Ethiopian Atlas
Regional state

South West Ethiopia

Chebera Churchura National Park in the wet forests of the south-west
Chebera Churchura National Park in the wet forests of the south-west · photo: James Moore200, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

South West Ethiopia is a regional state of Ethiopia, covering 39,036 km² — 3.5% of the national territory, 7th of the 12 regional states by area. Its administrative centre is Bonga. Its projected 2022 population is 3,453,447 — about 88 people per km². It comprises 6 zones and 59 woredas (districts).

South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region, formed in 2021, covers some of the country's wettest highlands — the Kafa forests often cited as the original home of wild arabica coffee — descending to the Omo lowlands, where Chebera Churchura National Park shelters one of Ethiopia's largest elephant populations.

Sources: Britannica — Coffee production: history · EWCA — Chebera Churchura

Where South West Ethiopia sits in Ethiopia

39,036
km²
3.5%
of national territory
6
zones
59
woredas
3,453,447
people (2022 proj.)
88
per km²
7th
by area of 12 states
Administrative centreBonga
P-codeET11
Boundary valid from2025-01-01

Zones

Bench ShekoDawuroKefaKontaShekaWest Omo

View South West Ethiopia on the map →

Every figure on this page is computed from the OCHA COD-AB Ethiopia dataset (April 2026 release, CC BY 3.0 IGO). Richer geographic and historical profiles, with cited sources, arrive in Phase 2.