Towns and cities in the Southern Zone include Maychew, Korem, Zata and Alamata.

The highest point in this Zone is Mount Ferrah Amba (3954 meters; sometimes called Tsibet after the nearby village),[2] one of the southernmost peaks of the Raya Mountains.

Due to its prominent location dominating the roadway that runs past it from Mekelle south to Maychew, this mountain has been the scene of several battles.

Based on the 2007 Census conducted by the Central Statistical Agency of Ethiopia (CSA), this Zone has a total population of 1,006,504, of whom 497,280 are men and 509,224 women; 125,787 or 12.5% are urban inhabitants.

The Zone is predominantly Tigrayan, at 92.1% of the population, while 5.4% were Amhara, 1.5% were Agaw, and all other ethnic groups 1.0%.