West Gojjam (Amharic: ምዕራብ ጎጃም, Mirab Gojjam) is a zone of Ethiopia’s Amhara Region, with its capital at Finote Selam. It covers 13,311.94 square kilometres between Lake Tana and the Abay (Blue Nile), and holds 13 woredas plus the Finote Selam town administration. The 2007 census counted 2,106,596 residents; the Ethiopian Statistics Service projects 2,721,093 for 2022.
The zone is named after Gojjam, the historic province enclosed by the bend of the Abay. Bahir Dar, the regional capital, sits on its northern edge but is administered separately as the Bahir Dar Special Zone.
| Capital | Finote Selam |
|---|---|
| Woredas | 13 plus Finote Selam town |
| Area | 13,311.94 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 2,106,596 |
| Population (2022 projection) | 2,721,093 |
| Highest point | Mount Amedamit |
Woredas (Districts)
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Bahir Dar Zuria | 182,730 | 219,106 |
| Bure | 143,132 | 199,053 |
| Debub Achefer | 136,508 | 176,088 |
| Dega Damot | 152,343 | 189,806 |
| Dembecha | 129,260 | 173,905 |
| Finote Selam town | 25,913 | 58,429 |
| Goncha | 106,688 | 132,438 |
| Jabi Tehnan | 179,342 | 228,351 |
| Mecha | 292,080 | 374,196 |
| Quarit | 114,771 | 142,675 |
| Sekela | 138,691 | 173,483 |
| Semien Achefer | 189,716 | 243,901 |
| Wonberma | 100,570 | 131,765 |
| Yilmana Densa | 214,852 | 277,897 |
Major Towns
| Town | Woreda | Population (2022 proj.) |
|---|---|---|
| Finote Selam | Town administration | 58,400 |
| Bure | Bure | 46,000 |
| Adet | Yilmana Densa | 43,200 |
| Merawi | Mecha | 42,200 |
| Tis Abay | Bahir Dar Zuria | 39,200 |
| Dembecha | Dembecha | 29,800 |
| Durbete | Semien Achefer | 26,500 |
Geography
West Gojjam is bounded on the south by the Abay, which separates it from Oromia Region and Benishangul-Gumuz Region. Agew Awi lies to the west, the Gondar zones and South Gondar to the north across Lake Tana, and East Gojjam to the east.
Most of the zone is plateau between 1,800 and 2,500 metres, gently rolling and heavily farmed, with the Mount Amedamit range rising in the south-east. The northern woredas, Mecha, Bahir Dar Zuria and the two Achefer districts, run down to the southern shore of Lake Tana and the flat Koga and Gilgel Abay plains. The Abay leaves the lake at Bahir Dar and reaches the Tis Issat falls about 30 kilometres downstream at Tis Abay, before entering its gorge.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 2,106,596 people, 1,058,272 men and 1,048,324 women, in 480,255 households, against 1,779,723 in 1994. Only 8.77 per cent lived in towns.
The Amhara were 99.42 per cent of the population and Amharic the first language of 99.43 per cent. Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity was practised by 98.68 per cent and Islam by 1.19 per cent. The 2022 figure of 2,721,093 is a projection, not a count.
Economy & Local Life
West Gojjam is one of Ethiopia’s main teff-producing zones, and grain from Mecha, Jabi Tehnan and Bure moves to Addis Ababa and Bahir Dar in bulk. Maize, wheat, pulses, oilseeds and, on the lake plains, vegetables and fruit fill out the cropping pattern. Rural households average about 1.1 hectares, above the national figure, and 19.5 per cent of the population worked outside farming at the last detailed survey, the highest share of any zone in the region.
The Koga irrigation scheme near Merawi, fed by a dam on a Gilgel Abay tributary, commands several thousand hectares and is the largest smallholder irrigation development in the zone. Fishing and reed cutting support lakeshore villages. Tis Abay is the access point for the Tis Issat falls, still a draw despite reduced flow since the upstream hydropower diversion.
Getting There
Finote Selam sits on the Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar highway, 387 kilometres from Addis Ababa and 176 kilometres from Bahir Dar. Bure lies about 40 kilometres to the south-west on the same road, where the route to Nekemte and Benishangul-Gumuz branches off. Merawi and Adet are on the northern section of the highway close to Bahir Dar. Bahir Dar airport, about 30 kilometres from the zone’s northern woredas, has daily flights to Addis Ababa.
Road travel across the Amhara Region has been disrupted since 2023 by fighting between federal forces and Fano militias, including on the roads into Bahir Dar. Check current conditions before travelling.
FAQ
Where is West Gojjam Zone?
In the west of the Amhara Region, between the southern shore of Lake Tana and the Abay (Blue Nile) gorge.
What is the capital of West Gojjam Zone?
Finote Selam, a town of about 58,000 on the Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar highway at 1,917 metres.
Is Bahir Dar in West Gojjam Zone?
Bahir Dar sits on the zone’s northern edge but is administered separately as the Bahir Dar Special Zone. The surrounding rural woreda, Bahir Dar Zuria, is part of West Gojjam.
How many woredas are in West Gojjam Zone?
Thirteen rural woredas plus the Finote Selam town administration.
What is the population of West Gojjam Zone?
2,106,596 at the 2007 census, projected at 2,721,093 for 2022.
Where are the Blue Nile Falls?
At Tis Abay in Bahir Dar Zuria woreda, about 30 kilometres downstream from where the Abay leaves Lake Tana.