Welega was a province in the western part of Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

, with its capital city at Nekemte

Nekemte

Nekemte is a market town in western Ethiopia. Located in the Misraq Welega Zone of the Oromia Region , Nekemte has a latitude and longitude of and an elevation of 2,088 meters....

. It was named for the Welega Oromo

Welega Oromo

Welega is a branch of the Oromo people who live in Ethiopia in the former Welega Province; a few live across the border in Sudan. They speak West Central Oromo, a dialect of the Oromo language....

, who are the majority of the population within its boundaries.

Welega was bordered on the west by Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

, on the north by the Abbay River which separated it from Gojjam

Gojjam

Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...

, on the east by Shewa

Shewa

Shewa is a historical region of Ethiopia, formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire...

, on the southeast by Kaffa

Kaffa Province, Ethiopia

Kaffa was a province on the southwestern side of Ethiopia; its capital city was Jimma. It was named after the former Kingdom of Kaffa.Kaffa was bordered on the west by Sudan, on the northwest by Illubabor, on the north by Walega, on the northeast by Shewa, on the east by Sidamo, and on the...

, and on the south by Illubabor

Illubabor Province

Illubabor was a province in the south-western part of Ethiopia, along the border with Sudan. The name Illubabor is said to come from two Oromo words, "Illu" and "Abba Bor". "Illu" is a name of a clan, and "Abba Bor" was the horse name of Chali Shone, who founded the ruling family of the area when...

.

History

Following the liberation of Ethiopia

East African Campaign (World War II)

The East African Campaign was a series of battles fought in East Africa during World War II by the British Empire, the British Commonwealth of Nations and several allies against the forces of Italy from June 1940 to November 1941....

 in 1941, the following provinces were added to Welega to simplify administration: the semi-autonomous areas of Asosa, Beni Shangul, Leqa Naqamte, and Leqa Qellam, and the province of Sibu.

The boundaries of Welega remained unchanged until the adoption of new constitution in 1995

1995 Constitution of Ethiopia

The current Constitution of Ethiopia, which is the supreme law of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, was adopted by the Transitional Government of Ethiopia in December 1994 and came into force in August 1995. The constitution was drawn up by the Constituent Assembly elected in June of that year.The...

, when Welega was divided, with part of its territory becoming the Asosa

Asosa Zone

Asosa is one of the three Zones in Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. This Zone was named after the Asosa Sultanate, which had approximately the same boundaries. Asosa is bordered on the south by the Mao-Komo special woreda, on the west by Sudan, on the northeast by the Abay River which...

 and Kamashi Zone

Kamashi Zone

Kamashi is one of the three Zones in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. It covers part of the southern bank of the Abay and the valley of the Didessa Rivers...

s of the Benishangul-Gumuz Region, and the rest becoming part of the Mirab Welega

Mirab Welega Zone

Mirab Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone is named after the former province of Welega, whose western part lay in the area Mirab Misraq now occupies....

, Misraq Welega

Misraq Welega Zone

Misraq Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone acquired its name from the former province of Welega...

 and Illubabor Zone

Illubabor Zone

Illubabor is one of the 17 zones of the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Illubabor is named for the former province Illubabor. It is bordered on the south by the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region, on the southwest by the Gambela Region, on the west by Misraq Welega, on the north by the...

s of the Oromia Region

Oromia Region

Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...

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