The Southwest Ethiopia Region, officially the Southwest Ethiopia Peoples' Regional State (Amharic: የደቡብ ምዕራብ ኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች ክልል) is a regional state in southwestern Ethiopia. It was split off from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) on 23 November 2021 after a successful referendum.[2][3]
Southwest Ethiopia Peoples' Region የደቡብ ምዕራብ ኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች ክልል | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Seal | |
 Map of Ethiopia showing the South West Region | |
| Country |  Ethiopia |
| Capital | Bonga, Mizan Teferi, Tarcha, Tepi[1][verification needed] |
| Government | |
| • Chief Administrator | Negash Wagesho |
| • House Speaker | Wondimu Kurta |
| Area | |
| • Total | 39,400 km2 (15,200 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 8th |
| [citation needed] | |
| Population | |
| • Total | 2,300,000 |
| • Rank | 7th |
| • Density | 58/km2 (150/sq mi) |
| [citation needed] | |
| ISO 3166 code | ET-SW |
It consists of the Keffa, Sheka, Bench Sheko, Dawro, West Omo Zones, and Konta Zone. The working language of the region is Amharic.[2]
Chief administrator
- Negash Wagesho (chief administrator) 2021–present[4]
Administrative zones
The following table shows administrative zones and special woredas, (an administrative subdivision which is similar to an autonomous area), is based on information from the 2007 census; the list of second administrative level bodies maintained by the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group dates from 2002,[5]
| Number/haddoo | Zone/Guudo | Seat/koto |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bench Sheko | Mizan Teferi |
| 2 | Dawro Zone | Tarcha |
| 3 | Keffa Zone | Bonga |
| 4 | Sheka Zone | Tepi |
| 5 | West Omo Zone | Jemu |
| 6 | Konta Zone | Ameya |