Batu (town)
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°56′N 38°43′E with an elevation of 1643 meters above sea level.
Batu
| |
|---|---|
Town | |
  Batu Location within Ethiopia | |
| Coordinates: 7°56′N 38°43′E | |
| Country |  Ethiopia |
| Region |  Oromia |
| Zone | East Shewa |
| Elevation | 1,643 m (5,390 ft) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 43,660 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
| Area code | +251 46 441 |
| Climate | Cwb |
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 has been called "the world's largest rose farm, employing 1,500 workers."[2]
Demographics
The 2007 national census reported a total population for Batu of 43,660, of whom 22,956 were men and 20,704 were 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.[1] 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.
References
- 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia: Results for Oromia Region, Vol. 1 Archived November 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Tables 2.1 (p. 9), 2.5 (p. 114), 3.4 (p. 349) (accessed 22 September 2012)
- Gérand, Christelle (June 5, 2019). "The real cost of 'Ethiopian-style development'". Equal Times. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
External links
Ziway travel guide from Wikivoyage