Guji Zone (Afaan Oromoo: Godina Gujii) is a zone of southern Oromia, administered from Nagelle, also written Negele Borana. It was created in September 2002 from the upland woredas of Borena Zone and recorded 1,389,800 people at the 2007 census over 18,577 square kilometres. Guji is named for the Guji Oromo, and it holds Ethiopia’s largest gold mine alongside one of the country’s best-known specialty coffee origins.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Region | Oromia |
| Administrative centre | Nagelle (Negele Borana) |
| Created | September 2002, from Borena Zone |
| Area (2007 boundaries) | 18,577.05 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 1,389,800 |
| Main language | Afaan Oromoo |
Woredas (Districts)
Guji lost several western woredas when West Guji Zone was formed from districts taken out of Guji and Borena, among them Kercha and Hambela Wamena. The woredas below are those the zone retains, with the 2007 census count and the 2022 projection where the statistics service publishes them separately.
| Woreda | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Adola (Adola Reda) | 110,034 | 153,822 |
| Ana Sora | n/a | n/a |
| Bore | 210,179 | 300,766 |
| Dima | 56,896 | 80,521 |
| Girja | 50,179 | 70,811 |
| Harenfema | n/a | n/a |
| Liben | n/a | n/a |
| Odo Shakiso | 206,372 | 311,188 |
| Uraga | 176,238 | 251,554 |
| Wadera | 50,554 | 73,869 |
Nagelle, Adola and Shakiso are run as separate town administrations. Several woredas were carved out after 2007 and are counted inside their parent districts in the census tables.
Major Towns
| Town | 2007 census | 2022 projection |
|---|---|---|
| Nagelle (Negele Borana) | 35,264 | 73,100 |
| Adola (Kibre Mengist) | 22,938 | 47,600 |
| Shakiso | 22,930 | 47,500 |
Bore, Wadera, Dima and Girja are the other woreda seats. Shakiso and Adola have grown around mining rather than farming, and their populations shift with the gold trade.
Geography
Guji runs from cool highland in the north-west to hot lowland in the south-east. Bore sits above 2,600 metres in forest and barley country; Liben, around Nagelle, drops below 1,200 metres into dry acacia bush. The Ganale Dorya River forms the northern boundary with Bale Zone, and the Dawa River runs along the south-east. Between them lie the Genale tributaries and the Odo Shakiso goldfields.
The zone borders Borena Zone to the south, West Guji Zone to the west, the South Ethiopia Region beyond it, Bale Zone to the north and the Somali Region to the east.
Demographics
The 2007 census recorded 702,580 men and 687,220 women. Oromo made up 78.57 per cent of the population, Gedeo 14.33 per cent, Amhara 2.59 per cent and Somali 1.59 per cent. Afaan Oromoo was the first language of 77.91 per cent of residents and Gedeo of 14.16 per cent. Protestants accounted for 56.14 per cent, Muslims 14.8 per cent, followers of traditional beliefs 11.32 per cent, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians 7.49 per cent and Catholics 2.12 per cent. The Gedeo share reflects the western woredas that later moved to West Guji. Post-2007 figures are projections.
Economy & Local Life
Mining and coffee carry the zone. The Legadembi mine near Shakiso has been Ethiopia’s largest gold operation since the 1990s, and thousands of people also pan and dig gold artisanally across Odo Shakiso and Adola. The Kenticha deposit in the same belt is one of Africa’s few producing tantalum mines. Guji coffee, grown in Uraga, Adola, Shakiso and Hambela, has become a distinct specialty origin in export markets, separated from Sidama and Yirgacheffe over the past fifteen years.
Highland households also grow enset, barley and wheat, and keep cattle. In the Liben lowlands, cattle and camel herding is the main livelihood and the Nagelle livestock market is the largest in southern Oromia. Guji and Gedeo communities along the western boundary were displaced in large numbers during intercommunal violence in 2018, and returns and land disputes remain live issues in the border woredas.
Getting There
Nagelle is about 600 kilometres from Addis Ababa. The road runs south through Hawassa, Dilla and Hagere Maryam, then east through Kibre Mengist and Shakiso; most of it is asphalt and buses take two days with an overnight stop. Adola and Shakiso are roughly 100 and 70 kilometres north-west of Nagelle on the same route. Nagelle has an airstrip, but scheduled passenger flights are intermittent, and the nearest reliable air service is at Hawassa.
FAQ
Where is Guji Zone?
Guji Zone is in southern Oromia, between the Ganale Dorya and Dawa rivers, about 600 kilometres south of Addis Ababa by road.
What is the capital of Guji Zone?
Nagelle, also written Negele Borana, with about 73,100 people on the 2022 projection.
When was Guji Zone created?
In September 2002, when the upland woredas of Borena Zone were separated to form it.
What language is spoken in Guji Zone?
Afaan Oromoo, in the Guji dialect, is the first language of about 78 per cent of residents; Gedeo is spoken in the west.
Where is Ethiopia’s biggest gold mine?
At Legadembi, near Shakiso in Odo Shakiso woreda. The nearby Kenticha deposit also produces tantalum.
What is Guji coffee?
Washed and natural arabica from the Guji highlands, mainly Uraga, Adola and Shakiso. It is traded as its own origin rather than under the Sidama name.