sentences:  A 2005 survey of the eastern part of this woreda described it as a highly degraded and seriously drought-affected mountainous area, with an altitude that varied between 1,200 and 1,800 meters above sea level.The member of parliament from Belessa is the former President of the Amhara Region, and one time Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Addisu Legesse.Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 190,968, of whom 93,207 are men and 97,761 are women; 10,121 or 5.30% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 14.1%.