Gurage Zone is one of seven zones in Ethiopia’s Central Ethiopia Region, with its administrative centre at Welkite. The zone covers the Gurage highlands roughly 155 km south-west of Addis Ababa and is home to the Gurage people, whose enset farming and long-distance trade are known across the country. Its nine rural woredas and the Welkite town administration counted about 839,000 people at the 2007 census, after the eastern woredas were detached in 2023 to form East Gurage Zone.
| Region | Central Ethiopia (created 19 August 2023) |
| Administrative centre | Welkite |
| Woredas | 9 rural woredas + Welkite town administration |
| Population (2007 census) | About 839,000 in the present boundaries |
| Main language | Gurage languages (Sebat Bet, Kistane, Soddo and others) |
| Highest point | Mount Gurage |
Woredas (Districts)
Gurage Zone is divided into nine rural woredas plus the Welkite town administration. The figures below are the 2007 census counts and the Central Statistical Agency’s 2022 projections for the same districts. Before August 2023 the zone also contained Meskan, Sodo and the Butajira, Enseno and Bue town administrations; those now form East Gurage Zone.
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Abeshge | 61,424 | 79,901 |
| Cheha | 115,951 | 163,307 |
| Endegagn | 49,171 | 65,024 |
| Enemorina Ener | 167,770 | 227,373 |
| Ezha | 84,905 | 115,608 |
| Geta | 69,455 | 90,347 |
| Gumer | 80,178 | 108,369 |
| Kokir Gedebano | 93,408 | 124,073 |
| Muhor Na Aklil | 87,756 | 115,149 |
| Welkite town | 28,866 | 77,514 |
Major Towns
Welkite is by far the largest settlement and the seat of both the zone and the regional legislature. The other towns listed here are woreda market centres strung along the highland ridge.
| Town | Woreda | Population (2022 proj.) |
|---|---|---|
| Welkite | Town administration | 77,514 |
| Emdibir | Cheha | Not published |
| Agena | Ezha | Not published |
| Gunchire | Enemorina Ener | Not published |
| Arekit | Enemorina Ener | Not published |
| Gubre | Cheha | Not published |
Geography
The zone sits on the western wall of the Rift Valley, between about 1,800 and 3,600 metres above sea level. Mount Gurage is its highest point. The Wabe River cuts the northern edge, separating Kokir Gedebano from Kebena Special Woreda, and the Gibe drains the western slopes.
Gurage borders East Gurage Zone and Siltʼe Zone to the east, Hadiya Zone and Yem Zone to the south, Kebena Special Woreda to the north-west, and the Oromia Region to the north and west. Slopes are heavily terraced; erosion control is a standing concern on the steeper farmland. The Ziarem forest, also called Forehina, covered roughly 800 hectares when last surveyed in 1996.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 1,280,483 people in the Gurage Zone of that date, which then included the woredas now in East Gurage. Adding the 2007 counts for the nine woredas and Welkite that remain gives about 839,000 for the present zone. The CSA’s 2022 projections for the same districts total roughly 1.17 million.
Gurage languages were the first language of 80.54% of residents at the 2007 census, followed by Amharic at 5.28%, Libido at 4.09%, Kebena at 3.2%, Siltʼe at 2.98% and Oromo at 1.06%. Religion was split: 51.91% Muslim, 41.02% Ethiopian Orthodox, 5.79% Protestant and 1.12% Catholic.
Economy & Local Life
Enset, the false banana, is the staple crop and the backbone of the farming system. Households also grow coffee, chat, teff, wheat, barley and pulses, and keep cattle for milk and draught. Gurage traders run shops and transport businesses across Ethiopia, and remittances from Addis Ababa and abroad are a large part of household income. Weekly markets at Welkite, Emdibir, Agena and Gunchire set the rhythm of the week. Electrification was still thin when last measured in 2004, at about 3% of households.
Getting There
Welkite lies on the asphalt road from Addis Ababa to Jimma, about 155 km south-west of the capital, and buses run the route through the day. From Welkite feeder roads climb south to Emdibir, Agena and Gunchire. Butajira, 130 km from Addis Ababa on the Rift Valley route, is the other common approach and now sits in East Gurage Zone. The nearest scheduled airport is Jimma, roughly 190 km further west.
FAQ
Where is Gurage Zone?
It is in the Central Ethiopia Region, in the highlands west of the Rift Valley, about 155 km south-west of Addis Ababa.
What is the capital of Gurage Zone?
Welkite. It is also the seat of the Central Ethiopia regional legislature.
How many woredas are in Gurage Zone?
Nine rural woredas plus the Welkite town administration.
What language is spoken in Gurage Zone?
Gurage languages, spoken by about four in five residents at the 2007 census. Amharic is the common second language.
Why is Gurage Zone smaller than it used to be?
East Gurage Zone was split off in 2023 when the Central Ethiopia Region was created, taking Meskan, Sodo and the Butajira, Enseno and Bue town administrations.
What is Gurage Zone known for?
Enset farming, terraced highland agriculture and a trading diaspora that runs businesses across Ethiopia.