Gurage Zone

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Gurage is a Zone in the Ethiopian Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR). This zone is named for the Gurage people, whose homeland lies in this zone.

Gurage is bordered on the south by Hadiya, on the west. north and east by the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by Kembata Alaba and Tembaro (KAT). Its highest point is Mount Gurage. Towns and cities in Gurage include Butajira, Welkite and Worabe (Silte).

The Central Statistical Agency (CSA) reported that 7,624 tons of coffee were produced in Gurage, Hadiya and KAT combined in the year ending in 2005, based on inspection records from the Ethiopian Coffee and Tea authority. This represents 7.6% of the SNNPR's output and 3.36% of Ethiopia's total output.^[1]

[edit] Demographics

Based on figures from the CSA, in 2005 this zone has an estimated total population of 2,224,315, of which 1,078,965 were males and 1,145,350 were females; 139,491 or 6.3% of its population are urban dwellers. With an estimated area of 7,992.22 square kilometers, Gurage has an estimated population density of 278.31 people per square kilometer.^[2]

According to a May 24, 2004 World Bank memorandum, 3% of the inhabitants of Gurage have access to electricity, this zone has a road density of 95.4 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers, the average rural household has 0.5 hectare of land (compared to the national average of 1.01 hectare of land and an average of 0.89 for the SNNPR)^[3] the equivalent of 0.2 heads of livestock. 18.9% of the population is in non-farm related jobs, compared to the national average of 25% and a Regional average of 32%. 79% of all eligible children are enrolled in primary school, and 12% in secondary schools. 18% of the zone is exposed to malaria, and 38% to Tsetse fly. The memorandum gave this zone a drought risk rating of 319.^[4]