Ethiopia is a federation subdivided into ethno-linguistically based regional states and chartered cities. This system of administrative regions replaced the provinces of Ethiopia in 1992.
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.
Hawassa known historically as Adare is a city in Ethiopia, on the shores of Lake Hawassa in the Great Rift Valley. It is 273 km (170 mi) south of Addis Ababa via Bishoftu, 130 km (81 mi) east of Sodo, and 75 km (47 mi) north of Dilla. The town serves as the capital of the Sidama Region. It lies on the Trans-African Highway 4 Cairo-Cape Town and has a latitude and longitude of 7°3′N38°28′E and an elevation of 1,708 meters (5,604 ft) above sea level. Its name comes from a Sidamic word meaning "wide body of water".
Gedeo is a zone in the South Ethiopia Regional State (SERS) of Ethiopia. This zone is named for the Gedeo people, whose homelands lie in this zone. Gedeo is an exclave of the SERS consisting of a narrow strip of land along the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian Highlands. It is surrounded by the Oromia Region, which borders the Zone on the east, south and west; Gedeo shares its northern boundary with the Sidama Region. Dilla is the administrative center; other towns include Dilla, Wonago, Yirgachefe, Chelelekitu and Gedeb.
Yem Zone is one of the zones in the Central Ethiopia Regional State. Yem is named for the Yem, people whose homeland lies in this zone,. Yem is bordered on the west and north by the Oromia Region, and separated from Gurage on the northeast and Hadiya on the east by the Omo River. High points in Yem include Mount Bor Ama, Mount Azulu and Mount Toba. The administrative center of Yem is Saja.
The Sidama Region is a regional state in southern Ethiopia. It was formed on 18 June 2020 from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) and transformation of the Sidama Zone after a 98.52% vote in favour of increased autonomy in the 2019 Sidama referendum. It is the second smallest regional state in the country, after Harari. Sidama is the name of both the Sidama people and Sidama territory. Sidama is bordered to the south by the Oromia Region (except for a short stretch in the middle where it shares a border with Gedeo zone, in South Ethiopia Regional State, on the west by the Bilate River, which separates it from Wolayita Zone, and on the north and east by the Oromia Region. Towns in Sidama include Hawassa, the capital of Sidama and of SNNPR when it existed, Yirgalem, Wondogenet, Chuko, Hula, Bona, Bursa, Bensa, and Aleta Wendo. Sidama has a population of around 3.2 million in 2017 who speak the Cushitic language Sidama.
Gurage is a zone in the Central Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. The region is home to the Gurage people. Gurage is bordered on the southeast by Hadiya and Yem Zone, on the northwest by Kebena Special Woreda, north and east by the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by Silt'e. Its highest point is Mount Gurage. Welkite is the administrative centre of the Region; Butajira is the largest city in this zone and the former administrative centre.
Hadiya is a zone in the Central Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. This zone is named after the Hadiya of the Hadiya Kingdom, whose homeland covers part of the administrative division. Hadiya is bordered on the south by Kembata Tembaro (KT), on the southwest by the Dawro Zone, on the west by the Omo River which separates it from Oromia Region and the Yem Special Woreda, on the north by Gurage, on the northeast by Silte, and on the east by the Alaba special woreda; the woredas of Mirab Badawacho and Misraq Badawacho form an exclave separated from the rest of the zone by KT. The administrative center of Hadiya is Hosaena.
Kembata is a zone in the Central Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. It was formerly known as Kembata, Alaba and Tembaro, until Alaba and Tembaro became a special woreda in 2002 and 2023 respectively. This zone is named after the Kambaata people which gained zonal posture following the establishment of Central Ethiopian region in 2023.
Koore Zone (amaro)is a zone in South Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. The people are called Koore and their language is Koorete. Amaro is one of the areas in which members of Koore nations widely live in. Koore got zonal status in August 2023 upon the formation of the South Ethiopia Regional State. In 2011, the Segen Area Peoples Zone was established, which includes Amaro woreda and the 3 former special woredas surrounding it. Located in the Great Rift Valley, koore is bordered on the south by Burji Zone, on the southwest by Konso Zone, on the west by Dirashe Zone, on the northwest by Gamo Zone and Lake Chamo, and on the north by Lake Abaya and in east and northeast by Oromia Region. It is divided into 35 kebeles. The administrative center of the woreda is Kelle. Jijola woreda, Derba Menena woreda, and Kereda are other growing municipals of the zone.
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.
Cheha is one of the woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region of Ethiopia. This woreda is named after one of the sub-groups of the Sebat Bet Gurage, the Cheha. Part of the Gurage Zone, Cheha is bordered on the south by Enemorina Eaner, on the west by the Oromia Region, on the north by the Wabe River which separates it from Abeshge and Kebena, on the east by Ezha, and on the southeast by Gumer and Geta. The administrative center for Cheha is Endibir; other towns include Gubre.
Hosaena is a town and separate woreda in southern Ethiopia, and the administrative center of the Hadiya Zone. Located in the Central Ethiopia Regional State, Hosaina has a latitude and longitude of 7°33′N37°51′E with an elevation of 2177 meters above sea level. It was part of Limo woreda and is surrounded by it.
The Yem are an ethnic group living in south-western Ethiopia. Their native language is Yemsa, one of the Omotic languages, although many also speak Amharic. The neighbors of the Yem include the Gurage, Hadya, and Kembata to the east across the Omo River and the Jimma Oromo to the south, north and west.
Welkite is a town and separate woreda in south-western Ethiopia. The administrative center of the Central Ethiopia Regional State, and Gurage zone. The town has a latitude and longitude of 8°17′N37°47′E and an elevation between 1910 and 1935 meters above sea level. According to the government, Welkite is one of 12 towns with electrical power, one of 11 with telephone service and one of nine that have postal service. The SNNPR's Bureau of Finance and Economic Development, adds that as of 2003 Welkite also had a bank branch and other financial institutions, as well as a hospital. An all-weather road was built in 1963 which connects Welkite to Addis Ababa by way of Endibir.
Silt'e is a zone in the Central Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. This zone is named for the Silt'e people, whose homeland lies in this zone. Like other nationalities in Ethiopia, the Silt'e people have their own language, Silt'e. Silt'e is bordered on the south by Alaba special woreda, on the southwest by Hadiya, on the north by Gurage, and on the east by the Oromia Region.
Wolayita or Wolaita is an administrative zone in Ethiopia. Wolayita is bordered on the south by Gamo Zone, on the west by the Omo River which separates it from Dawro, on the northwest by Kembata Zone and Tembaro Special Woreda, on the north by Hadiya, on the northeast by the Oromia Region, on the east by the Bilate River which separates it from Sidama Region, and on the south east by the Lake Abaya which separates it from Oromia Region. The administrative centre of Wolayita is Sodo. Other major towns are Areka, Boditi, Tebela, Bale Hawassa, Gesuba, Gununo, Bedessa and Dimtu.
On 6 February 2023 a referendum was held in the Wolayita, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, Gedeo, and Konso Zones, as well as the Dirashe, Amaro, Burji, Ale, and Basketo special woredas of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNP) of Ethiopia, on whether the included areas should leave SNNP and form their own Region.
The South Ethiopia Regional State is a regional state in southern Ethiopia. It was formed from the southern part of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) on 19 August 2023 after a successful referendum.
Ethiopia 
