Batu (town)

Batu (Baatuu), formerly Zway or Ziway, 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 7.93333°N, 38.71667°W with an elevation of 1,643 meters above sea level.

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 was called "the world's largest rose farm, employing 1,500 workers."

Demographics
The 2007 national census recorded Batu's total population at 43,660, of whom 22,956 were men and 20,704 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. 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.