The
Gurage people are a
Semitic-speaking
ethnic group in
Ethiopia. According to the 2007 national census, its population is 6,867,377 people, of whom 792,659 are urban dwellers. This is 5.53% of the total population of Ethiopia, or 9.52% of the
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR). The Gurage people traditionally inhabit a fertile, semi-mountainous region in southwest Ethiopia, about 125 kilometers southwest of
Addis Ababa, bordering the
Awash River in the north, the
Gibe River (a tributary of the
Omo) to the southwest, and
Lake Zway in the east. In addition, according to the 2007 Ethiopian national census the Gurage can also be found in large numbers in
Addis Ababa,
Oromia Region,
Dire Dawa,
Harari Region,
Somali Region,
Amhara Region, Gambella Region,
Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and
Tigray Region.