Sherkole
Encyclopedia
Sherkole is one of the 21 woreda
s in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia
. Part of the Asosa Zone
, it is bordered by Menge
on the south, Kormuk
on the southwest, by Sudan
on the northwest, by the Abay River on the northeast which separates it from the Metekel Zone
, and the Dabus River
on the southeast which separates it from the Kamashi Zone
and Oda Godere
.
The major settlement in this woreda is Holma; the Sherkole refugee camp
, housing 16,287 displaced Sudanese, is also located in Sherkole. One of the highest points in Sherkole is Mount Abu Ranab, a lone peak that rises near the Abay River. Other rivers include the Tumat, a tributary of the Abay.
in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 18,558, of whom 9,066 are men and 9,492 are women. With an estimated area of 3,204.22 square kilometers, Sherkole has a population density of 5.8 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 13,989 in 3,231 households, of whom 6,866 were men and 7,123 were women; no urban dwellers were reported. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Sherkole were the Berta
(92.4%), and the Gumuz (2.4%); all other ethnic groups made up 5.2% of the population. Berta
is spoken as a first language by 93%, and 2.5% speak Gumuz
; the remaining 4.5% spoke all other primary languages reported. The majority of the inhabitants were Muslim
, with 99.6% of the population reporting they professed that religion. Concerning education
, 6.94% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 18.49%; only 5.37% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school, while a negligible number of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and none of the inhabitants aged 15-18 were in senior secondary school. Concerning sanitary conditions
, 1.8% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2.4% 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...
. 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...
, it is bordered by Menge
Menge (woreda)
Menge is one of the 21 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Bambasi on the south, by Asosa in the southwest, by Kormuk in the northwest, by Sherkole in the north, and by the Dabus River on the east which separates it from Oda Godere...
on the south, Kormuk
Kormuk (woreda)
Kormuk is one of the 21 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Sudan in the north and west, Sherkole in the east, Menge in the southwest, and Asosa in the south....
on the southwest, 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...
on the northwest, by the Abay River on the northeast which separates it from the Metekel Zone
Metekel Zone
Metekel is one of the three Zones in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia, named after the former Metekkel province. It is bordered on the south by Kamashi, on the southwest by Asosa, on the west by Sudan, and on the north and east by the Amhara Region...
, and the Dabus River
Dabus River
The Dabus River is a north-flowing tributary of the Abay River in southwestern Ethiopia; it joins its parent stream at . The Dabus has a drainage area of about 21,032 square kilometers....
on the southeast which separates it from the Kamashi Zone
Kamashi Zone
Kamashi is one of the three Zones in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. It covers part of the southern bank of the Abay and the valley of the Didessa Rivers...
and Oda Godere
Oda Godere
Oda Godere is one of the 21 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by the Kamashi Zone in the north and east, by Oromia Region in the south, by Bambasi and Menge in the west, and by Sherkole in the north...
.
The major settlement in this woreda is Holma; the Sherkole refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
, housing 16,287 displaced Sudanese, is also located in Sherkole. One of the highest points in Sherkole is Mount Abu Ranab, a lone peak that rises near the Abay River. Other rivers include the Tumat, a tributary of the Abay.
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, this woreda has an estimated total population of 18,558, of whom 9,066 are men and 9,492 are women. With an estimated area of 3,204.22 square kilometers, Sherkole has a population density of 5.8 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 13,989 in 3,231 households, of whom 6,866 were men and 7,123 were women; no urban dwellers were reported. The two largest ethnic groups reported in Sherkole were 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....
(92.4%), and the Gumuz (2.4%); all other ethnic groups made up 5.2% of the population. 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...
is spoken as a first language by 93%, and 2.5% 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 4.5% 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 99.6% of the population reporting they professed that religion. 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...
, 6.94% of the population were considered literate, which is less than the Zone average of 18.49%; only 5.37% of children aged 7-12 were in primary school, while a negligible number of the children aged 13-14 were in junior secondary school, and 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...
, 1.8% of all houses had access to safe drinking water, and 2.4% had toilet facilities at the time of the census.