The Guji Oromo are an Oromo clan living

Guji Zone Guji ( Oromo: ''Godina Gujii'') is a zone in Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Guji is named after a tribe of the Oromo people. Guji is bordered on the south by Borena, on the west by the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, on the no ...

in southern

Oromia Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa. It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Be ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. They are distinguished by their agro- pastoral lifestyle. According to a population projection from 2007, the total population of the Guji Oromo is above 5 million. The Guji have lived in their territory for many centuries. They claim that their cradle land is ''Girja''. The Guji live in a fertile and natural resource-rich region in Ethiopia: the

in the

Oromia Region Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa. It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Benis ...

, which is named for them. The known gold mining area of Adola, the dense natural forest of Bada Magada, the Nechisar National Park and Shakiso-Adola evergreen forests are the natural areas which have been conserved by the Guji Oromo.

Language

The Guji speak an Oromo dialect of the Southern Oromo variety.

Religion

In the Guji Zone where most Gujis are found, there are three major religions: original Oromo religion ( Waaqa), Islam and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

. However, according to the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), 60% of the population said they were protestant Christianity, and 2.11% said they practised

Orthodox Christianity Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Chur ...

. The remaining practiced cultural religion and Islam

Education

The Guji people are known for using a large number and wide variety of

proverb A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...

s in many social and conversational contexts.Tadesse Jaleta Jirata. 2009. A contextual study of the social functions of Guji-Oromo proverbs. Saabruecken: DVM Verlag.

Notes

Sources

* Dejene N. Debsu. 2009. Gender and culture in southern Ethiopia: an ethnographic analysis of Guji-Oromo women's customary rights. ''African Study Monographs'' 30.1: 15–36. * Loo, Joseph van and Bilow Kola. 1991. ''Guji Oromo culture in southern Ethiopia: Religious capabilities in rituals and songs''. Berlin: Dietrich Reimer Verlag. * Taddesse Berisso. 2000. The Riddles of Number Nine in Guji-Oromo Culture. ''Journal of Ethiopian Studies'' Volume 33.1: 49–66. {{Authority control Oromo groups