Shashamene

Shashamane ሻሸመኔ (in Amharic), Shashemane (in Oromo) Shashe
city
Main Street Shashamane
Shashamane Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates: 7°12′N 38°36′E / 7.200°N 38.600°E / 7.200; 38.600
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Oromia
Zone	Mirab Arsi
Population (2012)
• Total	122,046
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)
Climate	Cwb

Shashamane (or Shashemene, Oromo) is a town and a separate woreda in West Arsi Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. The town lies on the Trans-African Highway 4 Cairo-Cape Town, about 150 miles (240 km) from the capital of Addis Ababa. It has a latitude of 7° 12' north and a longitude of 38° 36' east.

The 2007 national census reported a total population for this town of 100,454, of whom 50,654 were men and 49,800 were women. A plurality of the inhabitants practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, with 43.44% of the population reporting they observed this belief, while 31.15% of the population said they were Muslim, 23.53% of the population were Protestant, and 1.3% were Catholic

The 1994 national census reported this town had a total population of 52,080 of whom 25,426 were males and 26,654 were females.

The resort of Wondo Genet lies near Shashamane, as does the Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary.

In April 1941 the Italian troops retreating from Harar, Somalia and Shoa, concentrated in Shashamane after suffering several attacks by the British Army, R.A.F. and Ethiopian arbegnochs. The British troops arrived at the beginning of May and the line of the Italian defense was held by Infantry and Artillery battalions on Little Dadaba river. On May 10 started an intensive shelling between South African and Indian artilleries on one side (supported by Hurricane planes) and the Italian artillery, on the other. After two days of reciprocal bombardment, on May 13 the British attacked with Natal Mounted Rifles, King's African Rifles, anti-tank rifles, mortars, tanks and armoured cars. Since Lieut. Col. Noel Douglas McMillan became ill, the attack was led by Major Leonard Montague Harris. The Italian 12th Colonial Somali Battalion (commanded by Major Gioacchino Nadalini), reinforced by Black Shirts, and the 121.st Artillery Battalion (commanded by Lieut. Col. Nicolò Bonessa), reinforced by tankettes, an A.A. battery, machine gunners and infantrymen, were overwhelmed. Most of the Italian officers died on the battlefield, as well as both cited commanders.