Kamashi is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Kamashi Zone, it is bordered by the Didessa River on the east which separates it from Yaso and Belo Jegonfoy, by the Oromia Region on the south and west, and by Agalo Mite on the northwest.
This woreda is located on the western slopes of the Didessa River, with elevations ranging from approximately 2000 meters above sea level in the west to just under 1000 meters at the bottom of the Didessa valley. Notable high points in Kamashi include Mount Dade.
The administrative center of this woreda is named Kamashi; population details of this town are not available. Local tradition reports that the first mosque in what is now Benishangul-Gumuz was founded in Kamashi during the early 19th century by a Bidari trader, 'Ummad wad al-Hajj. [1] Ethiopia Call Ministry, an NGO, has announced that they will begin construction of a modern hospital in Kamashi, starting January 2007. Budgeted at 35 million Birr, construction of the hospital is expected to take three years. [2] On 24 July 2009, the Ethiopian Roads Authority announced that it had completed a gravel road 72 kilometers in length between Kamashi and Yaso woredas at a cost of 149 Birr. [3]
Demographics
The 2007 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 17,883, of whom 9,170 were men and 8,713 were women; 5,917 or 33.09% of its population were urban dwellers. The majority of the inhabitants said they were Protestant, with 66% of the population reporting they observed this belief, while 29.7% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and 2.64% practiced traditional beliefs. [4]
Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 11,055, of whom 5,679 are men and 5,376 are women. With an estimated area of 1,622.50 square kilometers, Kamashi has a population density of 6.8 people per square kilometer which is less than the Zone average of 7.61. [5]
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 8,335 in 1,611 households, of whom 4,301 were men and 4,034 were women. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Kamashi woreda were the Gumuz (81.4%), and the Oromo (17.4%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.2% of the population. Gumuz is spoken as a first language by 81%, and Oromiffa by 17.8%; the remaining 1.2% spoke all other primary languages reported. The largest group of the inhabitants practiced traditional religions, with 43.6% of the population reporting beliefs reported under that category, while 29.5% are Protestant, and 19.3% were Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. Concerning education, 17.83% of the population were considered literate, which is more than the Zone average of 11.36%; 9.24% of children aged 7–12 were in primary school, while a negligible number of the children aged 13–14 were in junior secondary school and the inhabitants aged 15–18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions, 0.9% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2.2% had toilet facilities at the time of the census. [6]
Benishangul-Gumuz is a regional state in northwestern Ethiopia bordering Sudan. It was previously known as Region 6. The region's capital is Assosa. Following the adoption of the 1995 constitution, the region was created from the westernmost portion of the Gojjam province, and the northwestern portion of the Welega Province. The name of the region comes from two peoples – Berta and Gumuz.
Metekel Zone is located in the current Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. It was previously known to be part of the Amhara land.(H.Dufton Narrative of a journey through Abyssinia in 1862-3.P.129). It is bordered on the south and southwest by Kamashi, on the west by Sudan, and on the north and east by the current Amhara region. The Abay River which formery defined the western border of the Amhara land,defines the Zone's boundaries with Kamashi, while the Dinder River defines part of its boundary with the current Amhara region.
Assosa is a zone in Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. This Zone was named after the Assosa Sultanate, which had approximately the same boundaries. Assosa is bordered on the south by the Mao-Komo special woreda, on the west by Sudan, and on the northeast by the Kamashi. The largest town in this zone is Assosa. Its highest point is Mount Bambasi, located in the woreda of the same name. The majority ethnic group in the zone is the Berta people.
Kamashi is a zone in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. It covers part of the southern bank of the Abay and the valley of the Didessa Rivers. The Zone is bordered on the south and east by the Oromia Region, on the west by the Asosa and Sudan, and on the north by Metekel and the Amhara Region, which lie on the further bank of the Abay. The majority ethnic group in the zone is the Gumuz people, with significant Oromo and Amhara minorities as well.
Guba is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the former Sultanate of Gubba. Part of the Metekel Zone, Guba is bordered by the Abay River on the south which separates it from the Kamashi Zone, Sudan on the west, Amhara Region on the north, Dangur on the east, and on the southeast by the Beles River, which separates it from Wenbera. Towns in Guba include Mankush. A refugee camp for displaced persons from Sudan operated in this woreda at Yarenja until all of its inhabitants were repatriated and the camp closed 28 March 2007.
Wenbera is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Metekel Zone, it is bordered on the south and west by the Kamashi Zone, on the north by the Beles River which separates it from Guba and Dangur, and by Bulen on the east; the Abay River defines the boundary between Wenbera and the Kamashi Zone.
Yaso is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. Part of the Kamashi Zone, Yaso is bordered by the Abay River on the north which separates it from the Metekel Zone and the Amhara Region, by the Oromia Region in the southeast, by the Hanger River on the south which separates it from Belo Jegonfoy, and by the Didessa River on the west which separates it from Kamashi and Agalo Mite.
Dibate is a woreda in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Metekel Zone, it is bordered by Mandura on the north, by the Dura River on the east which separates it from the Amhara Region, by the Abay River on the south which separates it from the Kamashi Zone, and by Bulen on the west. This woreda is named for its largest town, Dibate; other settlements include Borebo.
Bullen is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. It is named after its highest point, Mount Bullen. Part of the Metekel Zone, Bullen is bordered by Dangur in the north, Mandura in the northeast, Dibate in the east, the Abay River on the south, and by Wenbera in the west. Its largest settlement is Bullen.
Menge is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Asosa in the southwest, by Komesha in the west, by Sherkole in the north, by Kamashi Zone in the northeast, and by the Dabus River on the east which separates it from Oda Buldigilu. This woreda is named after its only town, Menge.
Asosa is a woreda in Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Kurmuk and Komesha in the north, by Menge in the northeast, by Oda Buldigilu in the east, by Bambasi in the southeast, by Mao-Komo special woreda in the south and by Sudan in the west. This Woreda is named after its largest settlement, Asosa. Rivers include the Yabus and its tributary the Buldidine. One of the highest points in Asosa is Mount Bange.
Sherkole is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Menge on the south, Kurmuk on the west, by Sudan on the north, and Kamashi Zone on the east.
Oda Buldigilu is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by the Kamashi Zone in the north and east, by Oromia Region in the south, by Bambasi in the southwest, by Asosa in the west, and by Menge in the northwest. The major settlement in this woreda is Oda Buldigilu.
Sirba Abbay is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Kamashi Zone, Sirba Abbay is bordered by the Oromia Region on the southwest, by Asosa Zone and Sudan on the west, by the Abay River on the north and east which separates it from the Metekel Zone, and by Agalo Mite on the southeast.
Agalo Mite is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Kamashi Zone, it is bordered by Kamashi woreda on the southeast, the Oromia Region on the southwest, Sirba Abbay on the northwest, the Abay River on the north, and by the Didessa River on the northeast.
Bolo Jiganfo is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia. Part of the Kamashi Zone, it is bordered on the west by the Didessa River, which separates it from Kamashi, on the north by the Hanger River which separates it from Yaso, and by Oromia region in the east and south; parts of the woreda are enclaves in the Oromia region.
Qwara is one of the woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Qwara is named after the former province of Qwara, which was in the same area. Located at the westernmost point of the Semien Gondar Zone, Qwara is bordered on the south by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the west by Sudan, on the north by Metemma, on the east by Takusa and Alefa, and on the southeast by Agew Awi Zone; part of its boundary with the Benishangul-Gumaz Region is defined by the Dinder River. The administrative center of this woreda is Gelegu; other settlements include Tewodros Ketema.
Dega is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Buno Bedelle Zone, Dega is bordered on the south by Chora, on the west by Supena Sodo, on the north by the Mirab Welega Zone, on the northeast by the southern exclave of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and on the east by Bedele. Towns in Dega include Dega and Mako. Mako woreda was part of Dega woreda.
Bedele nanowa is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Illubabor Zone, Bedele Zuria is bordered on the south by Gechi, on the southwest by Chora, on the west by Dega, on the north by the southern exclave of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the northeast by the Didessa River which separates it from the Misraq Welega Zone, and on the southeast by Gechi. Towns in Bedele Zuria include Bedele. Bedele Zuria, Chewaka, Dabo Hana woredas and Bedele town were part of former Bedele woreda.
Sasiga is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia and a part of the Misraq (East) Welega Zone. Sasiga is bordered on the south by Diga Leka, on the west by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the northwest by Limmu, on the north by an exclave of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region and on the east by Guto Wayu. The administrative center of this woreda is Galo. Other towns in Sasiga include Handhura Balo, Bareda, Angar, Arb Gebeya, Ehud Gebeya, Gute and Tsige.
