Gurage Zone, Administrative zone in Central Ethiopia
Gurage Zone is an administrative region in central Ethiopia that stretches across fertile lands bordered by Mount Gurage and neighboring regions like Hadiya Zone and Oromia. The landscape is marked by rolling green hills, farming areas, and scattered towns connected by roads leading to the central hub of Welkite.
The region underwent major environmental shifts as forests declined from around 20 percent of the landscape in the 1930s to small remaining patches by 1996. These changes in the natural landscape happened gradually as people used the land for farming and settlement over many decades.
The Gurage people practice traditions centered on growing ensete, a starchy plant that has been their foundation for generations. In the towns and villages, you hear Guragigna and Amharic alongside other local languages that show the diversity of these communities.
The zone is connected by all-weather roads that branch out from Welkite and link the scattered communities throughout the region. The best time to visit is during the dry season, when roads are easiest to navigate and the landscape is fully accessible.
Local farmers started planting eucalyptus trees in the 1960s, which gradually changed the look of the entire landscape. These trees are now found throughout the region and have become a defining feature of the terrain today.
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