Dabus River
Encyclopedia
The Dabus River is a north-flowing tributary of the Abay River in southwestern Ethiopia
; it joins its parent stream at 10°36′38"N 35°8′58"E. The Dabus has a drainage area of about 21,032 square kilometers.
This river was formerly known as the Yabus, and local speakers still refer to it by that name, without distinction for the Yabus
in Sudan
that is a tributary of the White Nile
. Juan Maria Schuver
was the first European explorer to determine that they were two separate rivers, and in 1882 proved false the rumor that these rivers flowed from the same mountain lake.
It is important as a boundary both in cultural and political terms. According to Dunlop, who explored the region in 1935, the river is where "the Christian church of the Oromo people gives place to the mosque
, and the Oromo greeting to the universal Muslim
politeness: 'Salaam Aleikum.' In contrast to the Oromo and Amhara dress, consisting of a shirt with close-fitting sleeves, jodpurs and chamma, they wear a white skull-cap, pugaree, flowing coat with loose sleeves and baggy trousers." In political terms, its course defines not only part of the boundary between the Benishangul-Gumuz and the Oromia Region
s, but also the entire shared boundary of the Asosa
and Kamashi Zone
s of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.
The Dabus is a historically significant source for gold
, where the local inhabitants used placer mining
to recover the mineral.
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 joins its parent stream at 10°36′38"N 35°8′58"E. The Dabus has a drainage area of about 21,032 square kilometers.
This river was formerly known as the Yabus, and local speakers still refer to it by that name, without distinction for the Yabus
Yabus River
The Yabus River rises in the far west of Ethiopia, in Asosa Zone, flows west into Sudan past the town of Yabus, then enters South Sudan. At the town of Boing it turns south west and enters the Machar Marshes, where it loses its identity....
in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
that is a tributary of the White Nile
White Nile
The White Nile is a river of Africa, one of the two main tributaries of the Nile from Egypt, the other being the Blue Nile. In the strict meaning, "White Nile" refers to the river formed at Lake No at the confluence of the Bahr al Jabal and Bahr el Ghazal rivers...
. Juan Maria Schuver
Juan Maria Schuver
Juan Maria Schuver was a Dutch explorer who was a native of Amsterdam....
was the first European explorer to determine that they were two separate rivers, and in 1882 proved false the rumor that these rivers flowed from the same mountain lake.
It is important as a boundary both in cultural and political terms. According to Dunlop, who explored the region in 1935, the river is where "the Christian church of the Oromo people gives place to the mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, and the Oromo greeting to the universal Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
politeness: 'Salaam Aleikum.' In contrast to the Oromo and Amhara dress, consisting of a shirt with close-fitting sleeves, jodpurs and chamma, they wear a white skull-cap, pugaree, flowing coat with loose sleeves and baggy trousers." In political terms, its course defines not only part of the boundary between the Benishangul-Gumuz and the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
s, but also the entire shared boundary of the Asosa
Asosa Zone
Asosa is one of the three Zones in Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. This Zone was named after the Asosa Sultanate, which had approximately the same boundaries. Asosa is bordered on the south by the Mao-Komo special woreda, on the west by Sudan, on the northeast by the Abay River which...
and 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...
s of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.
The Dabus is a historically significant source for gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, where the local inhabitants used placer mining
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
to recover the mineral.