Alaje

Alaje
ኣላጀ
Flag of Alaje
Location of Alaje
Country Ethiopia
RegionTigray
ZoneDebubawi (Southern)
Area
 • Total
1,677.94 km2 (647.86 sq mi)
Population
 (2007)
 • Total
83,692

Alaje (Tigrinya: ኣላጀ) is a District of Ethiopia, or woreda, in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Debubawi Zone, Alaje is bordered on the south by Endamehoni, on the southwest by the Amhara Region, on the north by Debub Misraqawi (Southeastern) Zone, and on the southeast by Raya Azebo. The administrative center of this woreda is Adi Shehu; other towns in Alaje include Bora (also called Chelena) and Dela.

The highest point in this woreda, as well as the Debubawi Zone, is Mount Emba Alaje, one of the southernmost peaks of the Wajirat Mountains. This prominence was the scene of several battles. The Battle of Emba Alaje (1895) was a significant defeat of the Italians during the First Italo-Ethiopian War. A later battle in 1941 was one of the last actions of the East African Campaign, and ended with the capture of the Duke of Aosta, the governor of Italian East Africa, as well as one of the last Italian strongholds.