This varied ecology lends itself to diversified agriculture. The Amhara Region is structured into 11 administrative zones and 113 districts. The districts are also further divided in to 3,015 kebles. Bahir Dar is the Capital and the seat of the national regional government. This growing city is found on the southeastern shores of lake Tana and its current population is about 150,000.

Bahir Dar has won the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) honorable mention for Africa, along with other cities in the world. It emerged as one of the 10 cities around the world recognized by UNESCO for having come up with original solutions and best practices in urban planning for the “societies of tomorrow”.

The total population of the region is 16.5 million, which is about 25% of the total population of the Federal State. The mean population density is above 86 persons per km2 .90.4% of the total population of the region lives in rural areas and 9.6% in urban areas. The crude birth and death rates are 46.7 and 17.9 per 100 people respectively.

Most people living in this region (90%) are Amharas, with the remaining 10% comprising a verity of ethnic groups. Amharic is the official language of the Regional State and 90% of the population use Amharic, although in the urban areas many have a working knowledge of the English language. More than seven other languages are also spoken in the region.

The economy of the Amhara Region, like the economy of the federal state, is dominated by agriculture. Most of the region is suitable for producing cereals and pulses, but cash crop production also exists in the form of fiber seed, sugarcane and a variety of spices.

Industrially, Textiles are produced and animal hides are processed for leather products, but neither yet make a substantial impact on the region’s economy.

More than 740,000 acres of fertile land is presently suitable for commercial cash crop production. Studies indicate that approximately 1,020,000 acres of land are fit for irrigation. Water is a tremendous natural resource of the region. The rivers have high development potential for both traditional and modern economic activities. Irrigation, Hydro-power Generation and Commercial fisheries are all supportable from this resource.

The Abay (Blue Nile), Belesa, Tekeze, Atbara kessm and Jema are the biggest rivers and of course,
Located at the heart of the region is Lake Tana. Tana is Ethiopia’s largest Lake and is the third largest of the African Continent. Mineral Water is found in South Gondar, West Gojjam, Oromya and South Wollo Zones.

The Amhara region contains great richness, not only the drama of its topography, wild life, natural resources, but also as home to the greatest store of historic attractions from Ethiopia’s past civilizations.

The Blue Nile Falls and at sites on the Lake and the Lake shore, the Ancient Monasteries of Lake Tana with their vast store of traditional Murals, and Handcrafts, and the Mummified remains of Ethiopian kings are famous attractions at the center of the region .

To add to this cultural and natural richness, the Amhara region is centrally positioned on Ethiopia’s 'route of Historic Monuments'. Now as if all that were not enough, UNESCO registers the Amhara region internationally as having three of the seven World Heritage sites.

The Amhara Region does not yet have any where near enough links in the chain that produces both Human Resource and infrastructure Development

We have a legacy of under development which now has a profound effect on both our peoples well-being and their ability to contribute meaningfully to the region’s and the nation’s development effort.

The legacy of under development referred to 90.4% of the rural community has no access to potable water. 56% lacked health services and 53.7% of school age children do not have access to any education. Primary Education has reached only 46.3% of the population and Secondary Education a mere 6.3%

The low levels of agriculture productivity, land-holding sub-division due to rural population increase and recurrent drought in parts of the Region, combine to leave 3.5 Million people (almost 25% of the population) food insecure.