Aseko (woreda)
Encyclopedia
Aseko is one of the 180 woreda
s in the Oromia Region
of Ethiopia
. It is named after the administrative center of the woreda, Aseko
. Part of the Arsi Zone
, Aseko is bordered on the southwest by Chole
, on the northwest by Merti
, on the north by the Mirab (West) Hararghe Zone
, and on the east by Gololcha
.
, and the remaining 45.7% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Arbagugu State Forest is a local landmark. Coffee
, khat
, banana
s and flax
are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes one grain mill and some mining, as well as 83 licensed traders of whom 71% were retailers, 26.5% wholesalers and 2.5% service providers. According to the Government of Oromia, "Aseko is the [most] disadvantaged district in industrial activities in Arsi zone." There were 13 Farmers Associations with 9669 members. Aseko has no reported roads, and is reportedly only accessible during the dry season; due to this inaccessibility, the woreda was largely excluded from rural development programs between 1974-1984. However, 27 kilometers of road connecting Abomsa
in Merti to Aseko was reported as under construction in 2005. About 19% of the total population has access to drinking water
.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 84,959, of whom 41,940 are men and 43,019 are women; 1,961 or 2.31% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 618.13 square kilometers, Aseko has an estimated population density of 137.4 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 132.2.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 61,513, of whom 31,327 were men and 30,186 women; 1,097 or 1.78% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Aseko were the Oromo
(59.49%), and the Amhara
(40.08%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.43% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 55.62%, and 44.35% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.03% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 54.53% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 45.38% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
s in the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. It is named after the administrative center of the woreda, Aseko
Aseko
Aseko is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of . It is the administrative center of Aseko woreda....
. Part of the Arsi Zone
Arsi Zone
Arsi is one of the 12 zones of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. Arsi is also the name of a former province. Both the Zone and the former province are named after a subgroup of the Oromo, who inhabit both...
, Aseko is bordered on the southwest by Chole
Chole (woreda)
Chole is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Chole is bordered on the south by Amigna, on the southwest by Sude, on the northwest by Merti, on the north by Aseko, and on the east by Gololcha...
, on the northwest by Merti
Merti
Merti is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Merti is bordered on the south by Sude, on the west by Jeju, on the northwest by the Misraq Shewa Zone, on the north by the Afar Region, on the east by Aseko, and on the southeast by Chole...
, on the north by the Mirab (West) Hararghe Zone
Mirab Hararghe Zone
Mirab Hararghe is one of the 17 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. Mirab Hararghe takes its name from the former province of Hararghe. Mirab Harerge is bordered on the south by the Shebelle River which separates it from Bale, on the southwest by Arsi, on the northwest by the Afar Region, on...
, and on the east by Gololcha
Gololcha
Gololcha is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Gololcha is bordered on the south by Amigna, on the west by Chole, on the northwest by Aseko, and on the north and east by the Mirab Hararghe Zone...
.
Overview
The altitude of this woreda ranges from 1000 to 2900 meters above sea level; the highest mountains include Weranbus, Abakoro and Dao. Rivers include the Arba, Dagnam Yelew and Bagdo. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 19.2% is arable or cultivable, 17.9% pasture, 17.1% forestForestry in Ethiopia
In the late nineteenth century, about 30% of Ethiopia was covered with forest. The clearing of land for agricultural use and the cutting of trees for fuel gradually changed the scene, and today forest areas have dwindled to less than 4% of Ethiopia's total land. The northern parts of the highlands...
, and the remaining 45.7% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Arbagugu State Forest is a local landmark. Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, khat
Khat
Khat, qat, gat or Waquish Spoken from true Yemeni, is a flowering plant native to tropical East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula....
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes one grain mill and some mining, as well as 83 licensed traders of whom 71% were retailers, 26.5% wholesalers and 2.5% service providers. According to the Government of Oromia, "Aseko is the [most] disadvantaged district in industrial activities in Arsi zone." There were 13 Farmers Associations with 9669 members. Aseko has no reported roads, and is reportedly only accessible during the dry season; due to this inaccessibility, the woreda was largely excluded from rural development programs between 1974-1984. However, 27 kilometers of road connecting Abomsa
Abomsa
Abomsa is a town in central Ethiopia; the name comes from the Oromo word for "friend, comrade". Located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region, the town has a latitude and longitude of and an altitude of 1438 meters...
in Merti to Aseko was reported as under construction in 2005. About 19% of the total population has access to drinking water
Water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia
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 external aid, much still remains to be done to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of halving the share of people...
.
Demographics
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 84,959, of whom 41,940 are men and 43,019 are women; 1,961 or 2.31% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 618.13 square kilometers, Aseko has an estimated population density of 137.4 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 132.2.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 61,513, of whom 31,327 were men and 30,186 women; 1,097 or 1.78% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Aseko were the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
(59.49%), and the Amhara
Amhara people
Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...
(40.08%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.43% of the population. Oromiffa
Oromo language
Oromo, also known as Afaan Oromo, Oromiffa, Afan Boran, Afan Orma, and sometimes in other languages by variant spellings of these names , is an Afro-Asiatic language, and the most widely spoken of the Cushitic family. Forms of Oromo are spoken as a first language by more than 25 million Oromo and...
was spoken as a first language by 55.62%, and 44.35% spoke Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
; the remaining 0.03% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
, with 54.53% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 45.38% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.