Batu (town) explained

Official Name:Batu
Native Name Lang:om
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Ethiopia
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Ethiopia
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Ethiopia
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:Zone
Subdivision Name2:East Shewa
Population As Of:2007
Population Total:43,660
Timezone:EAT
Utc Offset:+3
Coordinates:7.9333°N 81°W
Elevation M:1643
Area Code:+251 46 441
Blank Name:Climate
Blank Info:Cwb

Batu (Oromo: Baatuu), formerly Zway or Ziway,[1] is a town and woreda on the road connecting Addis Ababa to Nairobi in the East Shewa Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Batu has a latitude and longitude of 7.9333°N 81°W with an elevation of 1,643 meters above sea level.

Economy

Located on the shore of Hora Dambal, the economy of the town is based on fishing and horticulture. Batu is also home to a prison and a caustic soda factory. The Dutch company Sher operates what in 2019 was called "the world's largest rose farm, employing 1,500 workers."[2]

Demographics

The 2007 national census recorded Batu's total population at 43,660, of whom 22,956 were men and 20,704 women. The majority of the inhabitants said they practised Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 51.04% of the population reporting they observed this belief, while 24.69% of the population were Muslim, 0.42% practiced traditional beliefs, and 22.07% of the population were Protestant. The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 20,056 of whom 10,323 were males and 9,733 were females.

Notes and References

  1. http://www.csa.gov.et/index.php?option=com_rubberdoc&view=doc&id=272&format=raw&Itemid=521 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1
  2. News: Gérand . Christelle . The real cost of 'Ethiopian-style development' . 16 July 2021 . Equal Times . June 5, 2019.