Mao-Komo special woreda
Encyclopedia
Mao-Komo is one of the 21 woreda
s in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia
. Because it is not part of any Zone in Benishangul-Gumuz, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area
.
This woreda is known under other names. In the administrative map of Benishangul-Gumaz printed by the Ethiopian Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency it is called Tongo; the 1994 national census, and the later population estimates, of the Central Statistical Agency
(CSA) call it Begi and include the woreda as part of the Asosa Zone
. However, in the list of second administrative level bodies maintained by the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group this woreda is called "Mao-Komo", and this usage is also observed in other publications.
The southernmost woreda in the Region, Mao-Komo is bordered on the west by Sudan
and South Sudan
, on the north by the Asosa Zone
, and on the east and south by the Oromia Region
. Towns in this woreda include Tongo and it has a weekly market.
The region and its inhabitants were described by the Dutch
explorer Juan Maria Schuver
, who travelled to the area in 1880-1883.
(CSA) in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 18,668, of whom 9,110 are men and 9,558 are women. With an estimated area of 1,792.66 square kilometers, Mao-Komo has a population density of 10.4 people per square kilometer which is less than the Zone average of 19.95.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 14,071 in 3,086 households, of whom 6,899 were men and 7,172 were women; no urban dwellers were recorded. The six largest ethnic groups reported in Mao-Komo were the Oromo
(52%), the Fadashi (21.4%), the Berta
(12%), the Mao (8%), the Kwama
(5%) and the Gumuz (0.7%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.9% of the population. Oromiffa
is spoken as a first language by 58%, 29% speak Fadashi
, 6% speak Mao
one of the northern group
of Omotic languages
, 5% Kwama
, 1% Berta
, and 0.7% speak Gumuz
; the remaining 0.3% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 95.6% of the population reporting the followed that religion, while 4% observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. The Oromo, who arrived to the area in the 18th and 19th century, tend to live in the highlands, whereas the Nilo-Saharan communities (Kwama, Gwama, Mao, Ganza) usually occupy the lowland savannas.
Concerning education
, 0.89% of the population were considered literate; a negligible number of children aged 7-12 were in primary school as well as children aged 13-14 in junior secondary school, while none of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, 6.6% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2.7% 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...
. Because it is not part of any Zone in Benishangul-Gumuz, it is considered a Special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area
Autonomous area
An autonomous area or autonomous entity is an area of a country that has a degree of autonomy, or freedom from an external authority. Typically it is either geographically distinct from the rest of the country or populated by a national minority. Countries that include autonomous areas are often...
.
This woreda is known under other names. In the administrative map of Benishangul-Gumaz printed by the Ethiopian Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Agency it is called Tongo; the 1994 national census, and the later population estimates, of the Central Statistical Agency
Central 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...
(CSA) call it Begi and include the woreda as part of the Asosa Zone
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...
. However, in the list of second administrative level bodies maintained by the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group this woreda is called "Mao-Komo", and this usage is also observed in other publications.
The southernmost woreda in the Region, Mao-Komo is bordered on the west by 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...
and South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
, on the north by the Asosa Zone
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 on the east and south by the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
. Towns in this woreda include Tongo and it has a weekly market.
The region and its inhabitants were described by the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
explorer Juan Maria Schuver
Juan Maria Schuver
Juan Maria Schuver was a Dutch explorer who was a native of Amsterdam....
, who travelled to the area in 1880-1883.
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...
(CSA) in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 18,668, of whom 9,110 are men and 9,558 are women. With an estimated area of 1,792.66 square kilometers, Mao-Komo has a population density of 10.4 people per square kilometer which is less than the Zone average of 19.95.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 14,071 in 3,086 households, of whom 6,899 were men and 7,172 were women; no urban dwellers were recorded. The six largest ethnic groups reported in Mao-Komo 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...
(52%), the Fadashi (21.4%), 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....
(12%), the Mao (8%), the Kwama
Kwama people
The Kwama , are a Nilo-Saharan-speaking community living in the Sudanese-Ethiopian borderland, mainly in the Mao-Komo special woreda of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region in, Ethiopia. They belong, culturally and linguistically, to the Koman groups, which include neighboring communities such as the Uduk,...
(5%) and the Gumuz (0.7%); all other ethnic groups made up 0.9% 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...
is spoken as a first language by 58%, 29% speak Fadashi
Fadashi language
Fadashi is an erstwhile dialect of Berta that is distinct enough to be considered a separate language....
, 6% speak Mao
Mao languages
The Mao languages are a branch of the Omotic languages spoken in Ethiopia. This group comprises Bambasi spoken in the Bambasi woreda of Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Hozo and Seze spoken around Begi in the Mirab Welega Zone of the Oromia Region, and Ganza, which is spoken south of Bambasi in the...
one of the northern group
North Omotic languages
The North Omotic or Nomotic languages belong to the Afro-Asiatic family and are spoken in Ethiopia.- References :*...
of Omotic languages
Omotic languages
The Omotic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic family spoken in southwestern Ethiopia. The Ge'ez alphabet is used to write some Omotic languages, the Roman alphabet for some others. They are fairly agglutinative, and have complex tonal systems .-Language list:The North and South Omotic...
, 5% Kwama
Kwama language
Kwama is a Nilo-Saharan Koman language, spoken in the South Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia, along the Sudan border between Asosa and Gidami....
, 1% 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...
, and 0.7% speak 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...
; the remaining 0.3% 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 95.6% of the population reporting the followed that religion, while 4% observed Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. The Oromo, who arrived to the area in the 18th and 19th century, tend to live in the highlands, whereas the Nilo-Saharan communities (Kwama, Gwama, Mao, Ganza) usually occupy the lowland savannas.
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...
, 0.89% of the population were considered literate; a negligible number of children aged 7-12 were in primary school as well as children aged 13-14 in junior secondary school, while none of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were 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...
, 6.6% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2.7% had toilet facilities at the time of the census.