The elevations of this woreda range from 750 to 2800 meters above sea level; about 23% is classified lowland, 63% mid-level, and 23.7% uplands.

Once all of the trees had been cut for firewood, locals then turned to extracting the roots, which has critically damaged the soil in this woreda.

[4] Due to the extreme poverty endemic in this woreda, Sileshi Tessera noted the importance of local social institutions, which redistributes food to needy members.

Other social institutions present include the mahiber, iqqub, and the sebeka-gubae; the last two also provides cash funds to needy members.

The majority of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 92.73% reporting that as their religion, while 7.15% of the population said they were Muslim.