968; its epicenter was somewhere near Ambo but no
damage occurred.[6]
Based
on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Ambo has
an estimated total population of 49,421 of whom 24,671 are men and
24,750 are women.[10] The 1994 census reported this town had a
total population of 27,636 of whom 13,380 were males and 14,256
were females.
On
December 18, 2006, the Oromia Region government signed an
agreement with Henan Province in China to establish a sister city
program with Xuchang.[14]
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Rena,
Oded, Uri & Ariella from Israel
I
will never forget Lalibela and the people we met there ...the sweet
children that adopted us and followed us all around.
We arrived in Lalibela on a Saturday and saw the long March to the
Market and it was so beautiful and also sad because we understood
how far the people had to work and carry. learn
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