Merti
Encyclopedia
Merti is one of the 180 woreda
s 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
. The administrative center of this woreda is Abomsa
; other towns in Merti include Reye.
of Christian and Moslem beliefs and rituals, is an important local landmark. A lesser one is the Arbagugu state forest. Linseed and teff
are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes quarrying and pottery making, 61 small scale industries (including grain mills) that employ 178 people, as well as 727 registered traders 17.6% of whom were wholesalers, 42.4% retailers and 40% service providers. There were 25 Farmers Associations with 14,179 members and 4 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 6958 members. Merti has 148 kilometers of dry-weather and 105 of all-weather road, for an average road density of 197 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 22.7% of the total population has access to drinking water
.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 135,023, of whom 67,257 are men and 67,766 are women; 26,053 or 19.30% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 1,282.19 square kilometers, Merti has an estimated population density of 105.3 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 132.2.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 93,895, of whom 47,201 were men and 46,694 women; 14,575 or 15.52% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Merti were the Oromo
(71.29%), and the Amhara
(26.3%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.41% of the population. Oromiffa
was spoken as a first language by 65.38%, and 33.79% spoke Amharic
; the remaining 0.83% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 59.71% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 39.91% 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...
. 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...
, Merti is bordered on the south by Sude
Sude
Sude is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Sude is bordered on the south by Robe, on the southwest by Tena, on the west by Dodotana Sire, on the northwest by Jeju, on the north by Merti, on the northeast by Chole and on the southeast by Amigna...
, on the west by Jeju
Jeju (woreda)
Jeju is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Jeju is bordered by Dodotana Sire to the west, the Misraq Shewa Zone to the north, Merti to the east, and Sude to the south. Its administrative centre is Arboye, located 168 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa...
, on the northwest by the Misraq Shewa Zone
Misraq Shewa Zone
Misraq Shewa is one of the 12 Zones of the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone takes its name from the kingdom or former province of Shewa. Misraq Shewa is located in the middle of Oromia, connecting the western regions to the eastern ones...
, on the north by the Afar Region
Afar Region
Afar is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, and is the homeland of the Afar people. Formerly known as Region 2, its current capital is Asayita; a new capital named Semera on the paved Awash - Asseb highway is under construction....
, on the east by Aseko
Aseko (woreda)
Aseko is one of the 180 woredas 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 Hararghe Zone, and on the east by Gololcha.-...
, and on the southeast 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...
. The administrative center of this woreda is 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...
; other towns in Merti include Reye.
Overview
The altitude of Momina in 1927, which embraces a syncretismSyncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
of Christian and Moslem beliefs and rituals, is an important local landmark. A lesser one is the Arbagugu state forest. Linseed and teff
Teff
Eragrostis tef, known as teff, taf , or khak shir , is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the northern Ethiopian Highlands of Northeast Africa....
are important cash crops.
Industry in the woreda includes quarrying and pottery making, 61 small scale industries (including grain mills) that employ 178 people, as well as 727 registered traders 17.6% of whom were wholesalers, 42.4% retailers and 40% service providers. There were 25 Farmers Associations with 14,179 members and 4 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 6958 members. Merti has 148 kilometers of dry-weather and 105 of all-weather road, for an average road density of 197 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers. About 22.7% 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 135,023, of whom 67,257 are men and 67,766 are women; 26,053 or 19.30% of its population are urban dwellers, which is greater than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 1,282.19 square kilometers, Merti has an estimated population density of 105.3 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 132.2.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 93,895, of whom 47,201 were men and 46,694 women; 14,575 or 15.52% of its population were urban dwellers at the time. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Merti 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...
(71.29%), 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...
(26.3%); all other ethnic groups made up 2.41% 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 65.38%, and 33.79% 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 0.83% 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 59.71% of the population having reported they practiced that belief, while 39.91% of the population said they professed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity.