Konso
Encyclopedia
Konso is a town on the Sagan River
Sagan River
The Sagan River is a seasonal river in southern Ethiopia. Rising in the mountains east of Lake Chamo to flow south then west to join the Weito River at , this river defines part of the boundary between the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region and the Oromia Region.Tributaries of the...
in southwestern 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...
. The administrative center of the Konso special woreda
Konso special woreda
Konso is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region of Ethiopia. Because Konso is not part of any Zone in the SNNPR, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. This woreda is named after the Konso...
of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of 5°15′N 37°29′E and an elevation of 1650 meters. It is also called Pakawle by some of the neighboring inhabitants.
Overview
Konso, named after the Konso peopleKonso people
The Konso or Konzo people are an ethnic group in south-central Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, they numbered 250,430 of whom 10,470 or 4.18% are urban dwellers. Over 87% live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region....
, is known for its religious traditions, waga
Waga sculpture
A waga, also known as a waka or waaka, is a type of memorial statue carved from wood in southern Ethiopia. Modern wagas or mini-wagas may also be carved specifically for sale to tourists, in which case the rod-shaped kallaccas on their heads are often exaggerated into penis shapes....
sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s, and nearby fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
beds (the latter an archaeological site
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
of early hominid
Hominidae
The Hominidae or include them .), as the term is used here, form a taxonomic family, including four extant genera: chimpanzees , gorillas , humans , and orangutans ....
s). The site was added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Tentative List on September 30, 1997 due to its purported universal cultural significance and official made a World Heritage Site in 2011..
Philip Briggs suggests that the present-day town "might prosaically be described as a traffic circle of comically vast dimensions, surrounded by a solitary petrol station and a scattering of local hotels." According to the SNNPR's Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, Konso's amenities include digital telephone access, postal service, electricity provided by a generator, and a branch of a microfinance
Microfinance
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....
organization. Local industries include beekeeping
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
, cotton
Cotton production in Ethiopia
Cotton is grown throughout Ethiopia at elevations above 1000 meters and below 1400 meters. Because most of the lowlands lack adequate rainfall, cotton cultivation depends largely on irrigation.-History:...
weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, and agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. The market is held on Mondays and Thursdays at a point 2 kilometers from town along the Jinka Road.
A permaculture
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
farm, Strawberry Fields Eco-Lodge, was founded in 2007 north of town and works with international volunteers and three local schools to grow food, promote ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
, and provide permaculture education.
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, Konso has an estimated total population of 4,593 of whom 2,258 are men and 2,335 are women. The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 2,535 of whom 1,250 were men and 1,285 were women.