Wolayita Zone

Wolayita Zone Wolaytta Moottaa (Wolaytta)
Zone
From left: Mount Damota, Wolayita war dance, Leke playing Men
Nickname:  The Land of More Than 50 Kings
Wolaita Zone location in Ethiopia
Country	Ethiopia
Region	South Ethiopia Regional State
Kingdom of Damot	1100
Kingdom of Wolaita	1251
Incorporated to Ethiopian Empire	1894
Separated from North Omo Zone	2000
Founded by	Welayta people
Capital	Sodo
Government
• Chief administrator	Samuel Fola (Prosperity Party)
• Deputy	Admasu Aweke
Area
• Zone	451,170.7 ha (1,114,867.1 acres)
• Cultivated	261,000 ha (645,000 acres)
• Grazing land	5,318 ha (13,141 acres)
Highest elevation (Mount Damota)	2,750 m (9,020 ft)
Lowest elevation	1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Population  (2021)[1][2]
• Zone	2,142,063
• Density	520.8/km2 (1,349/sq mi)
• Urban -as of 2007	366,567
• Urban density	385/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
• Male	1,051,428
• Female	1,090,635
Demonym	Wolaita (96.31%)
Time zone	UTC+3 (EAT)
Website	www.snnprswolaitazone.gov.et

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.^[3]

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.^[4] Its highest point is Mount Damota (2738 meters).