Scioa Governorate in the context of "Harar Governorate"

Italian East Africa (Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana, A.O.I.) was a territory of the Italian empire under Fascist Italy, existing from 1936 to 1941 in the Horn of Africa. It was established following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, which led to the military occupation of the Ethiopian Empire (Abyssinia), and encompassed Italian Somaliland, Eritrea and the Ethiopian territories (although Italy did not have stable control over the whole of Ethiopia), all governed by a single administrative unit, the Governo Generale dell'Africa Orientale Italiana. Its establishment contributed significantly to the outbreak of World War II by exposing the weaknesses of the League of Nations.

Italian East Africa was divided into six governorates. Eritrea and Somalia, Italian possessions since the 1880s, were enlarged with captured Ethiopian territory and became the Eritrea and Somalia Governorates. The remainder of the occupied Ethiopian territories comprised the Harar, Galla-Sidamo, Amhara, and Scioa Governorates. At its largest extent, Italian East Africa occupied territories in British Somaliland, British Kenya, and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. By 1939, it was settled by about 165,270 Italian colonists.

The Italian colony of Italian East Africa (Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana) was composed of six governorates which made up the first level of country subdivisions for the colony.

The governorates of Amhara, Galla-Sidamo, Harar and Scioa constituted the "Italian Empire of Ethiopia", which covered about half of the previous Ethiopian Empire. The Eritrea and Somalia Governorates were formed from the previously separate colonies of Italian Eritrea and Somaliland, enlarged with the remainder of Ethiopian territory.

Galla-Sidamo Governorate was one of the six governorates of Italian East Africa. It was formed in 1936 from parts of the conquered Ethiopian Empire following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War with the capital was Jimma. In November 1938 some territory of Galla-Sidamo in the Scioa region was given to the neighboring Addis Abeba Governorate, enlarging it to the Scioa Governorate.

The area bordering the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan was the stronghold of the Ethiopian resistance against the Italians until 1939, when it was practically pacified.

Amhara Governorate was one of the six governorates of Italian East Africa. Its capital was Gondar. It was formed in 1936 from parts of the conquered Ethiopian Empire following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War. It had a population of more than two million inhabitants (In 1940 11,200 were Italians settlers, mostly in the capital Gondar). In November 1938 some territory of Amhara in the Scioa region was given to the neighboring Addis Abeba Governorate, enlarging it to the Scioa Governorate.

The region was a stronghold of fierce Ethiopian resistance against the Italians. By 1940, the last areas of guerrilla activity was around Lake Tana and southern Gojjam, under the leadership of the degiac Mengesha Gembere and Belay Zeleke.