Bekoji is a town in central 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...

. Located in 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...

 of the Oromia Region

Oromia Region

Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...

, it has a latitude and longitude of 7°35′N 39°10′E with an elevation of 2810 meters. It is the administrative center of Bekoji

Bekoji (woreda)

Bekoji is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Bekoji is bordered on the south by Gedeb, on the southwest by Kofele, on the west by Munesa, on the north by Digeluna Tijo, on the east by Sherka, and on the southeast by the Shebelle River which separates it...

 woreda

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...

.

This town is located on the all-weather road to Goba

Goba

Goba is a town in south-central Ethiopia. Located in the Bale Zone of the Oromia Region approximately 446 km southeast of Addis Ababa, this city has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2,743 meters above sea level...

 built during the Italian occupation

Italian East Africa

Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...

, 56 kilometers south of Asella

Asella

Asella also Asela is a city in central Ethiopia. Located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region about 175 kilometers from Addis Ababa, this city has a latitude and longitude of , with an elevation of 2430 meters. Asella hosts an airport...

, and 50 kilometers east of Lake Langano

Lake Langano

Langano is a lake in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia, exactly 200 kilometers by road south of the capital, Addis Ababa, on the border between the Misraq Shewa and Arsi Zones. The first European to record its existence, Oscar Neumann, records that it was also known as "Lake Kore"...

. A local landmark is the church of Liemu Maryam, east of Bekoji.

Bekoji is also known as the home town of many famous Ethiopian athletes. They include: Derartu Tulu

Derartu Tulu

Derartu Tulu is an Ethiopian long distance track, road and marathon athlete.Derartu , a member of the Oromo ethnic group, grew up tending cattle in the village of Bekoji in the highlands of Arsi Province...

; the Bekele brothers Kenenisa

Kenenisa Bekele

Kenenisa Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who holds the world record and Olympic record in both the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres events...

 and Tariku

Tariku Bekele

Tariku Bekele is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who specializes in the 5000 metres. He is the younger brother of Kenenisa Bekele. He is the fourth fastest Ethiopian ever over 5000 m and 3000 metres...

; Fatuma Roba

Fatuma Roba

Fatuma Roba is an Ethiopian long distance runner from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, most known for winning a gold medal in the women's marathon race at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She finished fourth at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics....

; the Dibaba sisters Ejegayehu

Ejegayehu Dibaba

Ejegayehu Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.She is a member of the Oromo ethnic group from the high-altitude Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region. She is the third child of six, her younger sisters Tirunesh and Genzebe are also international long distance athletes, and brother Dejene is marked...

, Tirunesh

Tirunesh Dibaba

Tirunesh Dibaba also known as Tirunesh Dibaba Kenene is an Ethiopian long distance track athlete and the outdoor 5000 metres world record holder. She is the current Olympic 5000 metres and 10,000 metres champion...

 and Genzebe

Genzebe Dibaba

Genzebe Dibaba is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She is the sister of World Champion Tirunesh Dibaba and Olympic silver medallist Ejegayehu Dibaba, and the cousin of former Olympic champion Derartu Tulu....

; and Mestawet Tufa

Mestawet Tufa

Mestawet Tufa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner. She was the winner of the women's 10,000 metres at the 2007 All-Africa Games and the runner up in the senior women's race at the 2008 World Cross Country Championships.She competed at the Olympic Games, but did not finish her 10,000 metres...

.

History

Besides building a road from Asella to Bekoji, during the Italians also built a small fort outside the town. After Asela had been captured in April 1941, Henfrey's Scouts (a small force of Ethiopian irregulars) continued south to capture Bekoji supported by armored cars. Because of heavy mud, increasing rains and a shortage of fuel, only a small unit reached the outpost at Bekoji.

The Baptist General Conference

Baptist General Conference

The Baptist General Conference is a national evangelical Baptist body with roots in Pietism in Sweden and inroads among evangelical Scandinavian-Americans, particularly in the American Upper Midwest. From its beginning among Scandinavian immigrants, the BGC has grown to a nationwide association...

 operated a mission station at Bekoji, performing medical work during the 1950s. By 1965, Bekoji contained the woreda governor's office, associated administrative buildings, and some local security facilities. There was all-weather road connection and telephone link to Asella. The major market day was Saturday, and a minor market was held on Tuesday. Trade centered on crops, livestock, seeds and foodstuffs. Most of the commercial buildings were drinking establishments.

The Chilalo Agricultural Development Union

Chilalo Agricultural Development Union

Chilalo Agricultural Development Union is the first comprehensive package project established in Ethiopia, Oromia Region, Arsi Zone to transform traditional peasant agriculture to the modern ones...

 established a marketing center here in 1970. Ingvar Jonsson made field interviews with farmers in the area between July 1973 and May 1974. He reported that about 90% of all interviewed tenants had sharecropping agreement, with rent to the landowner ranging between one third and one half of the crop. Studying aerial photos, Jonsson concluded 94 households had been removed from Bekoji while 282 new households had been established.

Demographics

Based on figures from 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...

in 2005, this town has an estimated total population of 16,730, of whom 7,999 are men and 8,731 are women. The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 9,367, of whom 4,338 were men and 5,029 were women.