Demographics
Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this woreda has a total population of 50,061, of whom 25,055 are men and 25,006 women. 3,392 or 6.78% of population are urban inhabitants. A total of 9,844 households were counted in this woreda, which results in an average of 5.08 persons to a household, and 9,503 housing units. The five largest ethnic groups reported in the Mao-Komo special woreda were the Oromo (35.1%), the Mao people (26.42%), the Berta (18.8%), the Kwama or Komo (14.46%), and the Fadashi (4.12%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.1% of the population. Main languages are Oromo (47.51%), Berta (17.47%), Mao (15.61%), Kwama (13.7%), and Fadashi (4.91%). The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim, with 94.56% of the population reporting that they held that belief, while 2.64% were Protestant, and 2.13% practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. [3]
Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 18,668, of whom 9,110 are men and 9,558 are women. With an estimated area of 1,792.66 square kilometers, Mao-Komo has a population density of 10.4 people per square kilometer which is less than the Zone average of 19.95. [4]
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 14,071 in 3,086 households, of whom 6,899 were men and 7,172 were women; no urban dwellers were recorded. The six largest ethnic groups reported in Mao-Komo were the Oromo (52%), the Fadashi (21.4%), the Berta (12%), the Mao people (8%), the Kwama or Komo (5%) and the Gumuz (0.7%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.9% of the population. Oromiffa is spoken as a first language by 58%, 29% speak Fadashi, 6% speak Mao one of the northern group of Omotic languages, 5% Kwama, 1% Berta, and 0.7% speak Gumuz; the remaining 0.3% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim, with 95.6% of the population reporting the followed that religion, while 4% observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. [5] The Oromo, who arrived to the area in the 18th and 19th century, tend to live in the highlands, whereas the Nilo-Saharan communities (Kwama, Gwama, Mao, Ganza) usually occupy the lowland savannas.
Concerning education, 0.89% of the population were considered literate; a negligible number of children aged 7-12 were in primary school as well as children aged 13-14 in junior secondary school, while none of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions, 6.6% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2.7% had toilet facilities at the time of the 1994 census. [6]
Benishangul-Gumuz is a regional state in northwestern Ethiopia to the border of 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.
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.
Dangur is one of the 20 Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. It is named after the Dangur range of mountains, which extend southwest from the mountains along the west side of Lake Tana. The administrative center of this woreda is Manbuk.
Telegram (software)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.
Kurmuk 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 Sudan in the north and west, Sherkole in the east, Komesha in the southeast, and Asosa in the south.
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.
Bambasi is a woreda in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by the Mao-Komo special woreda on the southwest, Asosa in the northwest, Oda Buldigilu in the northeast, and by the Oromia Region in the southeast.
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.
Komesha 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 Asosa on the south, Kurmuk on the northwest and Menge on the east. The largest settlement in this woreda is Komesha. Sherkole refugee camp housing 9,526 displaced people from Sudan and South Sudan, is also located in Komesha.
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.
Bambasi is a town in western Ethiopia. The town is named after the highest point in the Asosa Zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Mount Bambasi. Bambasi has a longitude and latitude of 9°45′N34°44′E with an elevation of 1668 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Bambasi woreda.
Menge is a town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Asosa Zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Menge has a latitude and longitude of 10°23′N34°46′E with an elevation of 1123 meters above sea level.
Begi is a woreda in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Part of the West Welega Zone, Begi is bordered on the south by Kelem Welega Zone, on the west and north by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the northeast by Mana Sibu, and on the east by Jarso. Towns in Begi include Begi, and Gaba dafino Kondala woreda was part of Begi woreda.
Begi is a town in south-western Ethiopia. Located in the West Welega Zone of the Oromia, the town has a latitude and longitude of 9°20′N34°29′E with an elevation of 1673 meters above sea level. Begi is the administrative center of Begi Aanaa. As of 2005, the district (Aanaa) is divided into two districts: Begi and Qondaala.
The Kwama, are a Nilo-Saharan-speaking community living in the Sudanese-Ethiopian borderland, mainly in the Mao-Komo special woreda of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region in Ethiopia. They belong, culturally and linguistically, to the Koman groups, which include neighboring communities such as the Uduk, Koma, and Opuuo. Although they traditionally occupied a larger territory, they have been forced to move to marginal, lowland areas by the Oromo from the 18th century onwards. In some villages Kwama, Oromo and Berta live together. The Kwama are often called "Mao" by other groups, especially by the Oromo. The people who live in the southern area and near the Sudanese borderland often call themselves "Gwama" and use the term "Kwama" to refer to those living further to the south and in Sudan. These other "Kwama" are usually known by anthropologists as Koma or Komo. In recent years, many people belonging to this ethnic group have been resettled by the Ethiopian state in order to provide them with clinics and schools.
Komo is a Nilo-Saharan language spoken by the Kwama (Komo) people of Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan. It is a member of the Koman languages. The language is also referred to as Madiin, Koma, South Koma, Central Koma, Gokwom and Hayahaya. Many individuals from Komo are multilingual because they are in close proximity to Mao, Kwama and Oromo speakers. Komo is closely related to Kwama, a language spoken by a group who live in the same region of Ethiopia and who also identify themselves as ethnically Komo. Some Komo and Kwama speakers recognize the distinction between the two languages and culture, whereas some people see it as one "ethnolinguistic" community. The 2007 Ethiopian census makes no mention of Kwama, and for this reason its estimate of 8,000 Komo speakers may be inaccurate. An older estimate from 1971 places the number of Komo speakers in Ethiopia at 1,500. The Komo language is greatly understudied; more information is being revealed as researchers are discovering more data about other languages within the Koman family.
