Sherka

Sherka is one of the 180 woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Arsi Zone, Sherka is bordered on the south by the Shebelle River which separates it from the Bale Zone, on the southwest by Bekoji, on the west by Digeluna Tijo, on the north by Tena, and on the east by Robe. Gobesa is the administrative center; other towns include Gado Guna.

The altitude of this woreda ranges from 350 to 1350 meters above sea level. Perennial rivers include 25 kilometers of the Gumelo and 20 of the Rapese. A survey of the land in this woreda shows that 21.4% is arable or cultivable, 6.3% pasture, 2.7% forest, and the remaining 69.6% is considered swampy, mountainous or otherwise unusable. Pepper, black and white cumin and fenugreek are important cash crops. [ [http://oromiagov.org/Socio%20Economic%20Profile/Arsi/Arsi%20Zone.pdf "Socio-economic profile of Arsi Zone"] Government of Oromia Region (last accessed 1 August 2006).]

Industry in the woreda includes 10 grain mills employing 31 people, as well as 671 registered businesses of which 23% were wholesalers, 40% retailers and 36% service providers. There were 32 Farmers Associations with 14,991 members and 6 Farmers Service Cooperatives with 14,315 members. Sherka has 77 kilometers of dry-weather and 22 of all-weather road, for an average road density of 91.6 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers, which the Oromia state government notes has not been maintained; 34 kilometers of road between Gobesa and Bekoji, and 15 kilometers from Gobesa to Tareta are in the planning stages. About 51.1% of the total population has access to drinking water. [Government of Oromia Region, "Socio-economic profile."]

Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 157,640, of whom 78,968 were males and 78,672 were females; 11,870 or 7.53% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 12.3%. With an estimated area of 1,080.78 square kilometers, Sherka has an estimated population density of 145.9 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 132.2. [ [http://www.csa.gov.et/text_files/2005_national_statistics.htm CSA 2005 National Statistics] , Tables B.3 and B.4]

History

Sherka (alternatively spelled Sharka, Sharkha, Sarkha, Sarka) was formerly an islamic tributary state to the Emperor of Ethiopia during the medieval period.

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