Yirga ‘Alem, Ethiopia
ይርጋለም
Yirga ‘Alem is a town of 81,600 people in Sidama Region, Ethiopia.
Weather in Yirga ‘Alem
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About Yirga ‘Alem
Yirgalem (Amharic: ይርጋለም, Yïrgaläm) locally known as Diko Dalle is a town in southern Ethiopia. Surrounded by Lakes Woyima and Gidawo, it is located 260 kilometers south of Addis Ababa and 40 kilometers south of Hawassa in the Sidama Region. The town has a latitude and longitude of 6°45′N 38°25′E and an elevation of 1776 meters. It is the largest settlement in Dale woreda.
From the Wikipedia article Irgalem (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship1
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare1
History
Yirgalem was occupied by the Italians 1 December 1936 during their campaign against the remaining Ethiopian Army of Sidamo under Ras Desta Damtew. The town was capital of Sidamo Province until after the 1975 takeover by the Derge regime, when it was moved to Awassa.
Around 1957 there was no telephone landline connecting Irgalem; telecommunications were provided by a radio station. The next year, the town was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township. Installation of the landline between Irgalem and Addis Ababa was completed in late 1960. By that time a branch of the Ethiopian Electric Light and Power Authority[1] had started operation at Irgalem.
The Mekane Yesus Church held its Eighth General Assembly at Irgalem in 1973. The Assembly passed a resolution requesting land reform in Ethiopia - a reform which was in fact put into action a couple of years later, as a result of the Ethiopian Revolution.
A large integrated agro-industrial park is being built in the town and construction began on March 14. The park is expected to create 134,000 jobs for the region.
From the History section of Irgalem on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Yirga ‘Alem
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Getting there and nearby towns
Hawassa Airport (AWA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 39 km away.
- Leku 14 km north, about 14 min by car
- Wendo 17 km south, about 17 min by car
- Ch’iko 21 km southwest, about 21 min by car
- Hāgere Selam 32 km south, about 32 min by car
- Awasa 35 km north, about 35 min by car
- Dīla 39 km south, about 39 min by car
- Dimtu 38 km northwest, about 38 min by car
- Bedēsa 38 km west, about 38 min by car
- Shashamane 54 km north, about 54 min by car
- Sodo 73 km west, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.