Other major towns are Areka, Boditi, Tebela, Bale Hawassa, Gesuba, Gununo, Bedessa and Dimtu.

The Wolayta nationality are a proud people who had a distinct, continuous, strong and independent kingdoms going back to the 13th Century and beyond to the first Millennium until 1894.

The Wolaita’s resistance was finally crushed, with it conquered by Ethiopia, in 1894 after the bloodiest battle led by Emperor Menelik II himself.

Since, there has been public discontent and opposition members requesting autonomy were beaten, tortured, and a significant number of youths exiled.

In popular mob security forces killed at least five when the Wolayta successfully campaigned for their own zone and rejected the attempted imposition of the new composite language and identity.

[12] The constitutional rights of the Wolayta people for statehood has gathered momentum in the recent years, where following widespread consultation held at all levels the proposal to establish a Wolaita Regional State was approved.

Originally, Wolayta zonal council insisted on a separate referendum and threatened a unilateral declaration of statehood.

This led to a crackdown by federal security forces against the Wolayta zone leaders and activists that resulted in the arrest of several people.

[15] On 1 August 2022 after several months passed, the Wolayita zonal council gave in by reversing its decision and agreed to join the other zones and special woredas to form one state.

As result, in February, referendum was held in Wolayta and other five zones and five special woredas in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State on statehood to determine whether Wolayta, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, Gedeo and Konso zones and Dirashe, Amaro, Burji, Basketo and Ale special woredas will form a separate autonomous state or remain within the SNNPR.

[18] After eight days later, the result was released and made Wolaita Zone as the part of South Ethiopia Regional State.

Wolayta is one of the 16 Zonal Administrations of the Southern Region In Ethiopia, located about 300 kilometers (190 mi) south of Addis Ababa.

Through undulating hills there are no large forests except in the Sodo Zuria, and Omo river basin, which is below 1,500 meters (4,900 ft) and a malaria zone.

The soil of the Wolayta is of heavy red color which becomes brown and black during the rains and has the fragility and the softness of sand.

[27] The Ajora Falls are twin waterfalls formed by the Ajancho and Skoke rivers located approximately 390 km (240 mi) from Addis Ababa.

[28] The Mochena Borago Rockshelter is located northwest of the city of Wolaita Sodo, on the southwestern slope of Mt.

In order to access the Mochena Borago Rockshelter, tourists drive approximately, 10 km (6.2 mi) from Wolaita Sodo along the Hosanna road.

From 2006 to 2008 the University of Florida’s Southwest Ethiopia Archaeological Project (SWEAP) concentrated upon excavating the shelter’s late Pleistocene deposits.

The name of this bridge called (ye egzier dildiy) in Amharic The hot spring is situated in Humbo Woreda Abela mareka kebele.

The circle shaped hot spring covers wide areas and has rising smoke and boiled bubbles coming from within the ground and the water vapor can be seen from a distance.

The club from Southern Ethiopia eliminated Egyptian giants and five times winners of the CAF Champions league Zamalek in a dramatic penalty shootout in Cairo.

The Wolaita Zone Administration has made great strides in the social, economic and political spheres over the years in its efforts to achieve rapid and sustainable economic growth by developing a long-term and medium-term plan to alleviate poverty and backwardness and improve the public's access to various media resources.

The mass media in wolaita consist of radio, television and the Internet, which remain under the control of the Ethiopian government, as well as private newspapers and magazines.

The educational system is struggling to provide excellent instruction and assistance, and secondary schools are in limited supply.

They have long tradition of fattening oxen distinctively practiced using local/home based feed supplement/concentrate (cereal grains, root and tuber crops), household leftovers, grass)(Takele and Habtamu, 2009).

Maize, haricot bean, taro, sweet potato, enset, banana, avocado, mango and coffee are the major crops with tremendous benefits to smallholder farmers’ in Wolaita and surrounding areas (CSA, 2020).

Where land is very scarce and consequently where cereal harvests are low, high yielding Enset offers some opportunity for food security.

The communities are surrounded by enormous fields of grain and, above all, large cotton plantations, which serve as indicators of their wealth.

Here is the cotton land, where Ethiopian mantles are manufactured, where this plant thrives, which, together with coffee, is the source of Ethiopia's current wealth and will become the country's major export commodity in the near future.

All Mediterranean trees produce fruit throughout the year: grapes, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, oranges, tangerines, bananas, papayas, avocados, and so on.