Demographics
Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency (CSA), in 2005 this town has an estimated total population of 318, of whom 176 were males and 142 were females. [2] It is the largest settlement in Menge woreda.
Menge is one of the 20 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.
The 1994 national census reported its total population was 185, of whom 102 were males and 83 were females. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Menge were: the Berta 118, Oromo 27, and Amhara 27. Berta is spoken as a first language by 117 inhabitants, Oromiffa by 39, and Amharic by 28. 139 of the inhabitants said they were Muslim, 39 practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and seven were Protestant. The CSA categorized 103 of the inhabitants as being part of the labor pool (four of whom were unemployed), and 45 as not part of it. [3]
The Berta or Bertha are an ethnic group living along the border of Sudan and Ethiopia. They speak a Nilo-Saharan language that is not related to those of their Nilo-Saharan neighbors. Their total Ethiopian population is about 183,000 people.
The Oromo people are an ethnic group inhabiting Ethiopia. They are one of the largest ethnic groups in Ethiopia and represent 34.5% of Ethiopia's population. Oromos speak the Oromo language as a mother tongue, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. The word Oromo appeared in European literature for the first time in 1893 and slowly became common in the second half of the 20th century.
Berta proper, a.k.a. Gebeto, is spoken by the Berta in Sudan and Ethiopia.
Details about the housing in Menge provide a sense of the quality of the life of its inhabitants. All of the 52 housing units in the town were permanent, with an average of 3.5 persons per house; 45 sheltered one household, while 7 sheltered two, while 47 housing structures had one room and 5 had two. Concerning water supply and sanitation, residents of only 48 units obtained water from a protected well, and 48 had no toilet while the remaining 4 shared the use of a pit toilet with others. None of these houses were provided for bathing. Lighting for 48 units was furnished by kerosene lanterns; four had no lighting. The average rent for housing in Menge was reported to be 22.77 Birr a month, less than both the average reported for the Region of 26.64 Birr and the average reported for the Zone of 36.19 Birr. [4]
Access to water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia is amongst the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa and the entire world. While access has increased substantially with funding from foreign aid, much still remains to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the share of people without access to water and sanitation by 2015, to improve sustainability and to improve service quality.
Kerosene, also known as paraffin, lamp oil, and coal oil, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in industry as well as households. Its name derives from Greek: κηρός (keros) meaning wax, and was registered as a trademark by Canadian geologist and inventor Abraham Gesner in 1854 before evolving into a genericized trademark. It is sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage. The term kerosene is common in much of Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the United States, while the term paraffin is used in Chile, eastern Africa, South Africa, Norway, and in the United Kingdom. The term lamp oil, or the equivalent in the local languages, is common in the majority of Asia. Liquid paraffin is a more viscous and highly refined product which is used as a laxative. Paraffin wax is a waxy solid extracted from petroleum.
Kamashi is one of the three Zones 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 Amhara and Oromo minorities as well.
Guba is one of the 20 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 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 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.
Bulen is one of the 20 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. It is named after its highest point, Mount Bulen. Part of the Metekel Zone, Bulen 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 Bulen.
Kormuk is one of the 20 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 one of the 20 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Kormuk 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 one of the 20 woredas 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 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Menge on the south, Kormuk on the west, by Sudan on the north, and Kamashi Zone on the east.
Oda Buldigilu is one of the 20 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 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by the Asosa on the south, Kormuk 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 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.
Kamashi is one of the 20 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.
Bolo Jiganfo is one of the 20 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 form Yaso, and by Oromia Region in the east and south; parts of the woreda are enclaves in the Oromia Region.
Almu is a town in western Ethiopia, the largest of three towns located in the Pawe Special Woreda of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.
Guangua is one of the woredas in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Agew Awi Zone, Guangua is bordered on the south and west by the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, on the north by Dangila, on the northwest by Faggeta Lekoma and Banja Shekudad, and on the east by Ankasha Guagusa; the Dura River, a tributary of the Abay River, defines part of its western border. The administrative center of this woreda is Chagni; other towns in Guangua include Kilaj, and Menta Wuha.
Mao-Komo is one of the 20 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Because it is not part of any Zone in Benishangul-Gumuz, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. The southernmost woreda in the Region, Mao-Komo is bordered on the west by Sudan and South Sudan, on the north by the Asosa Zone, and on the east and south by the Oromia Region. Towns in this woreda include Tongo and it has a weekly market. Tongo refugee camp, housing 12,483 displaced people from Sudan and South Sudan, is also located in Mao-Komo.
