North Omo Zone

The administrative center of Semien Omo was Arba Minch; other towns included Areka, Boditi, Sawla and Sodo.

[3] The Semien Omo Zone was established in 1987 by the Derg, who created the administrative unit from parts of Gamu-Gofa, Sidamo and Kaffa, based on the conclusion that the four ethnic groups—the Goffa, Gamo, Kullo and Welayta -- all spoke minor variants of the same language and shared other aspects of their cultures.

The only changes the Transitional Government of Ethiopia made to it after assuming power, were to remove Konso special woreda from the Zone and add Basketo.

However friction between these groups, which was often blamed on the Welayta for "ethnic chauvinism" and despite the efforts of the ruling party to emphasize the need to co-ordinate, consolidate, and unify the smaller ethnic units to achieve the "efficient use of scarce government resources", eventually led to the division of the Zone in 2000 into three new Zones and two special woredas.

39.02% of the population said they practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, 35.75% were Protestants, 18.58% observed traditional religions, and 2.88% embraced Catholicism.