Provinces of Ethiopia in the context of "Gojjam"

Shewa (Amharic: ሸዋ; Oromo: Shawaa; Somali: Shawa; Arabic: شيوا, Italian: Scioà), formerly romanized as Shua, Shoa, Showa, Shuwa, is a historical region of Ethiopia which was formerly an autonomous kingdom within the Ethiopian Empire. The modern Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is located at its center.

The towns of Debre Berhan, Antsokia, Ankober, Entoto and, after Shewa became a province of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa have all served as the capital of Shewa at various times. Most of northern Shewa, made up of the districts of Menz, Tegulet, Yifat, Menjar and Bulga, is populated by Christian Amharas, while southern Shewa is inhabited by the Gurages and eastern Shewa has large Oromo and Argobba Muslim populations. The monastery of Debre Libanos, founded by Saint Tekle Haymanot, is located in the ancient district of Selale. Modern Shewa includes the historical Endagabatan province.

Qwara (Amharic: ቋራ), also spelled Quara, was a province in now Amhara Region, Ethiopia, located between Lake Tana and the frontier inside present-day Sudan, and stretching from Agawmeder in the south as far north as Metemma, and as far west as Wad Madani, Sudan.

Wollo (Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia. During the Middle Ages this province name was Bete Amhara and it was the centre of the Solomonic emperors. Bete Amhara had an illustrious place in Ethiopian political and cultural history. It was the center of the Solomonic Dynasty established by Emperor Yekuno Amlak around Lake Hayq in 1270. Bete Amhara was bounded on the west by the Abbay, on the south by the river Wanchet, on the north by the Bashilo River and on the east by the Escarpment that separate it from the Afar Desert.

The original Wollo province was mainly only the area of modern-day South Wollo. But in the 1940s, under Emperor Haile Selassie, administration changes were made and provinces such as Lasta, Angot (now known as Raya), and parts of Afar lands were incorporated into Wollo.

Tigray Province (Tigrinya: ትግራይ), also known as Tigre (Amharic: ትግሬ tigrē), was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlaid the present day Afar and Tigray regions. Akele Guzai borders with the Tigray province. It encompassed most of the territories of Tigrinya-speakers (and a few minority groups) in Ethiopia. Tigray was separated from the northern Tigrinya speaking territories by the Mareb River, now serving as the state border to Eritrea, bordering Amhara region in the south.

The great majority of inhabitants were Orthodox Christians (95.5% in 1994), with the exception of a small, but important Muslim subgroup (Jeberti) and a few Catholics (mainly Irob). Protestantism is only a very recent urban phenomenon. Despite a general impression of ethnic and cultural homogeneity, there were a few ethnic minorities, especially at the borders of Tigray, belonging to a non-Tigrinya groups, such as the Saho-speaking Irob at the north-eastern border to Eritrea, the people|Raya in the south-east, the Agaw-speaking H̬amta in Abergele north of Wag, a few Kunama in the Habesha Kunama woreda east of Humera, and scattered peripheral groups in the western lowlands across the tekeze, such as the Chare of the Sellim Bet (related with the Gumuz) and Tukrir in the Humera area.

Hararghe (Amharic: ሐረርጌ Harärge; Harari: ሀረርጌ፞ይ, هَرَرْݘٛىيْ,Harargêy, Oromo: Harargee, Somali: Xararge, حَرَرْگَِ) was a province of eastern Ethiopia with its capital in Harar.

Ethiopia is a federation subdivided into ethno-linguistically based regional states (Amharic: plural: ክልሎች kililoch; singular: ክልል kilil; Oromo: singular: Naannoo; plural: Naannolee) and chartered cities (Amharic: plural: አስተዳደር አካባቢዎች astedader akababiwoch; singular: አስተዳደር አካባቢ astedader akabibi). This system of administrative regions replaced the provinces of Ethiopia in 1992.

As of 2025, there are twelve regional states and two chartered cities (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa). Being based on ethnicity and language, rather than physical geography or history, the regions vary enormously in area and population; the most notable example is the Harari Region, which has a smaller area and population than either of the chartered cities.

Selale (Amharic: ሰላሌ, Oromo: Salaalee), was a province of the Ethiopian Empire located south of Gojjams Abay River, west of Merhabete's Wenchit River, and South of Weleka district Jemma River, north of Entoto Mountains, and east of the Muger River and centered around Grarya. It later became an awrajja, or sub-province, of Shewa. The region was home to the important Debre Libanos monastery built by Saint Tekle Haymanot who was born in Zorare, a district in Selale which lied on the eastern edge of Shewa, to a Christian Amhara family. An Oromo subgroup inhabiting the North Shewa Zone took their name from the original region. They have a population of approximately 2 million. The capital of the sub-province in the 20th century was Fiche.