Gurage

Gurage is an ethnic group native to Ethiopia, primarily residing in the Gurage Zone of the South Western Ethiopia's Regional State. They account for a significant portion of the state's population, with subsets of the Gurage community also found in neighboring regions.

The modern Gurage population descended from the Kingdom of Kinda, a medieval Ethiopian kingdom that existed from around the 11th to 14th centuries. The kingdom was a powerful and influential force in the region, with its kings playing a significant role in the struggle for power in medieval Ethiopia. Historical records suggest that the Kingdom of Kinda was eventually absorbed into the Ethiopian Empire.

The Gurage people have a distinct language, known as the Gurage language, which belongs to the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. They have their own distinct culture, traditions and customs. Agriculture is the backbone of the Gurage economy, with crops such as coffee, tea and cotton being major cash crops. Traditional practices such as subsistence farming and animal husbandry are also widely practiced.

The Gurage people have historically been subject to a variety of ethnic and linguistic influences, particularly from neighboring ethnic groups such as the Soddo-speaking people to the north and Oromo to the south. Despite these influences, the Gurage people maintain a strong cultural identity and a unique ethnicity that is distinct from other groups in the region.

In recent years, the Gurage people have played an increasingly important role in the cultural and political landscape of South Western Ethiopia's Regional State, with several prominent Gurage politicians holding key positions in the regional and federal governments. However, the community continues to face challenges related to land rights, economic empowerment and social equality.