Bishoftu

Bishoftu
ቢሾፍቱ
Debre Zeyit
ደብረ ዘይት
City
From top left: Bishoftu Lake; Kuriftu Resorts & Spa; Lake Babogaya at dawn; Debre Zeit rainforest
Nickname: 
The City of Seven Lakes
Bishoftu ቢሾፍቱ is located in Ethiopia
Bishoftu ቢሾፍቱ
Bishoftu
ቢሾፍቱ
Location within Ethiopia
Bishoftu ቢሾፍቱ is located in Africa
Bishoftu ቢሾፍቱ
Bishoftu
ቢሾፍቱ
Bishoftu
ቢሾፍቱ (Africa)
Coordinates: 8°45′N 38°59′E / 8.750°N 38.983°E / 8.750; 38.983
CountryEthiopiaEthiopia
RegionOromia RegionOromia
ZoneEast Shewa
Elevation
1,920 m (6,300 ft)
Population
 (2007)[1]
 • Total
99,928
 • Estimate 
(2021)[2]
197,557
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
ClimateCwb
WebsiteBishoftu city official website

Bishoftu (Oromo: Bishooftuu; Amharic: ቢሾፍቱ) is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the East Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, it sits at an elevation of 1,920 metres (6,300 ft). It was formerly known as Debre Zeyit (Amharic: ደብረ ዘይት, lit.'Mount of Olives'). However, since the late 1990s, it has been officially known by the Oromo name, Bishoftu from bishaanooftuu (which translates to "watery"),[3][4] which was its name until 1955.[5] The town serves as the primary airbase of the Ethiopian Air Force.

Bishoftu is located 47.9 kilometres (29.8 mi) southeast of Addis Ababa along its route 4 highway.[6] It is a resort town, known for its several lakes.

  1. ^ "Population and Housing Census 2007 – Oromia Statistical" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistics Service. 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Population Projection Towns as of July 2021" (PDF). Ethiopian Statistics Agency. 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  3. ^ Briggs, Philip (2009). Ethiopia. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 377. ISBN 978-1-84162-284-2.
  4. ^ "Oromiya1". 2007 Population and Housing Census of Ethiopia. Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA). 2007. p. 22. Archived from the original on 2011-11-13. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
  5. ^ "Local History in Ethiopia" Archived 2008-02-27 at the Wayback Machine (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 7 December 2007)
  6. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 2019-07-12.