Sodere
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| Sodere | |
  Sodere
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | Ethiopia |
| Region | Oromia |
| Zone | Misraq Shewa |
| Elevation | 1,466 m (4,810 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Total | 1,867 |
| Time zone | EAT (UTC+3) |
Sodere is a spa town in central Ethiopia. Located approximately 25 kilometres south of Adama (or Nazret) and 100 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa in the Misraq Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1466 metres above sea level.
Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Sodere has an estimated total population of 1,867 of whom 992 were males and 875 were females.[1] The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 1,042 of whom 538 were males and 504 were females. It is one of five settlements in Adama woreda.
Sodere lies alongside the Awash River and features lush, shady vegetation. Vervet monkeys live on the resort grounds. Crocodiles and, less frequently, hippos may be seen in the nearby river.
[edit] The spa facilities
The hot spring water, popular for its therapeutic effects, is pumped into a bath house. Facilities at the resort include two swimming pools (one Olympic size), a full-service restaurant, and a hotel and conference center.
The resort was developed by the Ethiopian government, and was in operation by 1963. During the mid-1990s, Sodere was the site of peace talks between several factions vying for control of Somalia. The journalist Abdullahi Dool commented that "Any serious Somali who reads the outcome of this last meeting at the Ethiopian resort or the previous ones, would just laugh at the names and clan organizations these peole are said to 'represent'."[2]
[edit] Notes
- ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.4
- ^ "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 18 April 2008)
[edit] Further reading
- Briggs, Philip. Guide to Ethiopia. Old Saybrook: Globe Pequot Press, 1995. ISBN 1-56440-814-0
[edit] External links
- United Nations Security Council - press release regarding Somalian peace initiatives in Sodere
- Wabe Shebelle - Sodere Hotel website (commercial site)
