Belo Jegonfoy
Encyclopedia
Belo Jegonfoy is one of the 21 woreda
s 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 south; parts of the woreda are enclaves in the Oromia Region.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 14,943, of whom 7,624 are men and 7,319 are women. With an estimated area of 1,611.88 square kilometers, Belo Jegonfoy has an estimated population density of 9.3 people per square kilometer which is greater than the Zone average of 7.61. Information is lacking on the towns of this woreda.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 11,266 in 2,391 households, of whom 5,774 were men and 5,492 were women; no urban inhabitants were recorded. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Belo Jegonfoy were the Gumuz (69.4%), the Berta
(19.8%), and the Oromo
(10%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.8% of the population. Gumuz
is spoken as a first language by 69.6%, Berta
by 19.8%, and Oromiffa
by 9.8%; the remaining 0.8% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning religion, the largest group of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 46.4% of the population reporting they professed that religion, while 24% were Protestant
, and 21.4% observed traditional religions. Concerning education
, 8.05% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 11.36%; 8.83% of children aged 7–12 were in primary school, a negligible number of the children aged 13–14 were in junior secondary school, and none of the inhabitants aged 15–18 in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, 1.9% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2% had toilet facilities at the time of the census.
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 Benishangul-Gumuz Region 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...
. Part of the Kamashi Zone
Kamashi Zone
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...
, it is bordered on the west by the Didessa River
Didessa River
The Didessa River is a river in western Ethiopia. A tributary of the Abay River, it rises in the mountains of Gomma, flowing in a northwestern direction to its confluence where the course of the Abay has curved to its southernmost point before turning northwards at about...
, which separates it from Kamashi
Kamashi (woreda)
Kamashi is one of the 21 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Kamashi Zone, it is bordered by the Didessa River on the northeast 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...
, on the north by the Hanger River
Hanger River
Hanger River is a river in west central Ethiopia. It is a west-flowing tributary of the Didessa River, itself a tributary of the Blue Nile...
which separates it form Yaso
Yaso
Yaso is one of the 21 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...
, and by Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
in the south; parts of the woreda are enclaves in the Oromia Region.
Demographics
Based on figures from 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 14,943, of whom 7,624 are men and 7,319 are women. With an estimated area of 1,611.88 square kilometers, Belo Jegonfoy has an estimated population density of 9.3 people per square kilometer which is greater than the Zone average of 7.61. Information is lacking on the towns of this woreda.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 11,266 in 2,391 households, of whom 5,774 were men and 5,492 were women; no urban inhabitants were recorded. The three largest ethnic groups reported in Belo Jegonfoy were the Gumuz (69.4%), the Berta
Berta people
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....
(19.8%), and 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...
(10%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.8% of the population. Gumuz
Gumuz language
Gumuz is a dialect cluster spoken along the border of Ethiopia and Sudan. Most Ethiopian speakers live in the Metekel Zone of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, although a group of 1,000 live outside the town of Welkite...
is spoken as a first language by 69.6%, Berta
Berta language
Berta, Wetawit, is spoken by the Berta in Sudan and Ethiopia. It is a language isolate which has been also included as branch of the proposed Nilo-Saharan language family. It has the typical word order subject–verb–object. It is a tonal language. It has significantly influenced some of the...
by 19.8%, and 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...
by 9.8%; the remaining 0.8% spoke all other primary languages reported. Concerning religion, the largest group of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 46.4% of the population reporting they professed that religion, while 24% were Protestant
P'ent'ay
P'ent'ay or Pentay is a slang term widely used in modern Ethiopia, and among Ethiopians living abroad, to describe Ethiopian Christians who are not members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo, Ethiopian Orthodox Tehadeso, Roman Catholic or Ethiopian Catholic churches...
, and 21.4% observed traditional religions. Concerning education
Education in Ethiopia
Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until secular education was adopted in the early 1900s. Prior to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the provision of schools and...
, 8.05% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 11.36%; 8.83% of children aged 7–12 were in primary school, a negligible number of the children aged 13–14 were in junior secondary school, and none of the inhabitants aged 15–18 in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
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...
, 1.9% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2% had toilet facilities at the time of the census.