Yem Zone is the smallest zone of Ethiopia’s Central Ethiopia Region, administered from Saja. It covers 647.90 square kilometres and recorded 80,687 people at the 2007 census, a density of about 125 people per square kilometre. Yem sits as an enclave, ringed almost entirely by the Oromia Region and cut off from the rest of its own region by the Omo River. It was a special woreda under the former SNNPR and was raised to zone status in 2023, when the Central Ethiopia Region was created.
| Region | Central Ethiopia |
| Administrative centre | Saja |
| Area | 647.90 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 80,687 |
| Population (2022 proj.) | 116,044 |
| Main language | Yemsa |
| Status | Special woreda until 2023, now a zone |
Woredas (Districts)
Yem is administered as four districts. Because the zone was counted as a single special woreda in 2007, district-level census figures are not published separately.
| District | Administrative centre |
|---|---|
| Deri Saja Zuria | Deri |
| Fofa | Fofa |
| Toba | Toba |
| Saja town | Saja |
Major Towns
| Town | District |
|---|---|
| Saja | Town administration |
| Fofa | Fofa |
| Deri | Deri Saja Zuria |
| Toba | Toba |
Saja is the only town of any size. The rest of Yem is farmsteads and hamlets served by weekly markets.
Geography
Yem is broken highland country, with Mount Bor Ama, Mount Azulu and Mount Toba standing over deeply cut valleys. The Omo River forms the eastern and north-eastern boundary and separates Yem from Gurage Zone to the north-east and Hadiya Zone to the east. The Oromia Region wraps around the zone to the west and north, which makes Yem an enclave with no land link to the rest of the Central Ethiopia Region.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 80,687 people, 40,566 men and 40,121 women. The CSA’s 2022 projection is 116,044.
Yemsa, an Omotic language, was the first language of 72.67% of residents, with Oromo at 22.63%, Amharic at 2.57% and Hadiya at 1.16%. The Oromo share reflects the zone’s long land border with Oromia. Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity was reported by 63.05% of the population, Islam by 27.09% and Protestant Christianity by 9.61%, which makes Yem the most Orthodox unit in the region.
Economy & Local Life
Farming mixes cereals with enset. Teff, wheat, barley and pulses are the main crops, and households also sell butter, honey and livestock. Coffee grows on the lower western slopes, and beekeeping is common in the wooded valleys. Weekly markets at Saja and Fofa are where grain, butter, honey and livestock change hands, and traders from Jimma and Welkite come in for them. Land is steep and holdings are small, so many families depend on remittances from relatives working in Jimma and Addis Ababa. Road access is the binding constraint on trade: the zone had only about 12 km of asphalt road when last surveyed in 2004, and produce moves out on dry-weather tracks.
Getting There
Saja lies about 240 km south-west of Addis Ababa. The route runs on the Jimma road through Welkite to Gibe, then south on a feeder road into the zone, and the last stretch is rough in the rainy season. Jimma, roughly 90 km west, is the nearest large town and has the closest scheduled airport. Buses run from Addis Ababa to Jimma daily; connections into Saja are less frequent and best taken in the morning.
FAQ
Where is Yem Zone?
In the Central Ethiopia Region, about 240 km south-west of Addis Ababa, as an enclave surrounded by the Oromia Region and the Omo River.
Is Yem a zone or a special woreda?
It is a zone. Yem was a special woreda under the former SNNPR and was raised to zone status in 2023 with the creation of the Central Ethiopia Region. Some databases still list it as a special district.
What is the capital of Yem Zone?
Saja.
How many districts are in Yem Zone?
Four: Deri Saja Zuria, Fofa, Toba and the Saja town administration.
What language is spoken in Yem Zone?
Yemsa, an Omotic language, spoken by about 73% of residents. Oromo is the main second language.
How big is Yem Zone?
647.90 square kilometres, with 80,687 people at the 2007 census and a 2022 projection of 116,044.