Kucha is one of the 77 woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Gamo Gofa Zone, Kucha is bordered on the south by Dita Dermalo, on the southwest by Zala Ubamale, on the west by Gofa Zuria, on the northwest by the Dawro Zone, on the north by the Wolayita Zone, on the east by Boreda Abaya, and on the southeast by Chencha. The major town in Kucha is Selamber.
Kucha is part of a region known for hilly and undulating midland and upper lowland terrain; due to terrain and weather patterns, less than one in five households is food secure. Food crops include maize, enset, sweet potatoes, taro, teff, and yams; income sources include butter and selling firewood.[1] According to a 2004 report, Kucha had 58 kilometers of all-weather roads and 8 kilometers of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 48 kilometers per 1000 square kilometers.[2]
Although this woreda was in existence before the incorporation of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, its current area dates from 1996. That year the lowlands of the neighboring Dera-Malo woreda were joined to Kucha, and the highlands of that woreda joined to Dita, becoming Dita Dermalo.[3]
Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this woreda has an estimated total population of 145,305, of whom 72,159 are men and 73,146 are women; 3,498 or 2.41% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 8.5%. With an estimated area of 1,384.22 square kilometers, Kucha has an estimated population density of 105 people per square kilometer, which is less than the Zone average of 156.5.[4]
The 1994 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 102,598 of whom 51,657 were men and 50,941 were women; 1,931 or 1.88% of its population were urban dwellers. The largest ethnic group reported in Kucha was the Gamo (98.52%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.48% of the population. Gamo was the dominant first language, spoken by 99.01% of the inhabitants; the remaining 0.99% spoke all other primary languages reported.[5]