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.
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Selale in the context of Shewa
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.