East Shewa Zone (Afaan Oromoo: Godina Shawaa Bahaa) is a zone of central Oromia, administered from Adama. It recorded 1,356,342 people at the 2007 census across 8,371 square kilometres, a density of 162 per square kilometre. The zone occupies the floor of the Rift Valley south-east of Addis Ababa and carries Ethiopia’s busiest industrial and transport corridor.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Region | Oromia |
| Administrative centre | Adama |
| Area | 8,370.90 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 1,356,342 |
| Population density | 162 per km2 |
| Main languages | Afaan Oromoo, Amharic |
Woredas (Districts)
East Shewa has ten rural woredas and the town administrations of Adama, Bishoftu and Batu. Figures are the 2007 census count and the 2022 projection.
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Ada’a | 130,321 | 182,162 |
| Adama (rural) | 155,349 | 234,986 |
| Adami Tullu and Jido Kombolcha | 141,405 | 211,827 |
| Bora | 58,748 | 89,828 |
| Boset | 142,112 | 216,576 |
| Dugda | 144,910 | 227,064 |
| Fentale | 81,740 | 128,122 |
| Gimbichu | 86,902 | 125,759 |
| Liben (Liben Chukala) | 76,351 | 108,706 |
| Lome | 117,080 | 189,901 |
Major Towns
| Town | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Adama | 220,212 | 456,900 |
| Bishoftu | 99,928 | 207,400 |
| Batu (Ziway) | 43,660 | 90,500 |
| Meki | 36,252 | 75,200 |
| Mojo | 29,547 | 61,300 |
| Welenchiti | 15,183 | 31,500 |
Metehara, Wonji, Alem Tena, Dukem and Gelan are the other significant towns. Dukem and Gelan sit on the edge of the Addis Ababa built-up area and have grown around industrial parks.
Geography
East Shewa is Rift Valley country, mostly between 1,500 and 1,800 metres, hemmed by the Arsi escarpment to the east and the Gurage highlands to the west. The Awash River runs through the north of the zone and is dammed at Koka, forming a reservoir that supplies power and irrigation. Lake Ziway, the largest of the northern Rift lakes, lies in the south with five islands and a shoreline shared by Dugda, Adami Tullu and Bora woredas. Mount Fentale, an active volcano of 2,007 metres that last erupted in 1820, stands above Metehara alongside the saline Lake Beseka, which has expanded steadily since the 1960s.
The zone borders Arsi Zone to the south-east, West Arsi Zone to the south, Southwest Shewa Zone and the Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne to the west, North Shewa Zone to the north-west, the Amhara Region to the north and the Afar Region to the north-east.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 696,350 men and 659,992 women. Afaan Oromoo was the first language of 69.15 per cent of residents, Amharic of 24.29 per cent and Gurage of 2.64 per cent, the most mixed language profile of any Oromia zone. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians made up 69.33 per cent of the population, Muslims 16.18 per cent, Protestants 8.4 per cent and followers of traditional beliefs 5.08 per cent. Later totals are projections, and the towns have grown far faster than the projections assume.
Economy & Local Life
Irrigated horticulture and industry drive the zone. Greenhouse rose farms around Batu and Meki, drawing water from Lake Ziway, supply a large share of Ethiopia’s cut-flower exports. Smallholders on the same lakeshore grow tomatoes, onions and peppers for the Addis Ababa market, and tilapia from Ziway and Koka reaches the capital daily. Wonji-Shoa and Metehara are two of Ethiopia’s oldest sugar estates, both fed by Awash water.
Adama is the region’s largest city and a wholesale and transport hub. Mojo holds Ethiopia’s principal inland dry port, where containers arriving from Djibouti are cleared. Bishoftu carries Ethiopian Airlines maintenance work, an air force base and several crater lakes that draw weekend visitors from Addis Ababa. Rain-fed farming on the plateau woredas of Ada’a and Gimbichu produces teff and wheat, and Ada’a teff has a reputation in the Addis Ababa grain market.
Getting There
Adama is 99 kilometres from Addis Ababa on the Addis Ababa–Adama expressway, an hour and a half by bus. Bishoftu is 47 kilometres out on the same road and Mojo 70 kilometres. Batu and Meki lie on the Addis Ababa–Hawassa highway, 160 and 130 kilometres from the capital. The Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway runs through Bishoftu, Mojo, Adama and Metehara with passenger stops. The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Bole International in Addis Ababa.
FAQ
Where is East Shewa Zone?
East Shewa lies immediately south-east of Addis Ababa, on the floor of the Ethiopian Rift Valley, with Adama 99 kilometres from the capital.
What is the capital of East Shewa Zone?
Adama, also called Nazret, with about 456,900 people on the 2022 projection.
How many woredas are in East Shewa Zone?
Ten rural woredas plus the Adama, Bishoftu and Batu town administrations.
What language is spoken in East Shewa?
Afaan Oromoo is the first language of about 69 per cent of residents and Amharic of about 24 per cent.
Which lakes are in East Shewa Zone?
Lake Ziway in the south, the Koka reservoir on the Awash, and Lake Beseka beside Metehara.
What is Mojo dry port?
Ethiopia’s main inland container terminal, where freight arriving by road and rail from Djibouti is cleared for the domestic market.