Wollo: A Land of Religious and Ethnic Amalgamation

Abstract

Wollo is a province in Ethiopia where many ethnic, religious, and cultural groups live in harmony. The religious demography of the province, which has an almost equal number of Muslims and Christians living together intermingled, made social interaction inevitable. As a result, the community has a unique history of tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and a strong sense of togetherness. The people share many customary, cultural, and ritual practices. This paper thus examines the interaction and integration between the different ethnic and religious groups in Wollo that led to the emergence of a unique genetic amalgam and cultural hybridity in the province.