East Gojjam (Amharic: ምሥራቅ ጎጃም, also written Misraq Gojjam) is a zone of Ethiopia’s Amhara Region with its capital at Debre Markos. It covers 14,004.47 square kilometres inside the great bend of the Abay (Blue Nile) and is divided into 16 woredas plus the town administration of Debre Markos. The 2007 census counted 2,153,937 residents; the Ethiopian Statistics Service projects 2,808,148 for 2022.
The zone is named after Gojjam, the historic province that occupied the land enclosed by the Abay.
| Capital | Debre Markos |
|---|---|
| Woredas | 16 plus Debre Markos town |
| Area | 14,004.47 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 2,153,937 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 2,808,148 |
| Highest point | Mount Choqa (Birhan) |
Woredas (Districts)
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Aneded | 91,224 | 111,263 |
| Awabel | 121,588 | 158,301 |
| Baso Liben | 138,332 | 172,686 |
| Bibugn | 82,002 | 104,935 |
| Debay Tilatgen | 128,045 | 158,823 |
| Debre Elias | 82,150 | 106,864 |
| Debre Markos town | 62,497 | 140,699 |
| Dejen | 102,359 | 131,930 |
| Enarj Enawga | 167,402 | 215,080 |
| Enebse Sar Midir | 133,855 | 173,450 |
| Enemay | 165,292 | 218,116 |
| Goncha Siso Enese | 149,646 | 187,581 |
| Gozamin | 132,883 | 162,070 |
| Hulet Ej Enese | 275,638 | 362,868 |
| Machakel | 118,097 | 150,844 |
| Shebel Berenta | 103,988 | 129,173 |
| Sinan | 98,939 | 123,465 |
Major Towns
| Town | Woreda | Population (2022 proj.) |
|---|---|---|
| Debre Markos | Town administration | 140,700 |
| Mota | Hulet Ej Enese | 59,000 |
| Bichena | Enemay | 36,500 |
| Mertule Mariam | Enebse Sar Midir | 27,600 |
| Lumame | Machakel | 20,900 |
| Debre Werk | Enarj Enawga | 10,579 |
Dejen, on the highway just north of the Abay gorge, and Amanuel in Machakel are the other regular market centres. The Debre Werk figure is a gazetteer estimate rather than a census projection.
Geography
East Gojjam sits on the plateau enclosed by the Abay. The river defines the zone’s northern, eastern and southern boundaries, separating it from South Gondar and South Wollo to the north and east and from Oromia Region to the south. West Gojjam lies to the west.
Most of the zone is farmland between 2,000 and 2,600 metres, cut by steep tributary gorges that drop towards the Abay. The highest ground is Mount Choqa, also called Mount Birhan, in the north-east; the Choqa massif feeds several rivers and holds afro-alpine moorland. Bichena stands on a hillside overlooking the Abay at 2,541 metres, and Debre Markos on the plateau at 2,446 metres.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 2,153,937 people, 1,066,716 men and 1,087,221 women, in 506,520 households, a 26.68 per cent rise on the 1,700,331 counted in 1994. Just 9.92 per cent lived in towns.
East Gojjam is one of the most uniform zones in Ethiopia: the Amhara were 99.82 per cent of the population and Amharic the first language of 99.81 per cent. Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity was reported by 97.42 per cent and Islam by 2.49 per cent. The 2022 figure of 2,808,148 is a projection, not a count.
Economy & Local Life
Teff is the leading crop, with wheat, barley, maize, pulses and oilseeds grown across the plateau. Cattle, sheep and pack animals are kept on most holdings, and the steep gorge margins are used for grazing rather than cultivation. Rural households averaged 1.1 hectares of land at the time of the last detailed survey, slightly above the national average.
Debre Markos is the commercial hub, with a university, a referral hospital and the zone’s largest market. Mota and Bichena serve the northern and southern woredas. In 2004 the federal resettlement programme moved about 20,000 households, some 80,000 people, into this zone from more crowded areas.
Getting There
Debre Markos lies about 300 kilometres north-west of Addis Ababa on the main highway to Bahir Dar, roughly a five-hour drive. The road crosses the Abay gorge at the Blue Nile bridge below Dejen, a long descent and climb that is the slowest stretch of the route. Bahir Dar is about 265 kilometres further north-west and has the nearest airport with scheduled flights.
Road travel in the Amhara Region has been disrupted since 2023 by fighting between federal forces and Fano militias. Closures and checkpoints on the Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar highway have been reported at short notice; check conditions before travelling.
FAQ
Where is East Gojjam Zone?
In the south-west of the Amhara Region, on the plateau inside the bend of the Abay (Blue Nile), north-west of Addis Ababa.
What is the capital of East Gojjam Zone?
Debre Markos, a town of about 140,700 people at 2,446 metres above sea level.
How many woredas are in East Gojjam Zone?
Sixteen rural woredas plus the Debre Markos town administration.
What is the population of East Gojjam Zone?
2,153,937 at the 2007 census, projected at 2,808,148 for 2022.
What language is spoken in East Gojjam?
Amharic, reported as the first language of 99.81 per cent of residents at the 2007 census.
What is the highest mountain in East Gojjam?
Mount Choqa, also known as Mount Birhan, in the north-east of the zone.