The Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region was a regional state in southwestern Ethiopia. It was formed from the merger of five kililoch, called Regions 7 to 11, following the regional council elections on 21 June 1992. Its government was based in Hawassa.
Bench is a Northern Omotic language of the "Gimojan" subgroup, spoken by about 174,000 people in the Bench Maji Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, in southern Ethiopia, around the towns of Mizan Teferi and Shewa Gimira. In a 2006 dissertation, Christian Rapold described three varieties of Bench as "...mutually intelligible...varieties of one and the same language". Bench is the ancestral language of the Bench people.
The Sidama are an ethnic group traditionally inhabiting the Sidama Region, formerly part of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. On 23 November 2019, the Sidama Zone became the 10th regional state in Ethiopia after a zone-wide referendum. They speak the Sidama language, which is a language of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Despite their large numbers, the Sidama lacked a separate ethnic regional state until continuous protests resulted in the proposal being voted on in a November 2019 referendum.
Bench Sheko is a zone in the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. Bench Sheko is bordered on the south and southeast by West Omo, on the west by the Gambela Region on the north by Sheka, and on the east by Keffa. The administrative center of Bench Sheko is Mizan Teferi.
Konso is a zone in the South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopia. It was formerly a woreda. Prior to 2011, Konso was not part of any Zone in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) and was therefore considered a special woreda, an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area. In 2011, the Segen Area Peoples Zone was established, which includes Konso special woreda and the 3 former woredas surrounding it. This special woreda is named after the Konso people. Located in the Great Rift Valley, Konso is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by the South Omo Zone, on the northwest by Alle special woreda, on the north by Dirashe special woreda, on the northeast by Amaro special woreda, and on the east by Burji special woreda. The Sagan River, which flows south then west to join the Weito, defines part of the woreda's boundary with Burji and the entire length of the boundary with the Oromia Region. The administrative center is Karati; other towns in Konso include Fasha and Sagen. After protesting by residents to become a zone for several years, Konso became a zone in November 2018.
Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of the Horn of Africa.
The Welayta, Wolayta or Wolaitta are an ethnic group and its former kingdom, located in southern Ethiopia. According to the most recent estimate (2017), the people of Wolayta numbered 5.83 million in Welayta Zone. The language of the Wolayta people, similarly called Wolaytta, belongs to the Omotic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Despite their small population, Wolayta people have widely influenced national music, dance and cuisine in Ethiopia.
Kafta Humera is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Located in the Western Tigray of Tigray, Kafta Humera is bordered on the south by Tsegede, on the west by Sudan, by the Tekezé River which separates Kafta Humera from Eritrea on the north, on the east by the North Western zone, and on the southeast by Welkait. Towns in Kafta Humera include Adi Hirdi and Humera.
Tselemti is an Ethiopian District, or woreda, in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Semien Mi'irabawi Zone, Tselemti is bordered on the south by the Amhara Region, on the west by the Mi'irabawi Zone, on the north by Asigede Tsimbela, on the northeast by Medebay Zana, and on the east by the Maekelay Zone. The Tekezé defines the boundary between Tselemti and both the last two woredas and the Zone; other rivers in this woreda include the Abata, a tributary of the Tekezé. The administrative center of this woreda is Mai Tsebri; other towns in Tselemti include Dima.
Filtu is one of the woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Liben Zone, Filtu is bordered on the south by the Dawa River which separates it from Moyale and Udet, on the west by the Oromia Region, on the north and east by the Ganale Dorya River which separates it from the Afder Zone, and on the southeast by Dolo Odo. The major town of this woreda is Filtu.
Konta, previously called Ela, is a zone in the Southwest Region of Ethiopia. It is named after Konta people who speak the dialects called Kontatsuwa, Omotic languages. Before joining to Southwest Ethiopia Regional states, Konta was special woreda. This zone is bordered on the south by the Omo River which separates it from the Gamo Zone, Gofa Zone, and Selamgo woreda, Debub Omo Zone, on the west by the Keffa Zone, on the north by the Gojeb River which separates it from the Oromia Region, and on the east by the Dawro Zone; the Denchya River defines the southern part of the boundary with the Keficho Shekicho Zone. The administrative center is Ameya; other towns include Chida.
Sheko is a woreda in South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region, Ethiopia. It is named for the Sheko people, whose homeland lies in this woreda. Part of the Bench Maji Zone, Sheko is bordered on the south by Debub Bench, on the west by Guraferda, on the northwest by the Gambela Region, on the north by the Sheka Zone, and on the east by Semien Bench. Towns in Sheko include Sheko. The western part of this woreda was added to Dimma woreda and central part of it was used to create Guraferda woreda.
Gindabarat is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. The district is marginal within the central-highlands of Ethiopia, being isolated geographically by lowland gorges and rivers which separate it from all but one neighboring district, and physically, due to a poor road network. Part of the West Shewa Zone, Gindabarat is bordered on the south by Jeldu, on the southwest by Ambo, on the west by the Guder River which separates it from the Horo Guduru Welega Zone, on the north by the Abay River which separates it from the Amhara Region, on the east by the Muger River which separates it from the North Shewa Zone, and on the southeast by Meta Robi. The major town in Gindabarat is Kachise. Abuna Gindabarat woreda was separated from Gindabarat.
Anfillo is a woreda in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Part of the Kelem Welega Zone, Anfillo is bordered on the southwest by the Gambela Region, on the north by Jimma Gidami, on the northeast by Yemalogi Welele, and on the east by Sayo. The major town in Anfillo is Mugi.
The Basketo people are an Omotic-speaking ethnic group whose homeland lies in the southern part of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia. The Basketo special woreda is named after this ethnic group. According to the 2007 Ethiopian national census, this ethnic group has 78,284 members, of whom 99.3% live in the SNNPR.
Dizi is the name of an ethnic group living in southern Ethiopia. They share a number of somatic similarities with certain culturally related peoples of south-western Ethiopia, which include the Sheko and Nao, the Gimira, the Tsara, the Dime, the Aari and certain sub-groups of the Basketo people. A. E. Jensen has gathered these groups under the label of the "ancient peoples of southern Ethiopia". They speak the Dizin language.
The Banna people, also Banya, are an Omotic ethnic group in Ethiopia that inhabit the Lower Omo Valley, primarily between the Weyto and Omo rivers. They live in an area between the towns of Gazer and Dimeka, with the traditional area of the Banna being divided into two ritual regions: Ailama and Anno. According to the 2007 census, they number at around 47,000 individuals. They engage primarily in agriculture and supplement this by pastoralism, hunting, and gathering. They are mainly Muslim, however, several thousand are Christian, and they have their own king.
Aari or Ari are a tribal Omotic people indigenous to Omo Valley of Ethiopia. According to 2007 census there are 289,835 ethnic Aari in Ethiopia, which makes up around 0.29% of the country's total population. Nearly all Aari speak the South Omotic Aari language, though more than half of them are multilingual and can also speak other languages such as Amharic.
Konta people are an Omotic-speaking ethnic group indigenous to southwestern Ethiopia. According to 2007 census there are 83,607 Konta people, which makes up 0.11% of Ethiopia's total population. The population is distributed through south of Jimma and Gojeb River. Since the dissolution of North Omo Zone in 2000 most Konta live in Konta special woreda in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, where they make up around 85% of the total population. Konta language is the ancestral language of the Konta people. Most Konta adhere to Protestantism or Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Konta economy is based on agriculture and people cultivate ensete, sweet potatoes, taro, beans, teff and maize.
