Part of the East Hararghe Zone, Meta is bordered on the southwest by Deder, on the northwest by Goro Gutu, on the north by the Somali Region, on the northeast by Kersa, and on the southeast by Bedeno.

[1] Around 2000 a team of workers sponsored by Korean aid widened and resurfaced significant parts of the all-weather road between Dire Dawa and Kulubi.

The army of Negus Menelik of Shewa routed the army of Emir 'Abd Allah II of Harar, and afterwards the Negus occupied and annexed that city state.

[3] Based on figures published by the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this District has an estimated total population of 240,285, of whom 117,864 are men and 122,421 are women; 12,459 or 5.19% of its population are urban dwellers, which is less than the Zone average of 6.9%.

With an estimated area of 657.03 square kilometers, Meta has an estimated population density of 365.7 people per square kilometer, which is greater than the Zone average of 102.6.