Located in a fertile and forested area near Lake Abaya in the upper Gidabo River basin, not far from the sources of the Ganale Dorya and Dawa Rivers in the Aleta Wendo Zone of the Sidama Regional State, this town has a longitude and latitude of 6°36′N 38°25′E / 6.600°N 38.417°E / 6.600; 38.417 with an elevation of 2037 meters above sea level.

[1] Dejazmach Balcha Safo, Governor of Sidamo, originally constructed his ketema, or fortified camp, in Wendo, but he later moved it to Hagere Selam.

[2] While passing through the area in February 1909, Dr. Drake Brockman notes that the governor of Western Sidamo, Dejazmach Tessema Nadew, made this town (which he calls "Alata") his headquarters.

Grazmach Kebede Dihala Mikael, the village potentate, implored them to camp near his house, explaining that there were plenty of shiftas or outlaws in the area.

[2] Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Aleta Wendo has an estimated total population of 20,513, of whom 10,006 were males and 10,507 were females.