Ethiopia is administratively divided into four levels: regions, zones, woredas (districts) and kebele (wards). The country comprises 12 regions and two city administrations under these regions, plenty of zones, woredas and neighbourhood administration: kebeles. In addition to the Twelve federal states within the country, there are two federal-level city administrations in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
North Gondar (Amharic: ሰሜን ጎንደር; or Semien Gondar) is a zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. This zone is named for the city of Gondar, the capital of Ethiopia until the mid-19th century.
The Central Zone (Tigrinya: ዞባ ማእከላይ, romanized: Zobā Māʼékalāy) is a zone in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Towns and cities in the Central Zone include Axum and Adwa, as well as the historically significant village of Yeha and the town of Tembien Abiyi Adi. The Central Zone is bordered on the east by the Eastern Zone, on the south by South Eastern Zone, on the west by North Western Zone and on the north by Eritrea.
Gurage is a zone in the Central Ethiopia Regional State of Ethiopia. The region is home to the Gurage people. Gurage is bordered on the southeast by Hadiya and Yem Zone, on the northwest by Kebena Special Woreda, north and east by the Oromia Region, and on the southeast by Siltʼe. Its highest point is Mount Gurage. Wolkite is the largest city and administrative centre of the zone.
The Southwest Ethiopia Region, officially the Southwest Ethiopia Peoples' Regional State (Amharic: የደቡብ ምዕራብ ኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች ክልል, romanized: Yedebubi Mi‘irabi Ītiyop’iya Hizibochi Kilili) is a regional state in southwestern Ethiopia. It was split off from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) on 23 November 2021 after a successful referendum.
It consists of the Keffa, Sheka, Bench Sheko, Dawro, West Omo Zones, and Konta Zone. The working language of the region is Amharic.
Sitti Zone (Somali: Gobolka Sitti), formerly known as Shinile, is a zone in Somali Region of Ethiopia.
Located at the northwestern point of the Somali Region and stretching across the savanna north of the Ahmar Mountains, Sitti is bordered on the south by Dire Dawa and the Oromia Region, on the west by the Afar Region, on the north by Djibouti, on the east by Somaliland, and on the southeast by Fafan Zone. Other towns and cities in this zone include Aysha, Shinile, Dewele, Harewa, Adigale, Erer, Bike and Āfdem. Part of the northwestern corner is occupied by the Yangudi Rassa National Park, which is a notable local landmark.
Districts of Ethiopia, also called woredas (Amharic: ወረዳ woreda; Oromo: woreda), are the third level of the administrative divisions of Ethiopia – after zones and the regional states.
These districts are further subdivided into a number of wards called kebele neighbourhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia.
Mekelle (Tigrinya: መቐለ), or Mek'ele, is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around 780 kilometres (480 mi) north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, with an elevation of 2,254 metres (7,395 ft) above sea level. Administratively, Mekelle is considered a Special Zone, which is divided into seven sub-cities. It is the economic, cultural, and political hub of northern Ethiopia.
Mekelle has grown rapidly since 1991 with a population of 61,000 in 1984, 97,000 inhabitants in 1994 (96.5% being Tigrinya-speakers), and 170,000 in 2006 (i.e. 4% of the population of Tigray). Mekelle is the second-largest city in Ethiopia after Addis Ababa, with a population of around 545,000. It is 4 times larger than Adigrat, the second-largest regional center. The majority of the population of Mekelle depends on government employment, commerce, and small-scale enterprises. In 2007, Mekelle had new engineering, cement, and textile factories, producing for the local and foreign markets. Mekelle University developed out of the pre-1991 Arid Agricultural College, and about a dozen other governmental and private colleges were created.
The Eastern Zone (Tigrinya: ዞባ ምብራቕ) is a zone in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is bordered on the east by the Afar Region, on the south by the South Eastern Zone, on the west by the Central Zone and on the north by Eritrea. Its highest point is Mount Asimba (3,250 m). Towns and cities in the Eastern Zone include Adigrat, Atsbi, Hawzen, and Wukro.