Wolayita Zone

Wolayita Zone
From left: Mount Damota, Wolayita war dance, Leke playing Men
Nickname: 
The Land of More Than 50 Kings
Map
Interactive map outlining Wolaita
Wolaita Zone location in Ethiopia
Wolaita Zone location in Ethiopia
Country Ethiopia
Region South Ethiopia Regional State
Kingdom of Damot1100
Kingdom of Wolaita1251
Incorporated to Ethiopian Empire1894
Separated from North Omo Zone2000
Founded byWelayta people
CapitalSodo
Government
 • Chief administratorPetros Woldemariam (Prosperity Party)
 • DeputyGobeze Godana
Area
 • Zone
451,170.7 ha (1,114,867.1 acres)
 • Cultivated261,000 ha (645,000 acres)
 • Grazing land5,318 ha (13,141 acres)
Highest elevation2,750 m (9,020 ft)
Lowest elevation
1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Population
 (2021)[3][4]
 • Zone
6,142,063

[1]

[2]
 • Density520.8/km2 (1,349/sq mi)
 • Urban
-as of 2007
366,567
 • Urban density385/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
 • Male
3,027,013
 • Female
3,115,050
DemonymWolaitans (96.31%)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Websitewww.snnprswolaitazone.gov.et
Map of the regions and zones of Ethiopia

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.[5]

Wolayita has 358 kilometres (222 mi) of all-weather roads and 425 kilometres (264 mi) of dry-weather roads, for an average road density of 187 kilometres per 1000 square kilometres.[6] Its highest point is Mount Damota (2738 meters).

  1. ^ https://www.statsethiopia.gov.et/
  2. ^ http://www.statsethiopia.gov.et/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Population-of-Zones-and-Weredas-Projected-as-of-July-2023.pdf#:~:text=URL%3A%20http%3A%2F%2Fwww.statsethiopia.gov.et%2Fwp
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference pops was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Population Size by Sex, Region, Zone and Wereda: July 2021" (PDF).
  5. ^ "21_adm_snp_081517_a0" (PDF). Reliefweb.int. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Detailed statistics on roads" Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine, SNNPR Bureau of Finance and Economic Development website (accessed 3 September 2009)